The AVS congratulations our most recent Dalton Research Competition winners, along with all the entrants who have made valued contributions to viola scholarship since the inception of the competition. Winning authors are honored by the competition by having their winning articles published in the Journal of the American Viola Society.
Please seek out and enjoy the worthy contributions listed below!
The American Viola Society proudly announces winners of the 2025 David Dalton Viola Research Competition:
First Prize: Kylie Baird, “Stravinsky’s “Élégie” for Solo Viola, Debussy’s “Élégie” for Piano: Two compositions in dialogue.”
Kylie Baird is a second-year graduate student at DePaul University’s School of Music, pursuing a Master’s Degree in viola performance under the tutelage of Professor Ann Marie Brink. Earning her Bachelor’s at the University of Arizona under the instruction of Dr. Molly Gebrian, Kylie has been the recipient of the 2023-24 Presser Undergraduate Scholar award and continues to explore her educational opportunities.
Kylie is an active performer in both academic and professional settings, regularly playing in DePaul’s orchestral and chamber ensembles. She has also performed with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Desert Violas Ensemble, and the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she held a fellowship position with the Opera Festival of Chicago, and her involvement with operatic productions also extends to the DePaul Opera Ensemble.
She interned for Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, a non-profit organization that presents concerts of world-class musicians year-round, and achieved recognition at the National Music Festival, an immersive two-week orchestral and chamber music festival in Chestertown, Maryland. In addition, she volunteered for Suite Melody Care-Arizona, an organization dedicated to providing complimentary concerts for those in hospitals and memory care homes, contributing to the well-being and joy of those in need.
Second Prize: Brightin Rose Schlumpf, “Rhythm as the musical soul in Adès’ Three Berceuses from ‘The Exterminating Angel’ for viola and piano.”
Brightin Rose Schlumpf is a dynamic violinist and violist whose versatile artistry spans classical performance, chamber music, and education. Equally at home in orchestral, chamber, and solo settings, she performs with esteemed ensembles including the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet Orchestra, Central City Opera, and the Boulder Philharmonic. She holds a section position with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra and has served as principal and assistant principal with regional symphonies across the Rocky Mountain region.
A passionate chamber musician, Brightin has collaborated with artists across the country, performing works from classical masterworks to contemporary premieres. She co-founded Ensemble Zwei and has appeared with crossover groups like Spinphony and fiddling on the RockyGrass Wildflower Pavilion Stage, in addition to sharing the stage with artists including Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. This year, Brightin joins the Friends of Chamber Music Timberline Quartet on violin.
Brightin is also an accomplished recording artist, featured on albums with Kantorei, Princess Music, and the Andy Sydow Band. She has premiered and recorded contemporary works in collaboration with composers and singer-songwriters, blending classical foundations with innovative expression.
Currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in Viola Performance at the University of Northern Colorado, Brightin holds two Master’s degrees—in Viola Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder, and in Violin/Viola Performance from the Longy School of Music. She earned her BA in Music cum laude from Cornell University.
Dedicated to the next generation of musicians, Brightin teaches privately and at summer festivals, and serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at UNCO. Her pedagogical approach combines technical excellence with creativity, informed by extensive Suzuki training and over a decade of teaching experience.
With a rich performance résumé and a commitment to artistic growth, Brightin Rose Schlumpf brings passion, precision, and depth to every stage she graces.
Third Prize: Vanese McPherson, “Newly Discovered Early Duet for Violin and Viola.”
Vanese McPherson is a conductor, violist, and dedicated music educator with a passion for inspiring the next generation of musicians. She earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Brigham Young University (2016) and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Instrumental Conducting at BYU.
With ten years of teaching experience, Vanese has led orchestras at the junior high and high school levels and taught elementary strings, while maintaining a private studio in violin, viola, and cello. By returning to graduate school, she is expanding her artistry and skills with the goal of teaching orchestra at the university level. As part of her program, she conducts BYU’s University Orchestra and University Strings classes for non-music majors, bringing energy, clarity, and musicianship to every rehearsal and performance.
An accomplished violist, Vanese has served as principal violist of both the BYU Chamber Orchestra and BYU Baroque Ensemble. She studied viola with Dr. Ausra Jasineviciute and Dr. Claudine Bigelow, and conducting with Dr. Nathan Haines. A versatile performer, she also plays string bass and has held principal positions in community ensembles, including performing the bass solo in Lt. Kijé.
Beyond the classroom and the concert hall, Vanese shares her passion for music education through her YouTube channel, String Nation, where she engages string learners on a global level. A lifelong learner and educator, her greatest joy is her family. She hopes her example will inspire her four young children to love learning and pursue their own dreams.
