Three "Violas on a Roll" dates & locations confirmed for May 2011

Los Osos on May 1st; UC Davis on May 22nd; Santa Rosa on May 29th

The Northern California Viola Society is heading out on the road with its message of viola love, learning and celebration to three fantastic venues in May 2011, presenting Violas on a Roll in Los Osos on May 1st, at UC Davis on May 22nd and in Santa Rosa on May 29th.

Click Here to Complete the quick Online Registration Form

On May 1st 2011 the NorCal Viola Society will partner with the San Luis Obispo Symphony to bring the inaugural Violas on a Roll workshop & concert to Los Osos. Running from about 1-8pm, VoaR will feature the World Premiere of a new work for multiple violas composed by Katrina Wreede, commissioned by the Northern California Viola Society and funded in part by a grant from the American Composers Forum (San Francisco Bay Area Chapter).

Planning to eventually bring Violas on a Roll to many other communities throughout Northern California, the NCVS is excited to have SLO/Los Osos serve as our official jumping-off point for the project.

At UC Davis on May 22nd we'll take over a handful of rooms in the Department of Music from 12-8pm to bring this travelling viola celebration to the Central Valley.

On May 29th Katrina Wreede and Ethan Filner will drive up to Santa Rosa for the third VoaR Workshop, this time at the First Presbyterian Church. Along with a Master Class and a Blues Workshop, participants will have the opportunity to break into ad-hoc groups to freelance/sight-read multiple-viola chamber music, and to work together in an open rehearsal of Katie's commissioned work.

The precise start time varies slightly at each location but each workshop's schedule will go something like this:
12:30 Welcome/Check-in
1:00 Master Class with Ethan
2:15 "My Goldfish Died" Blues Workshop with Katie
3:30 Open Rehearsal on "Violas on a Roll" (the new work by Katie, commissioned by the NCVS with funding from the American Composers Forum)
4:45 Mulitple-viola chamber music Freelancing
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Public Recital featuring performances by Ethan, Katie, local violists and everybody together on "Violas on a Roll"

Interested violists of all ages are encouraged to contact us to find out more and to register for the workshop ahead of time: norcalviola@blogspot.com... Meanwhile, tell a friend, bring your stand-partner, drag your kids along... All registrants will be invited to prepare some solo work for the Master Class (first-come, first-serve, time permitting); a few will be selected to perform in the evening public recital.

It is also worth noting that we are working on the design for a Violas on a Roll T-shirt we will be selling at all future workshops, but if you are feeling creative and inspired to try your hand at your own design, we are soliciting design proposals and sketches from the general public... if yours is selected for the final design you will receive special recognition on VoaR publicity materials... and our deepest thanks for your enthusiastic involvement! Send all proposed designs in hi-resolution .pdf format to norcalviola@gmail.com.

Flyers for these workshops are available for download (.jpg format) under the Resources tab at the top of this page.