for solo viola
3′
2021
PROGRAM NOTE
These short, one-minute pieces were commissioned by Washington Performing Arts for the 50th Annual Joseph and Goldie Feder Memorial Competition.
The set opens with “Naughty Kitty”, which was written for Intermediate level players and was inspired by the cute (but sometimes frustrating) antics of my new black cat Ninji.
The middle movement was written with beginners in mind and is called “Farewell Song” – my ode to all viola Elegies that have been written over the years.
The final movement is called “Tempest”, a flashy and fun showpiece for advanced players.
I feel we should always be armed with short character pieces that we can perform in a recital, a school, a community center, or someone’s house – and it was an honor to add these to the viola repertoire.
Individually or as a set, I hope you find them useful and fun to play!