Welcome Letter

Dear Friends,

We most cordially invite you to join us May 30-June 3, 2012 here at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, for the 40^th International Viola Congress!  IVC 2012 promises to be a joyous celebration of all things viola.

Eastman hosted the 5^th International Viola Congress in 1977. Since this is the first time that a congress is being held at a repeat venue, we were inspired to choose “What’s past is prologue,” a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, as our theme.

The spirit of this theme is reflected in our programming as well.  We have been inundated with an astonishing range of proposals from artists from all over the world wishing to participate, and during the congress, we will be covering the gamut from the Baroque to the newly minted.  IVC 2012 will open with a recital by Baroque specialist from England, Annette Isserlis, and our first evening concerto concert will feature former Berlin Philharmonic principal violist Wolfram Christ, as conductor and soloist, as well as Atar Arad, Kim Kashkashian, Paul Neubauer, and Nokuthula Ngwenyama. Two of our subsequent evenings will be in collaboration with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and will include performances by New York Philharmonic leading ladies Cynthia Phelps and Rebecca Young in Sofia Gubaidulina’s Two Paths and the world premiere of African-American composer Olly Wilson’s Viola Concerto, as performed by Marcus Thompson.

In addition to myriad performances of great music old and new, including “Viola After Dark” concerts in informal venues (with food and drink available!) and the traditional “play-in”, IVC 2012 will also offer lecture-demonstrations by luthiers and string specialists as well as by composers Margaret Brouwer and Kenji Bunch. Panel discussions on a wide range of topics and daily “Wellness Sessions for Violists” will also be offered.

Student opportunities abound at IVC 2012. Inspired by IVC 2010, we will hold a Young Artists’ Competition for violists aged 16-22.  Prizes will include the Benoit Rolland Award of a new bow made by the master bow-maker, as well as significant cash prizes donated by The String House of Rochester, Signorelli String Instruments LTD, and Nocon and Associates. Themed master class offerings will range from solo Bach to orchestral audition preparation and standard repertoire.  For younger violists and educators, we will be hosting a “Community Viola Day” on June 2^nd.

Our complete artist-roster and the schedule for the congress can now be viewed on this web site.

Eastman’s facilities are absolutely world-class, and we look forward to sharing with you the historic Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, the historic Kilbourn Hall, and our brand new wing, which includes the stunning Hatch Recital Hall.  Vendors will have a wonderful exhibition space in our new wing, so if you are looking to purchase a new viola or are in need of any viola-related accoutrements or sheet music, IVC 2012 is the place to come!

Rochester is easily accessible by car, plane, train, or bus, and we have reserved rooms for you at the Hyatt Hotel or in the University of Rochester’s River Campus Dormitories.  Please register early and keep checking the web site, as we will post updates continuously.  (www.ivc2012.com)

We look forward to seeing you next spring in Rochester!

Warmest regards,

Carol Rodland	George Taylor	Phillip Ying

Associate Professors of Viola and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music and
Co-hosts of the 40^th International Viola Congress (IVC 2012)
26 Gibbs Street
Rochester, NY 14604
www.ivc2012.com