Australia &
New Zealand

Anna Brooker

At university I studied Chemistry and Mathematics resulting in a career as a Science Teacher but I was always involved taking part in and/or conducting school choirs, orchestras and productions.

Life took another turn with marriage, family and business.  During these years I was very involved in School management including 9 years chairing parent governed School Boards and did not play at all.

After ten years, I started to play again and joined The Auckland Symphony Orchestra in 1986 and am still an active playing member. I also enjoy participating in chamber music groups regularly.

As my family grew up I became more involved with music organizations firstly as Treasurer of the Auckland Branch of STANZA and secondly was elected as Vice President of ANZVS in 2005.  Due to the resignation of Robert Harris, the President, for personal reasons of health and work I stepped into that role in 2006.

Brazil

Carlos Aleixo

Carlos has taught as various festivals in Brazil and in 2004, he was an artist invited to participate of the Shenandoah Summer Music Festival. During this period presented recitals of Viola and Piano in Washington, DC (Brazilian American Cultural Institute) and concert halls in the State of Virginia. In January of 2007, Carlos was the professor of viola of the International Course of Verao of Brasilia (CIVEBRA 2007). He later returned to Brazil, where he has resumed his teaching and performing duties at the Universidad de Minas Gerias. Carlos has studied with professors Kenneth Sarch, Tibor Vaghy, Csaba Ederlyi, Paul Cortese and Doris Lederer.

China

Wing Ho

Mr. Ho is the artistic director and conductor of the 18 Plus Ensemble, National Prodigies Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Peking University and Beijing Viola Ensemble. Ensembles he has led have toured many countries including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan, Korea, Thailand and the US, winning many competitions around the world and garnering praise by critics and colleagues.

Mr. Ho received his master's degree from Yale University, majoring in violin, viola and conducting. He also studied at the Baroque Performance Institute in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. His principal teachers have include Joseph Gingold, Ma Sihon, Walter Trampler, Leonard Mogill, Jesse Levine and Otto-Werner Mueller.

Canada

Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot

Jutta is a prize winner of the Helmut Wobich Gedächnispreis competition, of the Canada Council development grant, the Fullbright Award, the Alban Berg Foundation Award, the Rotary Club Award and an award from the Ministry of Science, Austria.

While she was in Vienna, she was a member of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Wiener Nonett, touring most cities of Europe and Japan. Jutta has become very well known since her arrival in Canada in 1986. Her many concerts have been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. She is principal viola of the Orchestre symphonique de Laval and of the orchestra of the Grand Ballets Canadiens. She is professeure adjointe for viola and string quartet at the Université de Montréal where she is also head of the string department since 2001. She also teaches at the Collège de Sherbrooke and at the Orford Arts Center. She likes to develop young students, give master classes and act as judge for national competitions and auditions. In 2003, she has been invited to give masterclasses at the Juilliard School of Music, New  York City, and by her alma mater, the Wiener Hochschüle für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna.

She is very busy as a chamber musician and a recitalist, touring several canadian provinces, the US and Austria, and performing with renowned artists such as Lorand Fenyves, Janos Starker, Angela Cheng, the Colorado String Quartet, the Fine Arts String Quartet, the Quatuor à cordes Alcan and others, at the major Canadian summer festivals.

She is a founding member of the viola-piano Duo Puchhammer-Desjardins, the Trio à Cordes de Montréal, et she was a member of the Kegelstatt Trio and the Claudel String Quartet. She has recorded for the SNE, Analekta and UMMUS labels and has just recently released her first solo CD of unknown German romantic works "Viola - Romantic Fantasies" for the Eclecta label. Jutta was the artistic director ov the XXVII Viola Congress 2000 in Sweden, and 2003 in Germany. She often goes back to Austria where she gives recitals and chamber music concerts in her native Vienna (e.g. Schubertsaal, Konzerthaus Wien).

Finland

Max Savikangas

As violist Max is concentrated in contemporary chamber music. He is the founder member of the Uusinta Chamber Ensemble and also performs regurlarly with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. Abroad Max has performed in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Holland, Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia in various concerts, tours, festivals and congresses.

Max is the President of the Finnish Viola Society, member of the Society of Finnish Composers and the interdisciplinary artist association MUU. He was appointed as the executive secretary of the International Viola Society Presidency for the three-year term 2008-2010.

