Voilà! Viola!

Friday, February 15, 2013 | 8:00pm

Program Notes hosted by The Score Board at 7:00pm

Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory

Chinary Ung

Donald Crockett

Chen Yi

Gordon Jacob Suite for Eight Violas (1975)

George Perle Serenade No. 1 for Viola and Chamber Orchestra (1962)

Wenting Kang, viola

Chinary Ung Singing Inside Aura* (2013)

Susan Ung, viola

Donald Crockett Viola Concerto* (2012)

Kate Vincent, viola

Chen Yi Xian Shi (1983)

Lizhou Liu, viola

* World Premiere

Gil Rose, conductor

The Score Board is a group of New England-based composers serving as BMOP's vanguard of composer-advocates through volunteerism, direct support and activities, community-building, and curating BMOP's annual Club Concert series.

Program notes (opens in a new window)

News and Press

[Concert Review] BMOP gives the viola its moment in the sun

And now, it might be asked, should we pity the viola? It is after all consigned to an unglamorous middle range, and is ever on the receiving end of all that merciless skewering (if you don’t know what I mean, type “viola jokes” into Google, or ask anyone who has played in an orchestra).

The Boston Globe Full review

[Concert Review] Roseate Ensemble: Violas Consort with BMOP

In another masterstroke of imaginative programming for which it is renowned, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, under Music Director Gil Rose, offered a day-late billet-doux to the sultriest member of the string family at Jordan Hall on February 15th. “Voilà! Viola!” consisted of five works featuring the viola, four of them as soloist and one for an ensemble of eight. (one will have to come up with a clever collective noun for this).

The Boston Musical Intelligencer Full review

[Concert Review] It’s “Voilà Viola!” night at Boston Modern Orchestra Project

Why did the contemporary-music orchestra give a concert of five works that all featured the viola? a. because they wanted to make a pun in French b. because it was St. Violantine’s Day c. because there’s some good stuff for viola out there d. the orchestra ordered up two brand-new viola pieces, never heard before

Boston Classical Review Full review

[Concert Review] Stylus reviews Voilà! Viola!

This Boston Modern Orchestra Project concert was another of Gil Rose’s theme-based concerts with a catchy name. The pieces were Suite for Eight Violas (1975) by Gordon Jacob, Serenade No. 1 for Viola and Orchestra (1962) by George Perle, Singing Inside Aura (2013) by Chinary Ung, Viola Concerto (2012) by Donald Crockett, and, finally, Xian Shi (1983) by Chen Yi. The selections were disparate in style and affect; a listener certainly comes away with an appreciation for the range of effects from this instrument within modern music.

Stylus Magazine Full review