JAVS Fall 2005

2006 Naumburg Viola Competition

viola's return to the story of Lassie, rhe famous collie.

AboUL one month later, Eugene phoned Arnie to inform him that his son Daniel Phillips, first vio linisr of the O ri on String Quarter, wou ld be interested in trying out the instrument. Before the week was over, Daniel call ed Arnie to inform him that he did want to buy the viola; more importantly however, upon showing the instrument to his father - who was visit ing at rhe rime - Eugene excla imed "That's the viola that was stolen from me!!!" fJ

T he Naumburg Foundation will have a viola category in irs 2006 Competition, to be held October 12- 18. Entrants must be 18-32 years of age and either reside or scudy in No rth America. For fur ther information see their adver tisement in this journal issue on page 24. Foster Focus T he famous f~tmilial first stand of the National Symphony O rchestra's vio la section was fea rured in rhe cover story of the InLernational Musician's August, 2005 issue. Question to BiLL Foster /father}: What's it Li/ee to take orders frorn your son? Answer: I always say that it's no different from the previous twen ty-five years. But now he gets paid for it! The two-page article covers their similar paths ro the insrru mem and their experi ences in the NSO, among other things . This is believed to be the first time that two violists have ever been featured together on the cove r of the In te rnational Musician! Stolen Viola Returns Home After 55 Years Fifty-five years after Eugene Phillip's viola was srolen from him, his instrument, crafted and built by his father in 1942, has returned home ro the maker's grandson. Chicago violist Arnold Sklar, who has owned rhe instru ment since 1959, compares the

Instrument maker Benj amin Phillips decided in 1942 to make a 16 3/4" inch viola for his son Eugene, a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Ln 1950, this instrument was stolen from Eugene's music studio and its whereabouts were never discovered until recently. [n 1955, Victor Stern , professo r of viola at the University of Mi ami in Florida, purchased a Benjamin Phillips viola from a violin shop in Washington, D.C. T ha t same yea r, Arnie Sklar, a music student at the University of Miami, switched his major from violin to viola, and upon receiving a Bachelors and Masters degree in music from the University, joined the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Whil e on tour with the orchestra just a few months later, he recurned to Miami where he purchased his teacher's "B.P." viola. Arn ie went on to become a member of Chicago's Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in which he has played for 40 years , 31 of them as Principal Violist. In anticipatio n of slow ing down his active playing ca ree r, he decided to sell his Benjamin Phillips viola and upon contact ing a violin shop in Pittsburgh, was informed that d1e maker's son, Eugene, was still living in the area. T he two of them had a very pleasant phone conversation and shared their mutual ca reer sto ri es.

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