Showing 1 - 25 of 56
Artist: Leonard Davis
A session musician whose recording credits on viola begin in the '90s, Leonard Davis should not be confused with the jazzman of the same name nor the rap producer. The violist's recordings include Carly Simon's rock operetta entitled Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Richard Crabtree
Violist Richard Crabtree is a highly praised interpreter of both classical and 20th century music for his instrument. In the tradition of many British classical musicians, he has also been tapped to take part in classical-rock or art rock experimentation. In 1994 Crabtree was part of the expanded lineup on the album entitled Life Model by the... [+] Read More
Artist: Richie Crabtree
The double bassist with the British rockabilly combo the Jive Romeros should not be confused with the jazz pianist also named Richie Crabtree. There is also a famous British classical violist who could get tangled up in this despite such differing roots, but he prefers to be called Richard Crabtree. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Stratos
Violist Wieslaw Pogorzelski and cellist Miriam Perkoff formed the chamber orchestra Stratos to bring life and passion to classical music. The duo recruited 16 musicians from around the world, living and rehearsing together for two weeks before a 1995 album was recorded. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Christopher Simpson
As an English violist and theoretician Simpson was important for his work entitled "The Division-violist" and "Practical Musick." He was an excellent teacher and skilled performer. Compositions by Simpson for the viola included suites, divisions and fantasias which were set for both solo instrument and consort alike. The "Division" includes... [+] Read More
Artist: Antonin Dvorák
The dean of Czech composers and a violist and composer with a major output of orchestral and chamber music, including "Symphony no. 9, 'From the New World'" (1893); "String Sextet in A, op. 48" (1878); and "Trio for Violin, Cello, & Piano no. 3 in f, op. 65" (1883). Dvorak is noted for his symphonies and symphonic poems, which have the emotional... [+] Read More
Artist: William Jones
Violist William Jones has performed as a member of the London Symphony Orchestra. His connection to the world of art rock came about through participation in the performance and recording of Gemini Suite, a 1970 combination epic classical-rock composition and horoscope from keyboardist Jon Lord of Deep Purple. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Charles Dollé
Highly influenced by Italian music this composer, violist and teacher maintained a French flavor in his music with the continued use of ornamentation. Dolle's compositions included sonatas, trios, duets and pieces primarily for the viol and bass viol. The Italian manner of his compositions included extended reaches between intervals, rhythms... [+] Read More
Artist: Paul Angerer
Angerer studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and the Vienna Conservatory, and has enjoyed a distinguished career as a composer and performer. He was the principal violist for The Vienna SO, chief conductor and director at many fine theatres and opera houses and orchestras, including The Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Angerer's compositional style... [+] Read More
Artist: Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe
An outstanding bass violist who is credited with the seven string viol by two of his students. He was active in Paris and considered a virtuoso upon his instrument. He was a student of Hotman and had students ranging from Rousseau to Marais. Sainte-Colombe's playing style was descriptively cantabile and his compositions included approximately... [+] Read More
Artist: Ljova
LJOVA (Lev Zhurbin) was born in 1978 in Moscow, Russia, and emigrated
to New York with his parents, composer Alexander Zhurbin and poet
Irena Ginzburg, in 1990. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ljova
divides his time between performing as a violist in groups ranging
from string quartets to gypsy bands, studying and arranging world
music for... [+] Read More
Artist: The Eighteenth Day of May
English folk-rock quartet the Eighteenth Day of May construct alternately rousing and pastoral songs in the tradition of Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and Steeleye Span. The international collective formed initially around the trio of American vocalist and flutist Alison Brice, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Richard Olsen, and English... [+] Read More
Artist: Louis de Caix d'Hervelois
An independent French composer who lived by the support of patrons. As a bass violist, Caix composed pieces for his instrument maintaining a melodic finesse not usually attributed to this instrument. The best compositional format for Caix was the dance (he did not seem to be able to sustain his musical abilities through any extensive... [+] Read More
