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Roger Chase (born in London in 1953) is a British violist who currently teaches at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
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Roger Chase (born in London in 1953) is a British violist who currently teaches at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
Roger Chase was born in London and studied under Bernard Shore (with occasional lessons from Lionel Tertis) during his studies at the Royal College of Music from 1964 to 1974. He received his ARCM degree [associate honors diploma] in 1974, one year prior to Tertis's death. He is the current owner of the 1717 Montagnana viola, which is the instrument that Tertis used during the height of his performing career, originally acquired in Paris when it was in pieces. This 17 1/8" instrument was the inspiration for his developing, after his retirement, the Tertis model viola. His hope was to create an instrument more manageable by those with smaller hands, yet with the same deep sonority of his Montagnana. The 1717 Montagnana was acquired by Bernard Shore during Tertis's retirement in 1937 and upon Bernard Shore's death, was passed down to Chase.
Chase made his debut performance in 1979 with the English Chamber Orchestra. Since then, he has played as a soloist or chamber musician in major cities in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, and all of Western Europe. He has played as guest principal violist with every major British orchestra and many others in Europe and North America, including the Berlin Philharmonic. He served as the principal violist of the London Sinfonietta for 10 years[ when? ], performed and recorded with the Nash Ensemble for over 20 years[ when? ], the period instrument ensemble Hausmusik of London for 12 years[ when? ], as well as recording and touring with the Esterhazy Baryton Trio (which has performed the Haydn oeuvre for baryton) and numerous other ensembles.[ which? ]
Chase has recorded for EMI, CRD, Hyperion, Cala, Virgin, and Floating Earth Records. He has taught at the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the Académie Internationale des Music de Chambre in the Netherlands, and Oberlin College.
Viola concertos have been written for Chase by Richard Harvey, Jonathan Lloyd, and Francis Holmes.
The viola ( vee-OH-lə, alsovy-OH-lə, Italian: [ˈvjɔːla, viˈɔːla]) is a string instrument that is bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below). The strings from low to high are typically tuned to C3, G3, D4, and A4.
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist. He was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame and a noted teacher.
The Aeolian Quartet was a highly reputed string quartet based in London, England, with a long international touring history and presence, an important recording and broadcasting profile. It was the successor of the pre-War Stratton Quartet. The quartet adopted its new name in 1944 and disbanded in 1981.
A viola concerto is a concerto contrasting a viola with another body of musical instruments such as an orchestra or chamber music ensemble. Early examples of viola concertos include Telemann's concerto in G major and several concertos by Carl Stamitz and other members of his family. The first concertante work to use the viola without caution was Mozart's violin and viola Sinfonia Concertante.
The Viola Concerto by William Walton was written in 1929 and first performed at the Queen's Hall, London on 3 October of that year by Paul Hindemith as soloist and the composer conducting. It had been written with the violist Lionel Tertis in mind, and he took the work up after initially rejecting it. The concerto established Walton as a substantial figure in British music and has been recorded by leading violists internationally. Walton revised the instrumentation of the concerto in 1961, lightening the orchestral textures.
Gilad Karni is an Israeli violist who has played in the New York Philharmonic and is currently principal viola in the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich as well as a soloist and player in chamber ensembles. A founder member of the Huberman Quartet, with which he made his debut at Carnegie Hall, he has since appeared there with the Guarneri Quartet.
Terence Weil was a British cellist, principal cellist of the English Chamber Orchestra, a founding member of the Melos Ensemble, a leading chamber musician and an influential teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Frederick Craig Riddle OBE was a British violist. He was considered to be in the line from Lionel Tertis and William Primrose, through to the violists of today such as Lawrence Power.
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Bernard Shore was an English viola player and author.
Paul Cropper, MBE, (1913-2006) was a British violist and principal viola of the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra from 1947 to 1982.
Roger Best, HonRCM was a British violist. He was principal violist of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra and a member of the Alberni String Quartet.
James Lockyer was a British violist. He was the former principal violist of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra and the Beecham Orchestra. He also played with the London Symphony Orchestra and the British Chamber Music Players, and was the violist in many string quartets and ensembles in the first half of the twentieth century.
Hope Hambourg née Timpson was a British violist. She played with a number of ensembles in the early half of the twentieth century. She was a pupil of Lionel Tertis. With Jean Le Fèvre and Ruth Dyson she played viola in the Le Fèvre Trio.
Kenneth Harding was a violist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra for thirty-five years and a British composer, composing primarily for viola.
Harry Danks, (1912-2001) was a British violist and principal viola of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1946 to 1978. He was the founder and director of the London Consort of Viols.
Lena Wood,, was a British violist with the Birmingham Philharmonic String Orchestra and the Birmingham Ladies' String Quartet. She was a pupil of Lionel Tertis, performing and broadcasting with a number of ensembles from the 1920s to the 1950s.
Jacqueline Mary Townshend,, was a British pianist, violinist and violist who played with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Consort of Viols. She was a pupil of Lionel Tertis, performing and broadcasting with a number of ensembles from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Timothy Ridout is a British violist and 1st Prizewinner of the prestigious Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition.
Gilbert Shufflebotham (1907–1978) was a British violist and violinist. He started his playing career on the violin, performing for radio broadcasts in the 1920s.
