- Higdon’s three-movement Viola Concerto premiered in 2015, commissioned by The Library of Congress in honor of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.
- Higdon wrote the following program notes about the work:
- “Musicologists and critics have often written that my musical language sounds American and, while I don’t know exactly how to define that, I am sure that they are right. Since the lead commissioner of this work is the Library of Congress, and the co-commissioners are all American institutions of learning and performance (The Curtis Institute of Music, The Aspen Music Festival, and The Nashville Symphony), it seemed natural that an American sound would be the basic fabric. With this in mind, and inspired by one of the world’s best violists, Roberto Diaz, the process of creating a new concerto for this instrument came naturally. I have always loved the viola… my first sonata was written for this expressive instrument. It is my privilege to add to the repertoire of an instrument that has moved from being imbedded within ensembles to playing a prominent role at the front of the stage.”1
Sources
- Jennifer Higdon, “Program Note for “Viola Concerto,'” Jennifer Higdon, accessed February 26, 2025, http://jenniferhigdon.com/pdf/program-notes/Viola-Concerto.pdf.
Cut IDs
21556