Artist: John Coprario
An English composer, violist and teacher who served in the courts of King Henry, Queen Anne, Prince Charles, and Elizabeth and Frederick. Coprario (Cooper/Cowper) arranged a number of songs and poems by his contemporary Thomas Campion and worte in vocal genres that included songs, madrigals, and villanelles, and instrumental works which included... [+] Read More
Artist: Bjarne Brustad
Brustad studied at the Oslo Conservatory and at several schools throughout Europe. He was a solo violist with The Oslo PSO from 1929-43 and took a teaching position at the Oslo Conservatory in 1937. In 1953 he received a state pension for life. Brustad's early compositions differed greatly from the Griegian style, earning him a position at the... [+] Read More
Artist: Conrado del Campo (Y Zabaleta)
Campo studied at the Madrid Conservatory and served as a violinist and violist of the symphony orchestra of the Teatro Real. He took a position at the Madrid Conservatory in 1915 and became the most important professor of composition in Spain at the time. His compositional interest lay in the German style, making use of the Wagnerian models of... [+] Read More
Artist: Antonio Literes
This bass violist and bassist (for the royal choir and royal chapel respectively) in Madrid, was touted as the greatest composer of the Spanish court. His name was made at court from his zarzuelas "Accis y Galatea," "Jupiter y Danae," and "Los elementos." Because of his reputation Literes was commissioned by Lisbon Cathedral to compose an... [+] Read More
Artist: Ottokar Novacek
Novacek was an excellent violinist who studied with Dont in Vienna and Schradieck and Brodsky at the University of Leipzig. He not only played in the Gewandhaus Orchestra but also the Brodsky Quartet which he reformed in the United States after his migration there. Playing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and as the principal violist for the... [+] Read More
Artist: The Nommonsemble
The Nommonsemble is the brainchild of New York free jazz drummer Whit Dickey, who played with the David S. Ware Quartet in the mid-‘90s and has led projects released on the AUM Fidelity and Wobbly Rail labels. The rest of the Nommonsemble includes pianist Matthew Shipp, violist Mat Maneri and alto saxophonist and flautist Rob Brown. Each of the... [+] Read More
Artist: Nat Baldwin
Nat Baldwin is a bassist whose improvisations are often based on sounds rather than notes. His free, noisy playing often includes a variety of extended-technique effects -- he'd rather scratch a string than pluck it. Baldwin briefly studied at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT, but he soon fell in with a group of Wesleyan University... [+] Read More
Artist: Giulio Caccini
This Italian singer, lutenist, harpist and violist often performed in the court of the Medici. Giulio was considered to be the inventor of the "stile recitativo" (recitative style). This being the case, Caccini had a profound effect on the role of vocal music and the development of opera, oratorio, and song. His works included four pieces for... [+] Read More
Artist: Lenny Solomon
A talented swing violinist from Canada, Lenny Solomon is actually a flexible player able to sound comfortable in several different musical idioms. His father was principal violist of the Toronto Symphony and his sister composed music for film and television. Solomon started playing piano when he was six, picking up the violin two years later. At... [+] Read More
Artist: Jill Jaffe
Violist Jill Jaffe is active in classical music, world music, new music and also composes for film and theater. Based out of downtown NYC, she has performed and recorded throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan, as well as on Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi, Paul Simon's Heart and Bones, Soul Asylum's 1993 MTV Unplugged appearance, Marc Ribot's Shoe... [+] Read More
Artist: Thomas Lupo
Thomas was the son of Joseph who was the brother of Ambrose and the patriarch of the Lupo family of musicians. They were of Italian origin but settled in London where Thomas became a court musician shortly after the death of Ambrose. It is possible that Thomas was born in London but this is not certain. As a violist or violinist Thomas performed... [+] Read More
Artist: William Young
An excellent violist and da gamba player, little is known of Young's early life but he was a continental musician who served in the court of Ferdinand Karl, the then Governor of the Netherlands. He accompanied Ferdinand and his wife on their trip to Italy visiting a number of cities on the peninsula. Young was also well-received and admired by... [+] Read More
