Registration
We are so excited to welcome you to the 2026 American Viola Society Festival! Check in and pick up your festival credentials, materials, and swag bag! Registration is the first...
18 events found.
Events
AVSF Collegiate Solo Competition
Join us for the exciting final rounds of the American Viola Society Festival Collegiate Solo Competition, where outstanding finalists take the stage in pursuit of top honors. Experience inspiring performances...
AVSF Junior Solo Competition
Join us for the exciting final rounds of the American Viola Society Festival Junior Solo Competition, where outstanding finalists take the stage in pursuit of top honors. Experience inspiring performances...
AVSF Opening Ceremony
Join us as we officially welcome participants to the American Viola Society Festival at James Madison University. The Opening Ceremony marks the beginning of our shared celebration of the viola,...
Exhibitor Open Hours
We invite you to explore the exhibitor hall and connect with distinguished luthiers, bow makers, publishers, and vendors from across the viola world. Discover exceptional instruments, browse sheet music and...
The Few, The Proud, The Violas: The State of the Union
This lecture provides an overview of the current state of the viola world from both practical and psycho-sociological viewpoints. This draws upon research from my PhD thesis (2026), which utilizes...
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...
AVS Shared Recital: Portrait de femme
Portrait de femme: Globetrotting with Female Composers explores the theme of music by women composers while adding transcriptions to expand the current viola repertoire. This recital includes unique works by...
AVSF Orchestra Audition Competition and Seminar
Join us for the exciting final rounds of the American Viola Society Festival Orchestra Audition Competition and Seminar semi- and final-rounds, where outstanding finalists take the stage in pursuit of...
AVSF Senior Solo Competition
Join us for the exciting final rounds of the American Viola Society Festival Senior Solo Competition, where outstanding finalists take the stage in pursuit of top honors. Experience inspiring performances...
Rethinking Bach’s Cello Suites
Bach's Cello Suites have been central to the viola training repertoire for nearly a century. Yet many basic questions about them resist straightforward answers, and contradictory or misleading information appears...
Underrepresented Twice: Spotlighting Unknown Soviet Repertoire by Female Composers and Ethnic Minorities
In recent years the American viola community shared an increased interest in viola music by composers of underrepresented backgrounds, from the present and from the past. In this lecture recital—based...
Electric Viola Workshop: Signature Artist, Rudolf Haken
Explore the expressive possibilities of the electric viola with pioneering performer and innovator Rudolf Haken. This engaging workshop will demonstrate the instrument’s expanded sonic palette, including extended techniques, electronic effects,...
Violin to Viola: Developing an Efficient Pedagogy
This research proposal presents a comprehensive approach to integrating violin and viola pedagogies that can efficiently support violinists at different proficiency levels in transitioning to violists. By adopting this approach,...
Gamifying the practice room
What if learning etudes felt like casting spells in epic boss battles? DragonScales: The Hero Levels – 25 Fantasy Etudes to Slay Evil invites violists into a fully immersive practice...
AVS Shared Recital: Reimagining Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas for Viola
The idea of transcribing Beethoven’s violin music for viola stems from a long-standing artistic and pedagogical goal: to make Beethoven's revolutionary music more accessible to viola students. Unlike violinists and...
Integrating Pop Music and Diverse Composers into the Beginner Viola Studio
Today’s young violists want to play music that reflects their world—and too often, our teaching materials don’t. While there’s been progress in programming works by women and underrepresented composers, studio...
Signature Artist Concert: Victoria Chiang — Elegance and Expression Across Centuries
Renowned violist Victoria Chiang is joined by guest artists Lynne Ramsey (viola) and David Perry (violin), the Northern Virginia String Quartet (AVSF Quartet in Residence), and the festival chamber orchestra...