Explosive Viola Music! Find it, play it, Help make it.

There is a myth among both musicians and audiences that the viola can only play elegies. Too often it seems like composers bring their troubles to the viola. Much of our repertoire does a fantastic job of exploiting the rich, dark, and melancholy characteristics of the viola. But we are capable of so much more.

In this lecture recital, I will introduce two works written for me on which I collaborated closely with composers to feature the explosive, kinetic, and high octane expressive abilities of the viola.

These works are:
Krakatoa (2018) by Stacy Garrop
A viola concerto portraying the largest volcanic eruption in modern history – Krakatoa in 1883. Three segue movements 1. Imminent, 2. Eruption, 3. Dormant.
I’ll present the viola/piano reduction version, just published by Theodore Presser.

Zing Boom (2021) by Michelle McQuade Dewhirst
A work I commissioned using my pandemic stimulus check. Zing Boom portrays the explosive swing of emotions felt from falling in love at first sight. The composer was inspired by Bjork’s legendary first appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, singing, “It’s all so quiet.”

I will demonstrate how the composers and I collaborated to enhance the explosive characteristics of the music, provide lists of other recently composed viola works displaying explosive and highly kinetic vibes, as well as provide violists in attendance with tools to approach, commission, and collaborate with composers.

The lecture will include complete performances of Krakatoa (15 mins) and Zing Boom (3 mins) to both introduce the pieces. The session closes with a Q & A session on commissioning.