JAVS Fall 2016

From the President

Greetings from the American Viola Society! Fall is in the air and with that comes the start of the new academic year and new performance seasons. We have an active group of

on addressing the needs of our future generations, including recognition of performance at very high levels through the Primrose International Viola Competition, an emphasis on teaching and master class presentation at our gatherings, and support of student research through the David Dalton Viola Research Competition. Recently, we reached our goal of fully funding the endowment for the DDVRC, ensuring that the AVS can continue to provide opportunities for publication for student researchers. Several of our winners of the Maurice Gardner Composition Competition have been composers at the start of their careers and this AVS opportunity is yet another way for them to gain wider recognition while creating new works for our instrument. We have also provided increased opportunities for early career presentation and performance at the 2014 and 2016 American Viola Society Festivals. organization and never has the future been brighter! You can participate and support these projects through maintaining your membership and inviting others to join in support of the mission of the American Viola Society, by volunteering to organize or be a part of viola events in your community, and by simply bringing your ideas forward. We look forward to hearing from you! Being intentional about supporting the next generation is of course an investment in our future as an

board members and volunteers working on various projects to benefit the viola community, and I am excited to see continued development in many of our areas of mission focus. I am excited to announce that the AVS Board has named a new Youth Advisory Council. We received a number of very strong nominations and it is truly gratifying to see the level of commitment and creativity in our viola leadership of the future! Newly named to the AVS Youth Advisory Council are Susan Bengtson, Katie Brown, Alexa Sangbin Thomson, Will Whitehead, and Corey Worley. This group will have a direct link to the AVS board and we look forward to hearing their ideas and perspectives as we continue to meet the mission of the society. Our young people are so important to our future, and having their voice more directly represented on the AVS board is an important step forward. As you know, it is of vital importance for any organization to cultivate new leadership and to find ways to address the changing needs of new generations of members. The American Viola Society has had a long history of focusing

Dr. Kathryn Steely American Viola Society, president

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 32, No. 2, Fall 2016

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