Biographies
Yuri Bashmet Ukrainian-born violist, Bashmet's commitment to music is phenomenal, not only as a soloist but also as a chamber-player, as a conductor and as a teacher. As one of the greatest viola players alive, Bashmet has peformed brilliantly works by Schnittke, Bartók, Walton, Gunaidulina and many others. Bashmet has been nominated to a Grammy Award and one of his albums was selected as the best 1998 album by the Strad Magazine. Nobuko Imai Tokyo, Japan, 1943 Imai began her studies at Toho Grakuen School of Music and soon went to the United States to study at Julliard School and Yale university. Imai has worked with Midori, kremer, Yo Yo Ma, Perlman, Stern, Zukerman and many other acclaimed musicians. Imai has received many awards including the Avon Arts Award (1993), Japan's Suntory Music Award and Mainich Award of Arts (1993). She taught as a Professor at the Detmold Academy of Music from 1983 to 2003, and currently teaches at the Conservatories of Amsterdan and Geneva, and at Conservatoire Supérieur et Académie de Musique Tibor Varga in Sion. Lawrence Power London, England, 1977. Tabea Zimmermann Lahr, Germany, 1966 Tabea Zimmerman began her viola studies at the age of three. Later, at the age of 13, she studied with Ulrich Koch at the Freiburg Conservatory and then with Sandor Vegh at the Mozarteum Universit, in Salzburg. Soon she awarded many prizes. As a soloist, she has performed with numerous orchestras, such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre de La Suisse Romande. She has been written music by György Legeti, Heinz Holliger, menachem Wiesemberg and many others. Currently Tabea Zimmermann is a professor of viola and chamber music at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music. Lionel Tertis West Hartlepool, England (1876-1975) The first musician to achieve international fame as a viola player. Tertis began his studies as a violinist, in Leipzig and then come back to England to study at the Royal Academy of Music. There he was encourage by the principal of this institution to take up the viola instead of the violin. He listened to his advice and soon he became one of the best violists of his time. Walton, Bax, Bridge composed specially for him. Tertis, however, has never performed Walton Viola Concerto. Lionel Tertis is the creator of his own viola model, which, for him, had many advantages in tone. The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was established in 1980 to honor his memory. William Primrose Glasgow, Scotchland (1904-1982) Primrose started his musical studies with the violin, in Scotland, and then attended Guildhall School of Music in London. Some years later he moved to Belgium to study under Eugène Ysaÿe, who encouraged him to switch to viola. In 1930 he joined the London String Quartet as a violist, and later in the National Broadcasting Company Orchestra. Primrose wrote many transcriptions and arrangements for viola and wrote many books on viola playing and teaching. He taught viola in Japan and in the USA and is best known for his great technique on the viola. An international viola competition was named after him, the Primrose International Viola Competition, created in 1979. Primrose has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 
Rostov do Don, Ukraine, 1953.
Lawrence Power is one of the foremost violists today. After winning prizes at many international competitions, including the Maurice Vieux Viola Competition in Paris and The William Primrose International Viola Competition, he was selected for the BBC 'New Generation Artists' scheme. He has performed as soloist with top orchestras worldwide and with such chamber groups as The Nash Ensemble and The Leopold String Trio. "My ambition is just to play better and better. That’s really the greatest wish any musician could have.” Lawrence Power.
