JAVS Fall 2016

News &Notes

Daphne Gerling, Hillary Herndon, and Katherine Lewis, and is now continually expanded thanks to the effort of a team of AVS volunteers. Use it today to find the next piece for your ensemble, or let us know of a work you would like to see listed. Our goal is to create the most comprehensive database available, and make it available to you! Introducing the YAC New this year, the American Viola Society established the Youth Advisory Council, a group of students and young professionals who serve as a liaison to the AVS Executive board, providing student perspective on the impact of AVS issues and projects for aspiring professional violists. The application pool was quite strong, and we are pleased to announce the five members of this inaugural council: • Susan Bengtson , who currently serves as Helen Callus’ Graduate Assistant at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. • Katie Brown , a first year graduate student studying Viola Performance and Music Education at the Eastman School of Music. • Alexa Sangbin Thomson , a dual-citizen of the USA and New Zealand, currently pursuing her Master’s degree at Rice University with Professor James Dunham. • William “Will” Whitehead currently attends the Florida State University, where he studies viola, string pedagogy, and orchestral conducting. • Corey Worley , a double degree student at Oberlin College & Conservatory studying psychology and viola performance under Peter Slowik. Kenji Bunch’s Rise (and Shine) score and parts now available Kenji Bunch’s Rise (and Shine) , commissioned by the American Viola Society for the 2016 AVS Festival in Oberlin, OH is now available for purchase on the Bill Holab Music website at this link: goo.gl/p2A3Aj. A video of the performance can be found on YouTube at this link: goo.gl/Rp2da1. A very special thanks to TomTatton and the entire ensemble for their careful preparation and performance of the premiere of this piece on June 11, 2016 at Oberlin Conservatory’s Finney Chapel during the 2016 AVS Festival.

AVS Executive Board Nominations The Nominations Committee of the AVS Executive Board is seeking nominations for President-elect and four Member-at-Large positions commencing July 1, 2017. AVS members are encouraged to send recommendations for nominees (self-nominations are allowed), and all nominees must be AVS members. Non-AVS members are encouraged to join or renew their memberships to be eligible to participate in the process. Nominees should be highly motivated and prepared for significant service assignments and committee work to further the aims and programs of the society. In keeping with the AVS’s commitment to serve a diverse constituency of violists and viola enthusiasts, the AVS especially encourages nominations from groups currently underrepresented within its membership, such as music educators and amateur violists. Nominations of individuals with expertise in development, finance, social media/web development, and organizing events (such as festivals and workshops) are also encouraged. Nominees for President-elect must have served three years as either an officer or a board member within the last nine years as of the date of assuming office. All nominations must be received by January 31, 2017. Visit https://www.americanviolasociety.org/AVS/ Nominations.php for detailed nomination guidelines, eligibility requirements, board responsibilities, and an explanation of the nominations and election process. Questions about the nominations process or the responsibilities of AVS officers and Executive Board members may be addressed to Julie Edwards, chair of the Nominations Committee, at nominations@ americanviolasociety.org. Viola Ensemble Database The American Viola Society has launched its Viola Ensemble Database, now available as a resource for everyone. Designed to help teachers and performers find suitable works written or arranged for multiple violas, the database can be searched by composer, title, arranger, duration, editor, publisher, original work, and number of movements. It is also possible to search by difficulty level, as many works in the database include ASTA level grading for each individual part. The database originated as a project by Dominic DeStefano,

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

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