23 Aug 2026 Dalton Prize Winners Announced
Announcing the 2026 David Dalton Research Competition Winners
The American Viola Society is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 David Dalton Research Competition, recognizing outstanding scholarship that contributes to the study, documentation, and understanding of the viola and its community. This year’s competition drew an especially strong and competitive pool of submissions, representing a wide range of subjects and approaches to viola research. We are grateful to all of the scholars who shared their work with the competition and are delighted to recognize two exceptional papers among this year’s entries.
First Prize — Roselynn Hobbs
“Viola as an Opportunity Space: The Feminine Foundations of American Viola Culture.”
Second Prize & Harmony Prize — Brenton Caldwell
“Her Viola in My Life: An Investigative Tribute to Karen Phillips.”
We extend our sincere thanks to this year’s judging committee: Ames Asbell, Andy Braddock, Anthony Devroye, Marcus Pyle, Alice Sprinkle, and Lanson Wells. Their time, expertise, and thoughtful consideration of this year’s submissions were invaluable to the competition. We are deeply grateful for their service and for their commitment to supporting and advancing viola scholarship.
Finally, we thank every scholar who submitted research to the 2026 competition. The quality and breadth of this year’s submissions made for an exceptionally strong competition, and we are grateful for the work each author is contributing to our field.
Please join us in congratulating Roselynn Hobbs and Brenton Caldwell on their achievements and in celebrating the continued growth of viola scholarship.