“Temptation for Solo Bassoon” is one of the best-known and most carefully structured works for solo instrument by the American composer, saxophonist, conductor, and educator Kirk O'Riordan (1968)

O'Riordan originally composed the piece in 1994 for bassoonist Jeff Lyman, when he was still a young college student at the beginning of his career as a composer. The piece was completely revised by the composer between 2015 and 2017. The main impetus came when the piece was selected as one of the required works for the prestigious 2016 Gillet-Fox International Bassoon Competition. This modern version was also made possible thanks to the support of the renowned bassoonist Saxton Rose.

Although the name evokes biblical or mystical concepts, the composer explained that the title does not refer to temptation in a religious sense. Instead, it represents the “temptation” experienced by a young artist as he tests his abilities, taking his first steps in personal exploration and experimenting with different musical languages, styles, and techniques in search of his own identity and musical voice.