Michael Kimber’s music for solo viola

This multifaceted recording project resulted in three significant outcomes. The first was the premium audio recording of two commissioned and four other earlier viola works by Michael Kimber (b. 1945), an accomplished American composer. Kimber has dedicated himself extensively to the viola community in the United States and abroad, as composer of viola works, writing about and teaching viola, and as violist himself. As composer he is widely recognized and acknowledged for the varied styles his music explores.

This thesis includes three outcomes. First, a recording project, which includes the commissioned works by the thesis author: 2020 for solo viola (2020) and Quest for solo viola (2020). Also recorded were his earlier works, Reveries for solo viola (2015), Sonata 1997 for solo viola (1997), Dark Woods for viola and marimba (2014), and Emerald Isle for solo viola (2004). All six works feature the artistry and soloistic qualities of the viola and demonstrate the composer’s compositional mastery.

The second outcome was the collaborative relationship between performer and composer to create new works for solo viola. The collaboration with a living composer positively affected, in particular, the commissioned pieces 2020 and Quest, and improved the performer’s musical versatility.

The third outcome was this written document, which includes the composer’s background and compositional style, and provides musical analysis and performance practice suggestions about the six works recorded. The document also recounts and analyzes the collaborative experience between composer and performer, and reflects on this process.