JAVS Summer 2001

AVS CHAPTERS

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member. The event culminated with a recital of the ensemble pieces rehearsed earlier in the day and included works by Telemann, ar rangements of simpler tunes for young players and selected movements of Gordon Jacob's Suite for Eight Violas. The event was successful at integrating ele ments of previous "mini-congresses" with the added element of more student participation. The format was so well received and the

turnout so large that plans are underway to make this an annual event. A special "thank you" to Rocky Mountain Viola Society mem ber Suzanne Temple for the inspiration to cre ate this type of event and for undertaking the organization of this project.

-juliet White-Smith, President Rocky Mountain Viola Society

Bagatelles for solo viola by Los Angeles com poser Henri Lazaroff, Peter Hatch played his enchanting viola/piano arrangements of Puccini's Musetta's Song (from La Boheme), Augustin Lara's Granada, and the traditional Amazingly Beautifol. Violist Dmitri Bovaird and baritone Paul Cummings then performed 3 selections from Daniel Pinkham's Songs for Baritone and Viola, effectively conveying the resplendent and mystical settings of Gerald Manley Hopkins' poetry. Violist Damon Graddy closed the concert with a highly musical performance of two rarely heard pieces: Faure's Les Berceaux and the William Flackton Sonata Op. 2 No. 8 in C minor. Pianist Kelly Lin was the accompanist on this evening's concert; her sensitive playing clearly showed a thorough grasp of all of the diverse musical styles. There were two workshops on Saturday May 5th. In the morning "The Prevention and Treatment of Performance Related Stress and Injuries" workshop featured chiropractor Dr. Jerry Hyman, Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Therapist Robert Dorer, and Southern California Viola Society president Ray Tischer. Correct standing and sitting pos tures, breathing, hand care and maintenance, and exercises for the promotion of good health and reduction of stress were demon strated and discussed with a high degree of audience involvement. The conclusion of the workshop included specific Chi Kung exer cises to show the immediate physical and emotional benefits of this Chinese yogic

2001 SEASON The Southern California Viola Society opened its 2001 season with an exciting listening event which included early and contemporary recordings of Tertis, Primrose, Borissovsky, Barshai, Doktor, Trampler and others. Of spe cial interest to Southern Californians was a recorded performance from 1939 of the Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Eudice Shapiro and violist Virginia Majewski. The next event, on April 30th, was the inauguration of the Music from Los Angeles series. The concert at Occidental College fea tured violist Carole Mukogawa playing unac companied twelve-tone compositions by local composers Henri Lazaroff and Marshall Bialosky. Adrutionally, violist Ray Tischer and L. A Crossover Band members {bassist Tim Emmons and guitarist Kenton Youngstrom) performed tunes by Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and other jazz com posers who lived and worked in Los Angeles. On May 4-6, 2001, the Southern and Northern California Viola Society chapters presented the first regional California Viola Congress. This rich and informative collabo ration began with a Friday night concert. Violist Pam Goldsmith opened the concert with an enlightening and entertaining per formance of a viola/piano arrangement of David Shire's music Arbor Scene from the film Old Boyfriends and several movements from the Bach cello suites comparing the different Baroque styles. Following Carole Mukogawa's brilliant performance of the twelve-tone Six