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Celebrating William Primrose

2021 Viola Competition to be held in Los Angeles in December

WFIMC: The Primrose Competition has been held at the Colburn School in Los Angeles since 2014; before it was in various competitions all over the United States. Tell us a bit about the legacy of this competition, the connection between the Primrose Competition and the American Viola Society, and why it has settled in Los Angeles.


Primrose Competition: The Primrose International Viola Competition (PIVC), named for the premiere viola soloist of the 20th century, William Primrose, was founded in 1979 by David Dalton and presented in conjunction with International Viola Congress VII in Provo, Utah, which Dr. Dalton also hosted. Primrose initially resisted having the competition named in his honor as he agreed with Bartok's assertion that "competitions are for horses.” Eventually, Primrose agreed to let his name be used for the competition. Between 1987 and 2008, eleven iterations of the competition were held with the title of the “Primrose Memorial Scholarship Competition.” In 2009, the American Viola Society revived the original name. Since its inception, the core mission has been to provide a competition dedicated solely to the viola, its performers and its literature, thereby helping advance all three. The PIVC was the first international competition specifically for the viola; the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition was founded in 1980, followed by others such as the Maurice Vieux and Tokyo Viola Competitions. Numerous compositions have been commissioned for the PIVC, including works by Wayne Bohrnstedt, Richard Lane, Scott Slapin, Peter Askim, and Christian Colberg.
You're correct in that the Competition was first held at the Colburn School in 2014 in partnership with the American Viola Society. The permanence of location, along with the appointment of experienced & renowned jury members and significantly more robust prizes, have continued to elevate the Primrose in the international competition arena. Today, the Primrose Competition is one of only a handful of international viola competitions and the most important regular viola competition in North America.
 

WFIMC:The Primrose is one of the very few viola competitions in the world. Can you give us some basics on the competition, number of applicants, nationalities? 

PC: The Competition is for violists who have just celebrated their 30th birthday and younger, and are members of the American Viola Society. There are specific repertoire requirements, including a new one this year – for a work by a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) composer. Violists who advance to the live rounds play at an extremely high level and come from all over the world. This year, we had 103 applicants, 17% of which were European, 30% Asian, 53% North American. Laureates represent 14 separate countries and have ranged in age from 16 to 27. From the beginning, the Competition has attracted violists from around the world aspiring to multifaceted careers as soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral players, and pedagogues. Prizewinners of the Primrose have gone on to highly distinguished professional lives. -

WFIMC: You are maybe the first competition in the USA to happen live after many others have postponed or cancelled their events. Tell us about the difficulties with travel restrictions, health protocols and how you have managed to make it happen. Will you have limitations on audience? masks required in the audience/ on stage?


PC: What a journey it has been! With the ongoing pandemic, everchanging travel restrictions and visa policies, and the general state of uncertainty in which we've been living, it truly has been a test of patience taking things day by day. It would be an understatement to say that this year's edition of the Competition will be unique and celebratory. While certain protocols will remain in place (limited and masked audience, possible masks required on stage depending on government protocol, etc.), the Competition will bring some of the most gifted musicians to Los Angeles from around the world – many
traveling and seeing each other for the first time in over a year and a half. As with many industries, the performing arts have been severely hit by the pandemic and we hope that the Competition this December will help reinvigorate artists, deepen their passions for their art form, and encourage them to forge ahead with their professional pursuits.

Pictures:

-William Primrose (courtesy of the Primrose International Viola Archive, BYU)

-William Primrose with Gregor Piatigorsky and Jascha Heifetz during a recording for RCA, ca. 1956 (courtesy of Mana Beaver)
-William Primrose with the 1979 winners of the Competition (photo credit: Dwight Pounds)

-the winners of the 2018 edition of the Competition
-Zipper Hall at the Colburn School (the hall where the live rounds have been & will be held) 

-the Colburn School campus 

Responses contributed by:
- Dr. David Dalton (Founder, Primrose International Viola Archive and Competition)
- Dr. Dwight Pounds (Historian, Primrose International Viola Archive)
- Sel Kardan (President & CEO, The Colburn School)
- Hillary Herndon (President, American Viola Society)
- Christine Tanabe (Associate Director of Summer & Special Programs, The Colburn School; Manager, Primrose International Viola Competition)

©WFIMC ©Primrose Competition/ American Viola Society