Viola Concerto (2017)

For Solo Viola and Orchestra,

2*2*2*2* - 4331 - Timp. + 2 - Pno - Strings

Duration: 30 min.

Premiered on March 10th, 2017 by the Chelsea Symphony conducted by Miguel Campos Neto, featuring Sarah Haines as soloist.

Composer’s Note:

I wrote this concerto with a darker sonority and an emphasis on lyricism, qualities I associate with the viola. In the first movement, titled "Fantasia," the viola begins with a quiet and free cadenza, becoming more passionate until the woodwinds join in dialogue with the soloist. Gradually the rest of the orchestra enters, exploring ideas from the solo cadenza while maintaining a dark and foreboding atmosphere.

The second movement is a scherzo, mischievous in mood, with the orchestra and viola trading barbed jokes. The antics are interrupted by a brass chorale with embellishment from the viola. The scherzo then resumes with prominent contributions from the bassoons.

The last movement, titled “Nocturne,” plays with different kinds of music associated with the night. A sensual and romantic atmosphere gives way to something more menacing and ultimately violent. After a climax from the full orchestra, soft strings and solo viola lead us into the coda, taking an ambiguous idea from the first movement and transforming it into a lyrical and heartfelt prayer. The concerto ends with the solo viola ascending on the crest of an orchestral wave of sound.