It’s official! Viola Day 2.0 is actually a Viola Weekend with Roger Chase!

Dear Violists,

I hope everyone is having a good summer!  We are well into planning Viola Day!!!! 2.0, and we are pleased to announce that renowned British violist Roger Chase will be joining us as our guest artist, offering a masterclass and presenting several performances during his visit. Please mark your calendar for Viola Day!!!! 2.0, and include the entire weekend of November 1.  Here is a preliminary outline of events:

Friday, Oct. 31, 7:30 PM – Concert at Utah State University featuring Mr. Chase and the Fry Street Quartet with a mixed program of solo viola and chamber music.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 9am to 5 PM – Viola Day!!!! 2.0 at the University of Utah, featuring a masterclass by Mr. Chase, a viola ensemble concert, and a full day’s worth of events to be announced.

Sunday, Nov. 2, 7:00 PM – Roger Chase, viola with Michiko Otaki, piano.  Recital in Libby Gardner Hall, University of Utah.

This will be a rare opportunity to hear one of the world’s great instruments.  Mr. Chase plays the Montagnana viola once owned by Lionel Tertis and immortalized in his recordings.  Sunday’s full length recital will present “The Tertis Project”, in which Mr. Chase performs music commissioned and programmed by Tertis, with whom he had the opportunity to work with as a young man.  You can read more here:  http://www.rogerchase.com

Please hold these dates, and share them with your friends and colleagues – more details to come!

In other news, congratulations to Claudine Bigelow and Julie Edwards for presenting at the 2014 Primrose Festival in Los Angeles, to David Dalton for receiving the Gold Alto Clef Award from the International Viola Society for the importance of his continuing contributions, and to Michael Palumbo for becoming the new President-Elect of the American Viola Society.  We are incredibly lucky here in Utah to be home to such a strong community of violists.

All the best,

Brad

Bradley Ottesen

President, Utah Viola Society

Read all about Roger Chase here.

Roger CHase

 

 

On a personal note, I love all things English Viola, so much so that I teased a friend about wanting to change my name to Winifred Copperwheat (I mean, have you ever heard such an English name, and for a violist no less?!?), so I am really exited about this opportunity to hear Mr. Chase and his legendary viola in real life.

Winifred copperwheat

 

Brad Ottesen in recital July 15, Logan Utah

Bradley-Ottesen-1

 

On July 15 as part of the Summer Noon Music Series at the Logan Tabernacle, violist Brad Ottesen will be performing a recital of English Chamber Music. Brad is the violist of the Fry Street Quartet, a member of the faculty at the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University, and is also President of the Utah Viola Society.  Brad will be performing  the Ralph Vaughan Williams Suite for Viola and Piano; Frank Bridge Three Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, Viola, and Piano; and the Rebecca Clarke Sonata for Viola and Piano.  Joining him on the program will be Liesel Fedkenheuer, Mezzo-Soprano, and Mayumi Matzen, piano. (Many of you may recall the trio’s wonderful performance of the Brahms Two Songs for Alto, Viola, and Piano back in 2012 as part of the Viola Day recital.)

 

WHEN: Tuesday, July 15 at Noon

WHERE: Logan Tabernacle

ADMISSION: FREE