Silent warrior. Underdog. Middle voice. These are the generous words that describe the viola, the string instrument accustomed to the shadows, and to the relentless jokes. Violists rarely get a chance ...

At the Library of Congress last month, Roberto Díaz was playing on an exceedingly rare viola. What didn’t cross his mind, he says, is just how much the hunk of maple and spruce clutched beneath his ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. It’s late autumn — viola time. The viola should perhaps be the instrument of summer. Its tone suggests sumptuous ...

It’s late autumn — viola time. The viola should perhaps be the instrument of summer. Its tone suggests sumptuous ripeness from the top of its range to bottom. But falling between the violin’s soaring ...