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.

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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.

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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. 

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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). 

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Sherry is currently planning a South American concert tour with Dutch violist/scholar Emlyn Stam following their world premiere at the 49th International Viola Congress (Brazil, July 2024) of viola/piano works by several composers of South American descent yet living overseas that Sherry has commissioned.

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Sherry has decided to learn to play the viola herself from 2024, since so many people thought she was already a violist, with all the viola recitals she's played in (as the pianist) and over 10 pieces of viola music written for her since 2019!

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Viva la Viola!

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(Last updated on 2023-09-27)