JAVS Spring 2006

fROM THE PRESIDENT

http://www.americ.'lnviolasociety.org/ Education/Brats/Brats.htm or cl ick on Education on rhe left of the main page. T he program ourlines how to host a viola day in your communi ty and how to apply for fi.mding from the AVS for the event. There are t shirts for sale and a great BRATS day poster to download. l want to th;mk the Riley family for allowing us to use one of the images from Mau rice Riley's "Histo1y of the Viola" for our poster. T here is much more to come for the program including a note book and overview of the entire pro gram and I hope you will continue to send your thoughts and ideas to me ;mel watch our for more details on how the program can work for you. I would also like to encourage you all to visit the web site for the 2006 International Viola Congress to be held in Montreal, 7th-1 1th June. Hosted byJurra Puchhan1mer Sedillot the schedule looks to be an exciting line up of the very best. Montreal is a wonderfu l city and I

Ar the time ofwri ting many of you will have heard that Mil ron Karims died on the 27th of February aged %. r had the great pleasure of knowing Mr. Katims who was a great champion of the viola and life long advocate for the instrument. He was a great supporter of violists and came back stage many times to congratulate me and tel l me a won derful stOry. I gor the sense rhar he just loved to hea r rhe viola and always came ro many of our viola performan ces and events in Seattle. I was thrilled that he was honored with a special award at the Seattle Congress in 2002 by the AVS fo r his lifetime achievements. I have fond memories of spendi ng the afremoon at his condo just norrh of Seattle and listening ro his great stories and thoughts about the profession and looking at all the pictures on the wall ofrus tremendous achievements. We have lost a grear pioneer [or our instrument who will be remembered with great fondness. In closing I look forward ro hearing from you and perhaps meeting some ofyou in person at the Montreal Congress. It is always a wonderfu l rime ro be reacquainted wirh old fri ends and to make new ones too. 1 do hope you will join us! r:

We are well into 2006 and for m;my of us th is can be the busiest time of the year. However, 1 would like to encour age you to take some time roday to treat yourself and visit ou r web site at hrrp: //www.AmericanViolaSociety.org. Take a look at some of the things we have been doing over the past few months for our members and get up to date on the latest news fi·om theAVS. Garth Knox is our new 'artist on the road' and has been keeping a diary of his thoughts and evenrs for our members via the web site. He is a fascinating person and one that many of us have met at the interna tional congresses where he is a very popular presenter and great expo nent of contemporary music. You can access his diary from the main page of rhe web site. We were able to launch the BRATS Educational program which we hope will be a wonderful resource for al l viol ists in our ever growing commu ni ty. For a direct link please go ro:

Yours,

Helen Callus President T he American Viola Society

OLUME 22

NUMBER 1

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