By Laurie Niles: It's no joke, we love our brethren in the viola section, and a good number of us play both the violin and viola. How about you, do you play the viola?
I wanted to make this the topic of our weekly vote because this week, the viola is about to take center stage, with two big events happening simultaneously at the Colburn School in Los Angeles: on Monday the Primrose International Viola Competition begins, then on Wednesday American Viola Society Festival begins, with both events going through Saturday. (You can still attend or watch - Click here for a schedule and livestream links for the Primrose competition, and click here for information about the AVS Festival.)![Yura Lee]()
Violist Yura Lee. Photo by Giorgia Bertazzi.
The viola is a beautiful and perhaps misunderstood instrument, and I feature this wonderful picture of the amazing violinist and violist Yura Lee because I often think about this quote from her Facebook page: "Violin is SO MUCH EASIER than viola. Anyone who can play viola well is a genius. Violin, anyone can do. Im serious."
With her jaw-dropping skill on both instruments, I think she brings up some serious food for thought. It's really time to hang up the whole "Those who can't make it on the violin, play viola" - it's almost as bad as "Those who can't play, teach." WORST QUOTES EVER.
Recently I played Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 with the Long Beach Symphony, and from my humble perch in the second fiddles I was blown away by how beautifully the viola section played the tremendous soli sections in the second movement. (This symphony is so seldom played in my area, I hadn't realized that this is actually a frequent audition excerpt for violists). That movement seems like a long appreciative ode to the viola - it was wonderful.
So do you play the viola? If you do, is it your primary instrument? Did you start on the violin? Please share your experiences with playing viola, and if you don't play, perhaps share your appreciation for this instrument and those who play it!
You might also like:
Violist Yura Lee. Photo by Giorgia Bertazzi.
- 24 Competitors Announced in 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition
- Interview with Yura Lee: Letting the Viola Shine
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Playing the Viola* (*but were afraid to ask)
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