In addition to composing and performing on the viola, Max has been involved in multi-disciplinary co-projects, often utilising technology. He is also very interested in developing the viola - Max plays on a viola model which he has been developing with the Finnish luthier Pekka Mikael Laine since 1998, utilising computer spectral analysis and new varnishing techniques.

France

Michel Michalakakos

He won First Prize Alto at the Paris Conservatory (1977). The following year he earned the CA of teaching.

A member of the Orchestre National de France (1979-1984), he joined the String Trio of Paris in 1981, in which he played for 12 years, recording several records and creating many contemporary works.

Soloist Michael Michalakakos is a guest of French and foreign orchestras and performs chamber music with pianist Mr. Gagnepain (with whom he recorded the Sonata for Viola and Piano by Charles Koechlin), but also with Mr. Arrignon, P. Fontanarosa, P. Welsh, G. Jarry, JJ Kantorow, Mr. Larrieux, D. Merlet, R. Pasquier, R. Pidoux, G. Chicken or P. Roge, and quartets Elysee, Manfred or Parisii.

A professor at CNR Boulogne-Billancourt since 1990, Michael Michalakakos has taught Sight Reading (strings) since 1991 at CNSMDP.

He also runs courses and master classes in viola and chamber music.

Open to all music, he also participates in concerts of tango, jazz and traditional gypsy music.

Germany

Karin Wolf

Since 1985 she is the violist of the Verdi String Quartet, which she co-founded. With the quartet and also as a soloist she plays concerts all over the world and performs in international festivals such as Oregon Bach Festival, International Chamber  Music Festival Seoul, Ludwigsburger Festspiele, Schwetzinger Festspiele.

CD recordings with music by Brahms, Mozart, Schubert and others are released by Hänssler Classic.

Since 2003 Karin Wolf and the Verdi Quartet is artistic director of the Festival "Vielsaitig" in Füssen,

Karin Wolf is Professor for Viola and Chamber music at the Universities of Music in Rostock and in Mannheim

Iceland

Sesselja Halldórsdóttir

In 1973-75 she studied with Klaus Assmann at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Heidelberg-Mannheim, and played also regularly with Staatliches Orchester Heidelberg. Sesselja has held a position in Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands since 1976. From 1980-81 she studied viola in Berlin with Wolfram Christ. Sesselja has played with Kammersveit Reykjavíkur, Nýja Strengjasveitin, Hljómsveit Íslensku Óperunnar, Kammersveit Langholtskirkju and is a keen string quartet player with Júlíkvartettinn. Sesselja was the co-host chair of the International Viola Congress in Reykjavík in 2005 with fellow violist of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Guôrún Þórarubsdóttir.

Nigeria

Ogunyemi Titus Oladimeji

Even though his teacher encouraged him to consider the viola, as violists were very few at the time, Titus wanted to remain a violinist just like some of his colleagues because violin had gained more public awareness and due to his lack of information on the new treasure (viola). He said, "a violist might be considered to be an unsuccessful violinist looking for a hiding place" For someone like Titus who, up to that point, had been studying engineering (electrical/electronics), as he was able to fund himself to study viola abroad. "It was new and challenging to practice everyday along with studying engineering. I remember practicing till late in the night in the church as there was no quiet place with regular power supply. Titus gradually settled in, however, and, by the time he got used to the situation, he was practicing for up to four hours a day alone.

His hard work paid off. In 2007, he was appointed principal violist in the MUSON Symphony Orchestra but still, Titus pushed himself to apply for music scholarship-a 2 year diploma course, proudly sponsored by MTN Foundation and supported by other donors, in collaboration with MUSON. "You don't apply for such academic program for pleasure or fun, but because you want to learn more from professionals and experienced teachers and other students". In mid 2009, he graduated from same institution with an Associate Diploma in Music, majoring on viola, under the tutelage of Mr. Amoah, a Ghanaian violinist. "Although, it was not very pleasing to me studying with a violinist because I really wanted a viola teacher that knows what is it to play viola, mentally, physically, musically and technically. But I have no option than to embraced the opportunity to learn music formally from experienced teachers (local and international)", he recalled

In 2008, Titus' determination was rewarded when he performed the Telemann's viola concerto in G (orchestra scores donated by Rachel Barton Pine Foundation) with the prestigious MSO in MUSON Centre, Lagos. The knock-on effect has been invitation from President of English Viola Society, Louise Lansdown (Associate professor of viola, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester) during the launching of the English Viola Society in April, 2008. In late 2007, he was also appointed to be the Orchestra/ Band Leader of the Choir and Orchestra of his Church (Christ Apostolic Church).

