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Sherry & Viola

 

Ever since the end of 2018, Sherry fell in love with the viola and it remains her favourite orchestral instrument, despite the fact she is a pianist and cellist.

In 2019, Sherry organised 14 concerts, performed in 12 and 10 of which were with principal violists (Milan Milisavljević, Principal Viola from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra  (USA) and Robert Ashworth, Principal Viola from Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (NZ), performing 4 different viola recital programmes that covered the three renowned 1919 viola sonatas by Hindemith, Rebecca Clarke and Bloch, Brahms sonatas and trio, Shostakovich viola sonata, 5 new viola commissions by 4 NZ composers Chris Artley / David Hamilton / Ben Fernandez / Carvin Knowles & a German composer Matthias Hutter, and many more.

In 2021 during Auckland Covid lockdown, Sherry organised her first online music festival for Hindemith & Copland, to celebrate these two composers' 125th and 120th birth year in 2020 (one year late due to Covid), through introducing H&C's pupils' music compositions over 3 days. This decision to celebrate Hindemith was also mainly because he was a violist. American composer Samuel Adler (pupil of both H & C) was invited to be the festival patron. 

Since 2022, Sherry has continued her journey in exploring the viola repertoire, performing concerts as pianist of 'Taioro' regularly with Wellington violist Donald Maurice and Māori poet Sharn Maree both in NZ and overseas at International Viola Congresses (so far 2022 in USA and 2023 in Thailand). In Feb 2022 Taioro gave the world premiere of David Hamilton's 'Avec Amour' for viola d'amore, spoken words and piano, setting Sherry's poem 'Avec Amour' to music. Anthony Ritchie (NZ) composed 'Taioro ki te Ao' that earned the trio a standing ovation at its world premiere at the National Art Gallery (Ottawa, Canada, 2022) as well as three nominations are the Wellington Fringe Festival (2023). 

In July 2024 Sherry performed a South American concert tour of Vio-Latino with Dutch violist/scholar Emlyn Stam following their world premiere at the 49th International Viola Congress (Brazil, July 2024) of 10 new viola/piano works by 10 composers of South American descent yet living overseas.

Sherry became the president of the ANZVS (Australian & New Zealand Viola Society) in October 2025, and since January 2026 she has also become the secretary of the International Viola Society. At the end of 2025 Sherry created Viva la Viola Interview Series where she interviews violists from around the world.

Sherry is currently performing in 5 concerts with 5 violists and a viola d'amore friend in Paris 18 - 24 Jan 2026.

(Last updated on 2026-01-16)

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Upcoming Events
The Alto Nova Duo
in South America
(World Premiere of VioLatino)

 

To be announced soon. Stay tuned!

(Last updated on 2023-09-27)

List of Viola Works Composed for Sherry
(1) Chris Artley (NZ): An Anzac Reflection (2019)

*Dedicated to those fallen in the two World Wars, Sherry's first ever commission for a musical piece

​**Premiered: 2019-05-23 with Milan Milisavljević (USA) @ Pah Homestead, Hillsborough, Auckland, NZ

 

(2) Matthias Hutter (Germany): Nocturne oublié (2019)
 

 

*Dedicated to Toni Morrison (USA/1931-2019)
 

**Premiered: 2019-10-06 with Robert Ashworth (NZ) @ All Saints Church, Howick, Auckland, NZ

***VIDEO of Composer's Words

2026 Upcoming Viola Events (Europe)
(1) Alto Nova Duo Vio-Latino European Tour Part I: the Netherlands (13-16 January 2026 in 3 cities) 

Emlyn Stam, viola (Netherlands/Canada) and Sherry Grant, piano

(Vio-Latino Webpage)
 
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(2) VOYAGE AVEC L’ALTO (Paris, 20:00-21:30, 18 Jan 2026) 

STUDIO L'ACCORD PARFAIT, 47 rue Ramey, 75018, Paris, France

Nigel Keay – Violon
Isabelle Dutel – Piano
François Veilhan – Flûte
Frédérique Moine – Clarinette
Povilas Syrrist-Gelgota (Norvège) – Violon
Emlyn Stam (Pays-bas/Canada) – Violon
Diane Neal-Phoenix (USA) – Violon
Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot (Canada/Autriche) – Violon
Yvain Delahousse (France) – Viole d’amour
Sherry Grant (Nouvelle Zélande/Taiwan) – Piano


(VOYAGE AVEC L’ALTO Webpage)
(Tickets here)
(Facebook Event)
(Programme here)
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(3) The Musical World of Singing Violist and Composer Povilas Syrrist-Gelgota (Paris, 17:00-17:30, 19 Jan 2026) 

Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris - Ida Rubinstein, AUDITORIUM, 14 rue de Madrid, 75008 Paris
 
17:00-17:30pm

Povilas Syrrist-Gelgota (Norway), viola
Sherry Grant, piano


(Paris IVC Webpage)
(Tickets here)
(Programme here, page 60)
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(3) Ben Fernandez (NZ): Summit (2019)
 

* Dedicated to Sir Edmund Hillary (NZ/1919-2008)

​**Premiered: 2019-10-06 with Robert Ashworth (NZ) @ All Saints Church, Howick, Auckland, NZ

***VIDEO of Composer's Words

(4) Carvin Knowles (NZ): Der Dybbuk Doina (The Diabolical Ghost) (2019)

*Dedicated to
John Ure (NZ/1952-2019)

​**Premiered: 2019-10-10 with Robert Ashworth (NZ) @ Adam Concert Room, Victoria University, Wellington, NZ

***(VIDEO of Composer's Words)
(6) David Hamilton (NZ): Avec Amour (2020)

*The first time Sherry's poem has been set to music.

​**Premiered: 2022-02-16 with Donald Maurice (NZ/viola + viola d'amore) & Sharn Maree (NZ/spoken word poet) @ St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington, NZ

 
(7) Massimiliano Messieri (Italy): Waiting Room, Suite for viola and piano on six haiku by Sherry Grant (2022)

*Inspired by 6 published haiku by Sherry Grant (1) A Goldfish (2) The Seashells (3) A Black Swan (4) The Waves Rise (5) Rainbow (6) Chess Game

​**Cello/piano version premiered
“Waiting Room II” Suite for cello and piano on six haiku by Sherry Grant – Nicola Giaquinto, piano; Amelia Sharp, cello – World Premiere on 2022-11-12 @  il Teatro Titano, Città di San Marino

***Scores available here (Universal Editions)
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(4) Paradise Lost Voices Rising: Music and Poetry from Ukraine and Taiwan (Paris, 12:00-12:30, 21 Jan 2026) 
 
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Salle RAVEL, 209 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris
 
17:00-17:30pm
 
Emlyn Stam (Netherlands), viola
Sherry Grant, piano

(Paris IVC Webpage)
(Tickets here)
(Programme here, page 129)
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(5) Portrait de Femme: Globetrotting with Women Composers (Paris, 16:30-17:30, 22 Jan 2026) 
 
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Salle DUKAS, 209 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris
 
16:30-17:30
 
Diane Phoenix-Neal (USA), viola
Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot (Canada), viola

Sherry Grant, piano

(Paris IVC Webpage)
(Tickets here)
(Programme here, page 155)
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(6) Avec Amour: Concert Piano et viole d'amour avec Sherry Grant et Yvain Delahousse  (Paris, 16:00-18:00, 24 Jan 2026) 
 
28 rue Sainte Marie, Courbevoie, 92400, Paris
 
16:00-18:00
 
Yvain Delahousse (France), viola d'amore
Sherry Grant, piano

 

À l’occasion de la tournée européenne de Sherry Grant, la pianiste et poète néo-zélandaise retrouve la France pour une rencontre musicale avec Yvain Delahousse, l’un des rares violistes d’amour français.

Ce concert propose un voyage sensible entre répertoire historique et création contemporaine, mettant en lumière la viole d’amour dans toute sa richesse expressive. De Hindemith à Graupner, de Scriabine à Casadesus, jusqu’aux œuvres de compositeurs vivants et une création d’Yvain Delahousse, le programme tisse un dialogue intime entre piano et viole d’amour, entre mémoire et invention.

Une soirée singulière, placée sous le signe de la poésie sonore, de la curiosité artistique et de la rencontre entre deux personnalités engagées dans la création d’aujourd’hui.

 

 

Programme:

 

 

 

Christoph Graupner, Concerto for viola d'amore GWV 314
Henri Casadesus, Préludes 17, 18, 19, 24
David Hamilton, Avec Amour

 

A. Scriàbine, Prélude op11 nr.5 et Nr 15

 

Chris Artley, An Anzac Reflection
Paul Hindemith, Kleine viola d'amore sonata opus 25

 

 

 

Yvain Delahousse, Ys legend "Adele"

 

 

 

À propos des artistes

 

 

Sherry Grant est une musicienne classique et poète née à Taïwan, installée en Nouvelle-Zélande. Pianiste et violoncelliste accomplie, elle se distingue par une approche pluridisciplinaire : création de festivals, commandes d’œuvres nouvelles, récitals mêlant musique, poésie et arts visuels. Son énergie et son ouverture l’ont conduite à collaborer avec de nombreux artistes internationaux, à publier plusieurs recueils de poésie, et à devenir une voix reconnue du mouvement poétique contemporain. Son travail vise à faire dialoguer les arts et à transmettre la créativité sous toutes ses formes à travers le monde.
 

