Silent warrior. Underdog. Middle voice. These are the generous words that describe the viola, the string instrument accustomed to the shadows, and to the relentless jokes. Violists rarely get a chance ...

The viola is the middle voice of the string family. It is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

The viola is in nature an undersized pansy. In art it is an oversized violin with a tubby, whiskey-contralto voice. Except for low-moaning the inner voices of symphonies and string quartets, it is not ...

The iconography of Orpheus often shows him drawing a bow across the strings of a bulky fiddle, which he balances on his shoulder. What Apollo is supposed to have given to Orpheus was a lyre, which he ...

Nora Taksdal plays the viola and is the principal violist of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra Nora Taksdal plays the viola – the slightly larger sibling of the violin – and is the principal violist of ...

Carolyn Warner (piano), Lisa Boyko (viola), Bryan Dumm (cello), Katherine Bormann (violin) The String/Piano Chamber Music Ensemble features small chamber groups—strings only or strings with ...

Too broke to buy a viola? Don’t let that stop you from making beautiful music. Sometimes, playing in a string quartet can get repetitive. Here’s how you can mix things up a bit. Violist Efdal Altun ...

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — At 61, composer and multi-style violist and former Staten Islander Martha Mooke has won her first Grammy! Mooke, who now lives in Bayonne, New Jersey, won a Grammy for her ...