Success has however, not gone to the head of this self motivated and enthusiastic Nigerian violist. He is seriously working on more standard viola pieces, teaching and assisting young classical instrumentalists. He hopes to see talented Nigerians making a global impact in the area of classical music performance and composition making use of the local tunes as the theme and developing the art of string playing all over Nigeria. His dream is to see a new Nigeria in which there would be various state symphony orchestras.

Titus has worked with various musical groups (Golden String Quartet, City Chorale, De Lamp String Quartet) in Nigeria and has been inspired, encouraged and supported by both local and international violists and musicians. "I almost lost interest in viola when the viola I was playing got spoilt. But thanks to Rachel Barton Pine an American foremost violinist that came to rescue me. She told me to send it down to USA for repair. I sent it without the case and was repaired and sent to me in a wonderful case." It is highly worthy to note that his personal viola was given as a gift to him by Rachel Barton Pine Foundation (Chicago, USA) and Mr. Peter Serman

He is presently in South Africa studying audio engineering at SAE Institute and. would be studying privately with Marina Louw in Cape Town as he would like to perform pieces like Stamitz , Hindermith viola concerto and some of the Bach Suites. He is also planning to study music education (viola major) and composition at the University of Cape Town.

Poland

Boguslawa Hubisz-Sielska

She has performed at numerous Polish Festivals, among others, Poznanska Wiosna Muzyczna, Spotkania Muzyczne w Baranowie Sandomierskim, Dni Kompozytorów Krakowskich. She has been performing for both Polish and international audiences. Her performances abroad took place in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Switzerland and the USA.

She has also made TV and radio recordings in Poland, Austria, Germany, Vatican and USA. She has recorded CDs with Sonatas of J.B.Vanhal (AP Classic) also music of Rachel Knobler and Robert Fuchs (Acte Prealable). With the consent of the Composer she has arranged the Preludia taneczne (Dance preludes) of Witold Lutoslawski for viola (in original for clarinett and piano). The first time the transcription was presented in Munich in the year 1992. The piano part was played by Mariusz Sielski. She has issued scores in Poland (PWM) and Germany (Editio Alto). She has published in Ruch Muzyczny and Muzyka 21. She has written the biogram of Rachel Knobler for the Polish Composers Lexicon 1918-2000. Boguslawa Hubisz-Sielska sits on the jury panels of the national (Krakow 1979) and international competitions (Castellana Grotte/Bari 2004, 2006, 2008). Her recording of the Niggun and Elegy of Rachel Knobler was presented in the Broadcasting Princeton (2005, 2006) as a Classical Discoveries.

She is the founder-member of the Artistic-Association Muzyka Centrum, and a member of the German Section of the International Viola Society. She is a senior teacher at the Academy of Music in Cracow, her students are working and performing in Poland as well as in Spain, Germany and Italy. She has been the head of The Lutoslawski Conservatory of Cracow since the year 2001.

South Africa

Hester Wohlitz

As a conductor, Hester attended numerous conductors' master classes, a.o. under the leadership of Karl Österreicher (Vienna). She has directed the Tshwane Youth Symphony Orchestra since its foundation in 1979 and conducted the Northern Transvaal Youth Orchestra in the years 1988 to 1995.

In the late 1990s, Hester was approached by representatives from the music community in Atteridgeville township, outside Pretoria. The children in the township were in dire need of instruments and teachers. This marked the beginning of Hester's developmental commitment. Instruments were donated by many foreign embassies and Hester travelled into Atteridgeville on a weekly basis to teach. Hester's work has since grown to include other townships, and the movement has grown to include many former students, who now in turn are active as teachers. In 2002 she was engaged to work in Shoshanguve township through the Unisa Music Foundation.

Hester's success stories are many, her viola ensemble is renowned for its exceptional skill, and her great love for the viola as solo and chamber instrument has inspired many students to successful professional careers. Today Hester's young viola players form the core of the viola sections of the MIAGI Youth Orchestra and of the South African National Youth Orchestra.

In 2004, Hester founded the South African Viola Society and is currently President of the Society. She attended the International Viola Congresses in New Zealand (2001), Kronberg, Germany (2003), Minneapolis, USA (2004), Montreal, Canada (2005) Adelaide, Australia (2007) and Arizona, USA (2008, and was awarded the bid for the 37th International Viola Congress to be held in South Africa.

