2024 Primrose International Viola Competition & American Viola Society Festival Program Book

2024 Primrose International Viola Competition & American Viola Society Festival Schedule of Events — FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2024

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Lecture-Recital Mayman Hall The Siksika Concerto: An Example of Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Jeffrey Komar – In this lecture-recital, violist Jeffrey Komar and pianist Megaria Halim will present "Siksika", a work for viola and orchestra by Benjamin Ellin, arranged for viola and piano by Jennifer Nicks. "Siksika" premiered in 2010 and was dedicated to the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) First Nations of southwestern Alberta, Canada. Originally commissioned by violist Rivka Golani, this piece sparked a collaboration between Golani, Ellin, and various members of the Kainai and Piikanii First Nations communities. Featuring Megaria Halim, piano.

Siksika

Benjamin Ellin (b.1980)

3:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Workshop Olive 272 Evaluating Instrument Performance and Tonal Output: The Impact of Strings

Stojan Jovanovich, Thomastik-Infeld – Finding the most appropriate setup for a stringed instrument and its artist can be a challenging if not daunting task. We believe having a defined process for evaluating the influence of string technology on instrument performance can greatly increase successful outcomes. As Thomastik-Infeld’s Product Manager for violin and viola strings, Stojan Jovanovic has closely worked with hundreds of professional musicians, artists/educators, and luthiers worldwide seeking to find the best string technology for their instruments. In this session, Mr. Jovanovich will explain his process for evaluating the tonal output and playability of an instrument and then demonstrate how its performance can be modulated with string technology (tonal capability, string tension, etc.). This will be an interactive presentation where Mr. Jovanovich will be working with several session participants and their instruments.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

AVS Shared Recital Thayer Hall

Viola on the Edge

Sonata for Viola and Piano I. Andante molto espressivo II. Lento espressivo e rubato III. Allegro con brio

Samuel Zyman

(b.1956)

Christina McGann, viola Heather Conner, piano

“My viola sonata is lovingly dedicated to Michael White, an outstanding composer, scholar, and teacher who was one of my dearest friends and an incredibly meaningful mentor, teacher, and role model to me. Michael was an expert on Mozart, whose music he loved passionately, and, like Mozart, he loved the viola all his life. In his later years, Michael wrote a series of chamber works inspired in Jewish music and his Jewish heritage. My viola sonata was commissioned by my friend, Dr. Lola Reid, and was written between 2020 and 2023, with an interruption in between when I worked on other projects. The first movement opens with an introspective soliloquy for the viola that emphasizes its low register, which I find to be incredibly rich and full of expressive possibilities. The movement continues in a fast Allegro con spirito section with its own motive. The second movement, Lento espressivo e rubato, is a reflection on my own Jewish heritage and, in this way, it also pays tribute to Michael White. The last movement, Allegro con brio, is full of rhythmic energy with plenty of syncopated accents, yet another aspect meant to pay homage to my dear dedicatee, Michael White.” - Samuel Zyman On a personal note, Michael White and Samuel Zyman were two of my incredible theory professors while I studied at Juilliard. I would like to share this meaningful piece with the viola community; I can imagine it becoming part of our standard repertoire.

37