 


Yvain Delahousse est l’un des rares violistes d’amour français. Artiste curieux et singulier, il défend une vision moderne et vivante de cet instrument fascinant, à la croisée du passé et du présent. Formé au violon classique auprès de Yolande Leroy, dans la tradition de Tibor Varga et auprès de Bernard Wacheux dans la lignée d’arthur Grumiaux, il s’est nourri de multiples esthétiques — de la musique classique à la création contemporaine, en passant par les musiques traditionnelles européennes. Cette ouverture l’a mené vers la viole d’amour, qu’il explore et développe en collaboration avec le luthier spécialiste Daniel Ross. Il a également suivi l'enseignement en viole d'amour de Pierre-Henri Xuereb au Conservatoire Supérieur Royal de Liège. Depuis 2018, Yvain Delahousse consacre une part essentielle de son activité à la création, la composition et la transmission autour de la viole d’amour. Il anime conférences, ateliers et concerts dédiés à la redécouverte de son répertoire et à l’invention de nouvelles écritures pour cet instrument.

En parallèle, il mène une intense activité de concertiste : il a interprété Schubert et Bach en récital, et s’est produit dans de nombreux programmes consacrés à Henri Casadesus, dont il explore l’accordage, la pensée et les œuvres. Il a notamment joué à l’Opéra national de Lorraine en 2018 et à La Monnaie / De Munt, la maison d'Opéra de Bruxelles en 2023. Yvain Delahousse joue une viole d’amour parisienne de Georges Chardon (1936), dédiée à Henri Casadesus.

 

2024 Viola Events
Alto Nova Duo Vio-Latino South American Tour (20-29 July 2024) 

Brazil, Argentina & Chile

Emlyn Stam, viola (Netherlands/Canada) and Sherry Grant, piano

(Vio-Latino Webpage)
 
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2023 Viola Events
(7) 23rd - 26th February 2023 (Wellington, NZ)

Taioro ki te Ao @ Bats Theatre, Wellington Fringe Festival

The five performances of Taioro ki te Ao at the Bats Theatre at the Wellington Fringe Festival got nominations to three awards! Composer Anthony Ritchie attended the lunchtime matinee on the final day.

(Taioro @ Bats Theatre Webpage)
 
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(7) 8th June 2023 (Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand)

Taioro Performing @ 48th International Viola Congress Salaya

Taioro trio performed music by NZ composers Alfred Hill, Douglas Lilburn and Anthony Ritchie.

(Taioro @ 48th IVC Webpage)

(Concert Review)
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2022 Viola Events
(4) 16th February 2022 (Wellington, NZ)

Taioro Ensemble Lunchtime Concert @ St Andrew's on the Terrace

including world premiere of David Hamilton's Avec Amour setting Sherry's poem Avec Amour (Op.607, written 2020-09-22) to music for viola d'amore and piano with spoken words...

(Taioro Webpage)
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(5) 30th May 2022 (National Art Gallery, Ottawa, Canada)

Taioro ki te Ao World Premiere

World premiere of Anthony Ritchie's Taioro ki te Ao setting Maori spoken word poet Sharn Maree's poetry to music for viola, piano and spoken words took place in Ottawa, Canada at the invitation of the NZ High Commissioner in Canada. The premiere got standing ovation!

(Facebook Livestream Video)

(Concert Review)
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(6) 2nd June 2022 (Columbus State University, Georgia, USA)

Taioro ki te Ao @ 47th International Viola Congress

Following its world premiere, Anthony Ritchie's Taioro ki te Ao was performed at the 47th IVC in USA, after several delayed international and domestic flights!

(Taioro IVC 2022 Review Source)
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2021 Viola Events
(3) 14th to 16th of November 2021 (Online)

International Hindemith & Copland Music Festival

(Facebook Page)
 
2019 Viola Events
(1) 23rd to 31st of May 2019 (Auckland/Wellington, NZ)

War and Peace Arts & Music Festival

(Facebook Page)


 
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(2) 6th to 27th of October 2019

100 Years Journey Concert Tour

(Facebook Page)
 
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Vio-Latino2026
VOYAGE AVEC L’ALTO
Singing Violist Povilas 2026IVC
Paradise Lost Voices Rising 2026IVC
Portrait de Femme 2026IVC
Avec Amour Paris 2026
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