First Prize: First Prize: Namgon Lee, “Arranging BWV 997 for Unaccompanied Viola.”
– published in JAVS, vol. 41, no. 1, Spring 2025
Second Prize and Harmony Prize: Nicole Herrera, “Blas Emilio Atehoruta: Romanza from Five Romantic Pieces for Viola and Piano.”
– published in JAVS, vol. 41, no.1 Spring 2025
First Prize: Gabriel Forero, “Mystery Sonatas by H.I.F. Biber”
– published in JAVS, vol. 39, no. 2, Fall 2023
Second Prize: Xue Ding, “Charles Loeffler’s Two Songs”
– published in JAVS, vol. 40, no. 2, Fall 2024
Third Prize: Catherine Ziegler, “The Cade Instrument Collection”
– published in JAVS, vol. 39, no. 2, Fall 2023
First Prize: Sachin Shukla, “To Christabel: Exploring the Origins of William Walton’s Viola Concerto”
– published in JAVS, vol. 38, no. 2, Fall 2022
First Prize: Angela Kratschmer, “The Widmann Viola Concerto: Harold in Italy for the Postmodern Age”
– published in JAVS, vol. 37, no. 1, Spring 2021
Second Prize: Christopher Jenkins , “African-American Violists: A Retrospective”
– published in JAVS, vol. 36, no. 2, Fall 2020
Third Prize: Kasey Calebaugh, “Color in Music: An Analysis of Joan Tower’s Purple Works for Viola”
– published in JAVS, vol. 37, no. 1, Spring 2021
Honorable Mention: Chelsea Wimmer, “Heinrich Biber, Harmonia Artificiosa-Ariosa, Partia VII: An Edition for Modern Violas with Critical Commentary”
– published in JAVS, vol. 37, no. 2, Summer 2021
First Prize: Alice Sprinkle, “Bach Slurs, Abandoned by the Editors”
– published in JAVS, vol. 36, no. 1, Spring 2020
First Prize: Lanson Wells, “The Viola d’amore in Baroque Opera, Oratorio, and Cantata”
– published in JAVS, vol. 35, no. 2, Fall 2019
Second Prize: Joshua Dieringer, “A New Perspective on Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante”
– published in JAVS, vol. 35, no. 2, Fall 2019
First Prize: Alexander Trygstad, “Ritornello Form and the Dynamics of Performance in Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G Major”
– published in JAVS, vol. 31, no. 2, Fall 2015
First Prize: Alicia Marie Valoti, “Bartolomeo Campagnoli and His 41 Capricci: The Ever-Changing Role of the Virtuosic Viola and Its Technique”
– published in JAVS, vol. 32, no. 1, Spring 2016
First Prize: Julie Michael, “Zen in the Art of Viola Playing: Takemitsu’s A Bird Came Down the Walk”
– published in JAVS, vol. 30, no. 1, Spring 2014
First Prize: Joyce Y. Chan, “Forward Motion: Teaching Phrasing using Marcel Tabuteau’s Number System”
– published in JAVS, vol. 29, no. 1, Spring 2013
Second Prize: Amanda Wilton, “The Viola in Berlioz’s Harold in Italy”
– published in JAVS, vol. 29, no. 1, Spring 2013
First Prize: Jennifer Reed Mueller, “Finding Emotion in Bartók’s Viola Concerto”
– published in JAVS, vol. 25, no. 2, Fall 2009
First Prize: Andrew Filmer, “Power-Plays in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante: A Question of Philosophies on the Genre”
– published in JAVS, vol. 24, no. 2, Fall 2008
First Prize: Christina Placilla, “The Englishman and His Mistress: A Study of Arnold Bax’s Concert Piece for Viola and Piano”
– published in JAVS, vol. 23, no. 1, Spring 2007
First Prize: Linda Shaver-Gleason, “Ritter’s Viola Alta: The Viola’s Nineteenth Century Identity Crisis”
– published in JAVS, vol. 21, no. 2, Fall 2005
First Prize: Jeffrey Levenberg, “Introducing Zelter’s Viola Concerto”
– published in JAVS, vol. 19, no. 2, Fall 2003
First Prize: Edward M. Klorman, “From Theory to Performance in Schubert’s ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata”
– published in JAVS, vol. 18, no. 1, 2002
First Prize: Charletta Taylor, “The Real Thing: A Study of the Walton Viola Concerto”
– published in JAVS, vol. 17, no. 1, 2001
Second Prize: Christina Placilla, “The Romanian Nationalist Influences on the Viola Works of Stan Golestan and George Enescu”
– published in JAVS, vol. 17, no. 1, 2001