In 2002, Norman Bolter was approached by R. Douglas Wright, principal trombone of the Minnesota Orchestra to compose two works for trombone and piano to be used in the final round of the Zellmer Trombone Competition held biennially in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The resulting work for tenor trombone and piano, Morning Walk, continues to be used in each occurrence of the Zellmer Trombone Competition and has also become a commonly performed work by professional trombonists and advanced students in recital settings. Morning Walk is a musical ‘portrait’ of the composer’s former trombone teacher and the namesake for the trombone competition, Steven Zellmer. The work presents a wide range of technical challenges to the trombone player. Morning Walk rapidly progresses through many musical styles, as the composer attempts to capture the multi-faceted life, interests, and personality of Steven Zellmer. The composer uses many themes and motifs that appear throughout the work, as well as quotations from various other musical materials including etudes and orchestral literature.