Spain

Luis Magín Muñíz Bascón

His technical command and musicality has inspired to numerous Spanish composers who have written works for him, such Jorge Muñiz, Juan Cué, Ximo Cano or Salvador Brotons. Luis Magín has performed solo together with the JONDE, Yale Chamber Players, Orchestra de Cámara Galega, Symphony Orchestra of the CONSMUPA and the Iberian Chamber Orchestra, doing the world premiere of the Concert for viola and Orchestra by Salvador Brotons. He has recorded for the seals RTVE and Several Record, with a great welcome of the critics. He masters an extensive repertoire for the viola and he is a specialist in the interpretation of Spanish music for viola.

The pedagogical experience of Luis Magín, discloses him as one of the most demanded Viola Professors nowadays. Luis has been professor at the Superior Conservatory of Music of La Coruña and at the present time he is a permanent member of the string faculty at CONSMUPA, leading one of the most prestigious viola studios in the country. His pedagogical reputation makes him been recognized abroad and he has been invited to give Master classes at Cangas de Onís, Conservatory of Avila, Salamanca, Segovia, Guernika, Calahorra, JOSPA, the EuroArts Music Festival in Leipzig, Four Season Chamber Music Festival in North Carolina, the University of Michigan, East Carolina University, University of Florida, the Peabody School of Music in Baltimore, the RNCM in Manchester and Royal Conservatory of Aarhus in Denmark, to name a few.

Luis Magín collaborates in several research projects in the areas of acoustics and viola pedagogy, displayed at the International Congress of Acoustics (Barcelona, September 2007). His recent research about the pedagogical work for viola by Francisco Fleta, has reported him the Diploma of Advance Studies in Musicology by the University of Oviedo. He holds a Bachelor degree at the CONSMUPA and a Master and Artist Diploma at Yale University. He has received an intense academic instruction gathering the influences and advices of eminent figures of the viola such Wieslaw Rekucki, Daniel Benjamini, Yuri Yurov and Jesse Levine among others.

Sweden

Henrik Frendin

He studied at The Royal Danish Conservatory with professor Josef Kodousek and graduated with soloist diploma in 1989. At that time he had already  a principal seat in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. In 1991 Henrik Frendin left the orchestra and began a life as soloist and chamber musician managed by the Swedish Concert Institute. This led to numerous concerts and radio recordings in Sweden and abroad. At the same time he started to teach at the Malmö Academy of Music where he is now Head of Strings. He has given master classes at the Guildhall School of Music in London, University of Californa Santa Barbara, Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and National Music Academy of Mexico City amongst others.

He has appeared as soloist with several of the Swedish orchestras as well as the European Union Chamber Orchestra and has toured extensively in most of the European countries, Asia, North- and South America. He was also invited to perform at the International Viola Congresses in Wellington, New Zeeland, Kronberg, Germany and Montreal, Canada.
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Switzerland

Viacheslav (Slava) Dinerchtein

Dinerchtein is a dedicatee of several compositions winners of important competitions for composers. Has been featured in TV and
radio broadcasts. Since 2009 records for Quindecim Recordings.

Viacheslav Dinerchtein studied mostly with his father, Boris Dinerchtein. He went on to continue his training with Joseph de Pasquale (Masters / Peabody Conservatory) and Roland Vamos (Doctorate and teaching assistant / Northwestern University; diss. on
Shostakovich's Viola Sonata). In his free time enjoys reading, chess, jazz, photography and card magic; member of the Mensa Society; editor for the Ovation Press

In Berlin, Karni is in demand as guest Principal with such orchestras as the Berlin Staatskapelle under Daniel Barenboim, the Berlin
Symphony Orchestra, and Radio Symphony Orchestra. He makes frequent appearances with other European orchestras, as well, and at the invitation of Claudio Abbado, he performed as guest Principal Violist with the Orchestra of a United Europe in 1991. Karni has also appeared as soloist with orchestras in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USA.

In addition to his orchestral career, Karni is also an active soloist and chamber musician, appearing at many of the world's great
festivals, including the Dubrovnik Festival, Bastad and Lapland Festivals (Sweden), Nordic Academy (Denmark), Festival PRO - Bahnhof
Rolandsek and Neustadt Festival (Germany), Kfar Blum(Israel), Davos Music Festival (Switzerland), Kuhmo (Finland) and Kaposvar (Hungary) in Europe, and the Aspen, Newport, Bellingham Festival WA, Santa Fe and La Jolla Chamber Music festivals in the U.S., among others. Karni was also fortunate to have performed with both the late Isaac Stern at his 70th birthday celebration in Tel-Aviv, and with the Guarneri String Quartet in Carnegie Hall. In addition, he has appeared on radio broadcasts in Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa and the U.S.

