JAVS Fall 2003

Strauss's IV:tiserwalzer and on the serious side, proved the new piece, Testament, by Brett Dean deserves to be a staple of group viola reper toire. Tabea Zimmerman was the high light of the entire week. Her com mand, grace and beauty glowed in brated all things wonderful about the viola. She is doing for our centu ry what Primrose did for the last, taking viola playing to new heights. Zimmerman's luminous and haunt ing performance ofMenachem Wiesenberg's Monodiafog will be burned in my memory forever. every performance she gave. Ranging from the Hummel Potpurri to the second viola concerto by Sally Beamish, her playing cele

Personally, I missed rhe contrast in color the clarinet brings to the ensemble. Kashkashian's intensity and commit ment were tangible in every note she played. She also got the audiences' attention with her compelling and special sound. The sheer difficulty of the new and complex works was impressive. A listing: A new, forty minute concerto, Lightning with Life, In Four CoLours Comes Down, by Christopher Theofanidis, &wa Deravin for solo viola and string quartet by Eitan Steinberg, Still for viola and chamber orchestra by Thomas Larcher, Naturale (su mefodie siciliane) for viola, percus sion and rape by Luciano Berio. Her recital with the percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky was imaginative and improvisatory and also featured Armenian folksongs and Folies d'Espagne by Marin Marais. Since Nabuko Imai was unable to perform due to injury, another one of the surprises of the Violafest was the opportunity to hear from the rising generation of great violists. Although billed as pupils of the four artists, each proved they are becoming great artists in their own right. Yoko Kanamaru, lmai's stu dent played convincing Bach. Her leadership in the viola quartet arrangement of the Bach Chaconne was particularly stirring. Ilya Hoffman and Nina Macharadze represented rhe polish received from study with Yuri Bashmet. Sebastian Krunnies, for merly a student of Kim Kashkashian and Garth Knox, per formed the Marc Monnet Fantasia.

Krunnies has found success as one of the most recent additions (2000) to the Berlin Philharmonic viola section, with whom he also performed later in the week. Antoine Tamestit, a Frenchman , and student of Tabea Zimmerman, particularly stood our in his performances because of his resonant tone and beautifully expressive interpreta tions. American audiences will be lucky to have more opportu nities to hear Tamestit this year. Since he was a first prize winner with the prestigious Young Concert Artists in New York, he will be performing in the USA from coast to coast.

Mingling with so many violists was a joyful experience. In atten dance there were peo ple who had come all the way from South Africa, Iceland, Poland, Australia, Switzerland and more. The entire week was a wonderful

Antoine Tamastit andpianist Markus Hadulla

international assort

ment of gifted violists from all over the world. My only regret was that there were not more from the American Viola Society to support and enjoy the occasion. If you have always meant to go to a congress and have missed out for some reason or another, I want to encourage you to go next time. Korey Konkol is already preparing an extravaganza

As if hearing these wonderful viola soloists was not enough, the frost ing on the cake of the Violafest was the opportunity to hear the entire Berlin Philharmonic viola section in concert! They played both light and serious viola ensem ble music including Telemann, Jacob, Weinzierl and Rossini. They showed they rule rhe roost with

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