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 ...

All of these instruments were made by Antonio Stradivari, and are valued above $15 million.

On Garth Knox's new album, Saltarello, the adventurous violist creates surprising musical juxtapositions. Garth Knox was born to play the viola. As a youngster, he already had two sisters who played ...

“UW Music,” the University of Washington School of Music’s concert season, is in full swing and is offering two unusual events this week. First up is a joint concert by violist Melia Watras with her ...

You might say these instruments are money to the ears of savvy collectors and investors. Musical instruments can be valuable assets: guitars can sell for hundreds and thousands of dollars; violins in ...

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 ...

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 ...