Gilad Karni has left his mark on many international viola competitions, winning First Prize in the Lionel Tertis International
Viola Competition 1994, and Third Prize at the ARD Munich International Music Competition in 1993. His other awards include
Third Prize in the 1992 Bryan International String Competition (USA), First Prize in the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Competition for Best
Performance of 1991, the Peter Schidlof Prize for the Most Beautiful Tone in the 1991 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition (England), and the
Best Interpretation Prize for the commissioned concerto (by C. He. Joubert) in the 1989 Third International Maurice Vieux Viola
Competition in France. Among Karni's recent solo appearances are the May 2009 world premiere of Prokofiev's "Romeo & Juliet" arranged for viola and orchestra with the Berlin Symphony at the famed Berlin Philharmonie. His other solo engagements have included performances of Bartok's Viola Concerto in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland; Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Israel Sinfonietta, Wuppertal Symphony and the Berlin Symphony; and appearances alongside world acclaimed cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Heinrich Schiff with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. In past seasons, he performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, a world premiere of "ViolAlive" by Gideon Lewensohn and the Israel Sinfonietta, and gave the Hungarian premiere of Miklos Rozsa's viola concerto with the Budapest Concert Orchestra at the renowned Spring Festival to mark the composer's 100 year centennial. This performance led to a recording of the Concerto on the Naxos label, which was released in 2008 to great critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy.

2011-2012 season is a sabbatical season for Karni, with solo performances, appearances at festivals, and giving master classes
world wide. The season will find him on stage as soloist with the Orquesta Extremadura, Biel /Bienne Symphony, Hartford Symphony,
Bilkent Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Riverside Symphonia, Mankato Symphony, Lamont Symphony as well as recitals and additional solos in The Bahamas, Florida, Denver, Baltimore, and Switzerland as well as appearances in Music Festivals in the USA, Canada, Austria and Hungary.

A scholarship recipient of The America Israel Cultural Foundation (1985-1991), and an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music, Gilad
Karni was appointed Professor for Viola at the Conservatoire de Lausanne in Switzerland in 2008.

United Kingdom

Louise Lansdown

Louise is the founder and President of the English Viola Society, started in September 2007, and was appointed Acting Vice-President of the International Viola Society in July 2009 during the 37th International Viola Congress held in South Africa. Louise has attended international viola congresses in Glasgow, Kronberg, Iceland and performed and delivered papers at congresses in Adelaide (2007), Arizona (2008) and South Africa (2009). Louise was also a member of the jury for the Fifth Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition in 2007. Louise is the Artistic director of the annual RNCM Viola Day.

Louise's greatest musical influences have been Jack de Wet, Eric Rycroft, Lamar Crowson, Alan George, Thomas Riebl, Chris Rowland, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, members of the Ysaye Quartet and Milan Skampa. She holds a B. Mus, B. Mus (Hons) (with distinction in Performance) and M. Mus from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. In 1998 Louise was awarded the ABRSM Overseas Scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. She graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance in 1999, Master of Music in Performance and Teacher's Licentiate in 2000, all with Distinction in Performance. In 2000 she was also awarded a Junior Fellowship in Chamber Music at the RNCM along with the Rachel Godlee Prize for Viola. Louise was a member of the Yeomans Quartet at the RNCM from 1998-2001, giving recitals around the UK, Europe and South Africa, as well as recording Haydn and Sullivan quartets. She has been closely involved with the annual RNCM Chamber Music Festivals, founded by Dr. Christopher Rowland in 1999, performing and helping to oversee performances of the complete chamber music of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Shostakovich, 20th century quartets and many more. She is an avid chamber musician and performs in every spare moment!

Louise was awarded a PhD from the University of Manchester in 2008 with the title: 'The Young Paul Hindemith: Life, Works, Relationships, Influences and Musical Activities until 1922.' She plays on a French instrument made around 1750, previously belonging to Cecil Aronowitz (first Head of Strings at the RNCM), who she is planning to write a biography on.

USA

Nokuthula Ngwenyama