A Century of American Viola Sonatas Basil Vendryes & William David

• Ulysses Kay (1917 - 1995): Sonatine for Viola and Piano:
• 1 Kay: Sonatine for Viola and Piano 04:54
• Viola Sonata:
• 2 Kay: Viola Sonata: I. Largo 02:33
• 3 Kay: Viola Sonata: II. Allegro 02:19
• 4 Kay: Viola Sonata: III. Adagio 01:18
• 5 Kay: Viola Sonata: IV. Allegretto 04:19
• David Tcimpidis (b. 1938): Viola Sonata:
• 6 Tcimpidis: Viola Sonata 08:31
• Libby Larsen (b. 1950): Viola Sonata:
• 7 Larsen: Viola Sonata: I. Flow 06:24
• 8 Larsen: Viola Sonata: II. Drift 07:16
• 9 Larsen: Viola Sonata: III. Breathless 04:52
• Eric Ewazen (b. 1954): Viola Sonata:
• 10 Ewazen: Viola Sonata: I. Lento - Allegro appassionato 07:06
• 11 Ewazen: Viola Sonata: II. Andante 05:29
• 12 Ewazen: Viola Sonata: III. Allegro energico 06:24
• Total Runtime 01:01:25

Info for A Century of American Viola Sonatas

These five works – four sonatas and a sonatina – chronicle a century of American writing for the viola and are linked by a concern for directness of musical language. But they also reflect diversity in their origins and inspirations, the Ulysses Kay pieces being written by a pioneering African American, Libby Larsen’s by a successful female freelance composer, Eric Ewazen’s animated by a particularly American lyricism and energy, and the sonata by David Tcimpidis commemorating the ‘9/11’ terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which Tcimpidis heard unfolding.

Basil Vendryes, viola
William David, piano

Basil Vendryes
has been principal violist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra since 1993. He is a former member of the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Rochester Philharmonic orchestras. As violist with the Aurora String Quartet (1986-95), Vendryes performed extensively, including recitals in New York, London and Tokyo. He currently serves on the faculties of the Lamont School of Music of the University of Denver, the Quartet Program at SUNY Fredonia, New York, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. Vendryes has served on the faculties of Biola University (CA), California Summer Music at Pebble Beach, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Green Valley Music Festival, Montecito International Music Festival, Interharmony International Music Festival in Italy and the Music and More Summerfest in Trebinje, Herzegovina. For 18 years, he was the founder/director of the Colorado Young Sinfonia, comprised of some of the best young talent in the Denver area.

Vendryes was born in 1961 to West Indian parents, and began his musical training in the public schools at the age of 11. He received scholarships to the Manhattan School of Music and the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Sally O'Reilly, Francis Tursi and Heidi Castleman. He has appeared as soloist with the Colorado, Aurora, Jefferson, Littleton, Lamont, Centennial, and Biola Symphonies, among others. Festival appearances include Spoleto, Heidelberg, Sunflower, Midsummer Mozart, Ouray, Lake Winnepesaukee, Las Vegas, Taconic and the Grand Tetons. Working with promising talent is one of his passions, and Vendryes has given classes in viola and chamber music throughout the United States. Vendryes has been a juror for several competitions, including the Sphinx Competition for African American and Latino string players and the Hong Kong International Music Festival. He has also served as guest principal violist for the the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Vendryes has recorded for Columbia, Phillips, Decca, RCA, BIS and Nonesuch, as well as chamber music for the Ariel, Cadenza Music, Centaur, CRI and Naxos labels. Vendryes plays on a rare Italian viola made in 1887 by Carlo Cerruti.

William David
After a distinguished 40-year career as founding member and pianist of the Ames Piano Quartet and faculty member at Iowa State University, William David retired and moved to Colorado in 2012. Since his relocation he has performed with members of the Colorado Symphony and faculty from Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming. He has also taught at the Lamont School of Music Summer Academy at the University of Denver. He recently served as a judge at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

During his years at Iowa State, David's primary performance focus was as a member of the Ames Piano Quartet. The APQ concertized in Austria, France, Mexico, Taiwan and South Africa, In January 2003 the Quartet spent a week performing and teaching in Havana, Cuba, the first American chamber music group to be invited there in over 40 years. They have recorded 15 critically acclaimed compact discs. Their Dorian CD of the two Dvorák Piano Quartets was named "one of the chamber music recording of the century" by Fanfare magazine.

Also a distinguished pedagogue, David served a semester as artist–in-residence at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, the most prestigious music school in Taiwan.

David received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree summa cum laude in piano performance from the University of Michigan. His major teachers there were Gyorgy Sandor and Eugene Bossart.

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