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 ...

The viola is the middle voice of the string family. It is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

The dark, deep sound of a solo viola takes on the role of a pipe organ, in an immensely beautiful and striking performance. The dramatic opening flourishes of Bach’s D minor Toccata and Fugue are one ...

Our ultimate winner of the most expensive instruments in the world is produced by Antonio Stradivari. The heritage of this famous artist is worth billions, with this viola as the most expensive piece.

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At the US Library of Congress in Washington in May, Roberto Díaz was playing on an exceedingly rare viola. What did not cross his mind, he says, is just how much the maple and spruce instrument ...

Garth Knox was born to play the viola. As a youngster, he already had two sisters who played violin and a brother who played cello. "So for the family string quartet," Knox says, "it was very clear ...

Which viola strings are best? The viola is an integral part of the string section in an orchestra, with its distinct tonal character compared to its smaller cousin, the violin. As with all stringed ...

In May, Roberto Díaz performed at the US Library of Congress using a rare viola made by Antonio Stradivari in 1690. Called the Tuscan-Medici viola, it is now valued at $30 million, possibly the ...