About us
Since it was founded in 1977 by Myron Rosenblum and Daniel Thomason, the Viola d'amore Society of America, (violadamoresocietyofamerica.org) has proved itself to be an invaluable source of historical and practical information to active viola d'amore players, violists and violinists new to the instrument, and scholars and others interested in learning more about this intriguing musical instrument. See the Home Page and Services sections of this web site for more about us.
A few words about the founders and Directors of the Viola d'amore Society of America:
Myron Rosenblum studied viola with Walter Trampler, Lillian Fuchs and William Primrose and viola d'amore with Karl Stumpf. A native New Yorker, he has degrees from Queens College and New York University. In 1964, he received a Fulbright Grant to study the viola d'amore with Karl Stumpf in Vienna where he did much research on the instrument as well. He has free-lanced with many orchestras and chamber groups in New York City and elsewhere and has appeared as viola d'amore soloist with the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the Richmond Symphony, the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, the Little Orchestra Society, the Brattleboro Music Festival, the Greenwich Quartet and the Cremona String Quartet. He has also performed with the 7th US Army Symphony, Clarion Concerts, the Boston Pops Tour Orchestra, the American Opera Society, Friends of French Opera, Music in Our Time, the New York Grand Opera and others.
Rosenblum was the founder and first president of the American Viola Society and, in 1977, with Daniel Thomason, formed the Viola d'amore Society of America. He is the author of the article "Viola d'amore " in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and has edited and had published viola d'amore music by Graupner, Schuchbauer and Richard Lane and others. His doctoral dissertation was Contributions to the History and Literature of the Viola d'amore: A Translation and Expansion of Werner Eginhard Koehler's "Beitraege zur Geschichte und Literatur der Viola d'amore." He has commissioned some music for viola d'amore and given world premieres of such pieces by David Finko, Terry Winter Owens and Richard Lane. Rosenblum is Professor Emeritus from Queensborough Community College, City University of New York where he taught for 32 years.
Rosenblum created and maintained the viola d'amore society web site until 2007.
Myron Rosenblum at the 12th International Viola d'amore Congress.
Daniel Thomason was born in Culver City, California and received his education in the Los Angeles area. He attended Los Angeles State College and then the University of Southern California where he received a Master of Music in Viola Performances and a DMA in Viola d'amore. He was a violin student of Robert Krantz, a viola student of Sanford Schonbach and Paul Doktor and studied viola d'amore with Milton Thomas. He is a former member of the Birmingham, Alabama Symphony, the 7th US Army Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony and Opera Orchestras, the Roger Wagner Sinfonia, the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra and for the past 40 years has been a member of the Glendale Symphony. He is currently a member of the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Jefferson Baroque Orchestra. In 1977, with Myron Rosenblum, he formed the Viola d'amore Society of America.
While serving in the 7th US Army Symphony in Germany, Thomason became fascinated with the viola d'amore. He has appeared as viola and viola d'amore soloist in America and Europe on many occasions. In addition, he has taught instrumental music in The Manhattan Beach Schools and the Los Angeles Unified Schools for over 30 years and is currently coach for the violins and violas of the renowned Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra. Thomason has published numerous original period-instrument works which are editions of music for viola and/or viola d'amore that have been largely unknown since the 18th century. His specialty is the music of Carl Stamitz and Friedrich Wilhelm Rust.
Daniel and Anita Thomason at the 12th International Viola d'amore Congress.
About this website. The original site was created by Myron Rosenblum, who maintained it until 2007. In 2007 Daniel Geiger (geiger@vetigastropoda.com) assumed responsibilities as webmaster. Geiger corresponds in English, German and French. Other languages officers of the society can communicate in include Spanish, Italian and Dutch.
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