Music of Today: Garth Knox, viola

Tobias Hume — Pavane for solo viola d'amore
Garth Knox — Stranger
Richard Karpen — Stream for solo viola
Thomas Preston — Uppon La mi re
Farshid Samandari — memoirs relived
Garth Knox — Ockeghem Fantasy

Tobias Hume – Pavane for solo viola d'amore (17th century)
Garth Knox – Stranger for viola plus viola d'amore (with Melia Watras)
Richard Karpen – Stream for solo viola
Garth Knox – Viola Spaces for two violas (with Melia Watras, viola)
Thomas Preston – Uppon La mi re (17th century)
Farshid Samandari – memoirs relived for solo viola d'amore (U.S. première)
Garth Knox – Ockeghem Fantasy for viola d'amore and five violas (with students of Melia Watras)

The School of Music and the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media present a program of new and improvised music by internationally renowned violist Garth Knox, joined by faculty violist Melia Watras and students from the UW viola studio.

Garth Knox was born in Ireland and grew up in Scotland. Being the youngest of four children who all played string instruments, he was encouraged to take up the viola, and he quickly decided to make this his career. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Fredrick Riddle, where he won several prizes for viola and for chamber music. Thereafter he played with most of the leading groups in London in a mixture of all repertoires, from baroque to contemporary music.

Garth Knox has recently begun to explore the possibilities of the viola d’amore in new music, with and without electronics, and is in the process of creating a new repertoire for this instrument. His CD D'Amore (EMI New Series 1925) features old and new music for the viola d'amore.

Garth Knox now lives in Paris playing recitals, concertos and chamber music concerts all over Europe, the USA and Japan. His solo CD with works from Ligeti, Dusapin, Berio, Kurtág and others (MO 782082) won the coveted Deutsche Schallplaten Preis in Germany.

Series background: The School of Music and the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) co-curate this series featuring groundbreaking new works and modern classics performed by renowned visiting artists.

About Garth Knox

http://www.garthknox.org/