List of violists explained

This is a list of Wikipedia articles on notable viola players. In cases where a violist has also achieved fame in another musical area, such as conducting or composing, this is noted.

Notable violists

A

• Tasso Adamopoulos (1944–2021)^[1]
• Julia Rebekka Adler (b. 1978)
• Adolfo Alejo (b. 1986), conductor
• Sir Hugh Allen (1869–1946), conductor
• Kris Allen (b. 1985)
• Vladimir Altshuler (b. 1946), conductor
• Ruben Altunyan (1939–2021), composer, conductor
• Johann Andreas Amon (1763–1825)
• B. Tommy Andersson (b. 1964), composer, conductor
• Paul Angerer (1927–2017), composer
• Steven Ansell (b. 1954)
• Atar Arad (b. 1945), composer
• Cecil Aronowitz (1916–1978)
• Dino Asciolla (1920–1994)
• Jean-Marie Auberson (1920–2004), violinist, conductor
• Emilie Autumn
• Eddie Ayres (b. 1967)

B

• Joseph Baber (1937–2022), composer
• Johann Aegidius Bach (1645–1716), organist
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), composer
• Sigismund Bachrich (1841–1913), composer, violinist
• August Baeyens (1895–1966), composer
• Vladimir Bakaleinikov (1885–1953), conductor, composer
• Michael Balling (1866–1925), conductor
• Alain Bancquart (1934–2022), composer
• Rudolf Barshai (1924–2010), conductor
• Hans-Christian Bartel (1932–2014), composer
• Yuri Bashmet (b. 1953)
• Cathy Basrak (b. 1977)
• Natalie Bauer-Lechner (1858–1921)
• Sally Beamish (b. 1956), composer
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), composer
• Sviatoslav Belonogov (b. 1965)
• Mitrofan Belyayev (1836–1904)
• František Benda (1709–1786), composer
• Jiří Antonín Benda (1722–1795), composer
• Daniel Benyamini (1925–1993)
• Wilhelm Georg Berger (1929–1993), composer
• Yehonatan Berick (b. 1968), violinist
• Harry Berly (1905–1937)
• Lise Berthaud (b. 1982)
• Vasily Bessel (1843–1907), music publisher
• Roger Best (1936–2013)
• Mikhail Bezverkhny (b. 1947), violinist
• Franz Beyer (1922–2018), musicologist
• Hatto Beyerle (1933–2023), chamber musician, conductor
• Luigi Alberto Bianchi (1945–2018)
• Benjamin Blake (1751–1827), composer, violinist
• Herbert Blendinger (1936–2020), composer
• Joseph von Blumenthal (1782–1856), violinist, composer
• Alexandre Pierre François Boëly (1785–1858)
• Emil Bohnke (1888–1928), composer, conductor
• Vadim Borisovsky (1900–1972)
• Jacques Borsarello (b. 1951)
• York Bowen (1884–1961), composer, pianist
• Máximo Arrates Boza (1859–1936), composer
• Jolyon Brettingham Smith (1949–2008), composer, conductor
• Frank Bridge (1879–1941), composer
• Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), composer
• Carolyn Waters Broe, composer, conductor
• Sheila Browne (b. 1971)
• František Brož (1896–1962), composer
• Gerard von Brucken Fock (1859–1935), composer
• Bjarne Brustad (1895–1978), composer, violinist
• Peter Bucknell (b. 1977)
• Kenji Bunch (b. 1973)
• Caleb Burhans (b. 1980), composer

C

• John Cale (b. 1942)
• Helen Callus
• Bartolomeo Campagnoli (1751–1827), composer, violinist
• Giuliano Carmignola (b. 1951), violinist
• David Aaron Carpenter (b. 1986)
• Henri Casadesus (1879–1947)
• Gérard Caussé (b. 1948)
• Eugenio Cavallini (1806–1881), violinist, conductor
• Alain Celo (b. 1960), composer
• Ladislav Černý (1891–1975)
• Eugène Chartier (1893–1963), violinist, conductor
• Roger Chase (b. 1953)
• André Hippolyte Chélard (1789–1861), composer, conductor
• Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979), composer
• Caroline Coade
• Eric Coates (1886–1957), composer
• Paul Coletti (b. 1959)
• Anthony Collins (1893–1963), composer, conductor
• Serge Collot (1923–2015)
• Carlton Cooley (1898–1981), composer
• Winifred Copperwheat (190576), performer, teacher
• Paul Cropper (1913–2006)
• Wayne Crouse (1924–2000)
• John Curro (1932–2019), conductor

D

• David Dalton (1934–2022)
• Harry Danks (1912–2001)
• Steven Dann (b. 1953)
• Gyula Dávid (1913–1977)
• Tania Davis (b. 1975)
• Brett Dean (b. 1961)
• Christophe Desjardins (1962–2020)
• Jack Delano (1914–1997), composer
• Alan de Veritch (b. 1947)
• Brett Deubner (b.1968)
• Patrizia Di Paolo
• Roberto Díaz (b. 1960)
• Viacheslav Dinerchtein (b. 1976)
• Paul Doktor (1919–1989)
• Demetrius Constantine Dounis (1886–1954), violinist, pedagogue
• Dimitris Dragatakis (1914–2001), composer
• Karen Dreyfus
• Duncan Druce (1939–2015), composer
• Fyodor Druzhinin (1932–2007)
• Matthias Durst (1815–1875), violinist, composer
• Charles Dutoit (b. 1936), conductor
• Lawrence Dutton (b. 1954)
• Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), composer

E

• Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (1814–1865), violinist
• Ernest van der Eyken (1913–2010), composer, conductor

F

• Ralph Farris (b. 1970)
• Kristina Fialová
• Federigo Fiorillo (1753–c.1823), violinist, composer, pedagogue
• William Flackton (1709–1978), composer
• Richard Fleischman (b. 1963)
• Watson Forbes (1909–1997)
• Cecil Forsyth (1870–1941), composer
• Johannes Fritsch (1941–2010), composer
• Lillian Fuchs (1901–1995)
• Arthur Furer (1924–2013), composer, violinist
• Paul Walter Fürst (1926–2013), composer
• Kenji Fusé (b. 1965), composer

G

• Grigori Gamburg (1900–1967), composer, conductor
• John Garvey (1921–2006), conductor
• Ottmar Gerster (1897–1969), composer, conductor
• Carlo Maria Giulini (1914–2005), conductor
• Bruno Giuranna (b. 1933)
• Donald A. Glaser (1926–2013), Nobel Prize–winning physicist
• Roland Glassl (b. 1972)
• Rosemary Glyde (1948–1994), composer
• Rivka Golani (b. 1946)
• Richard Goldner (1908–1991)
• Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist of Radiohead
• Ebbe Grims-land (1915–2015)
• Amihai Grosz (b. 1979)

H

• Veronika Hagen (b. 1963)
• Dietmar Hallmann (b. 1935)
• Hope Hambourg (1902–1989)
• Harutyun Hanesyan (1911–1987), composer
• John Harbison (b. 1938), composer
• Kenneth Harding (1903–1992), composer
• Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), composer
• Donald Heins (1878–1949), violinist, conductor, composer
• Willy Hess (1859–1939), violinist
• Raphael Hillyer (1914–2010)
• Paul Hindemith (1895–1963), composer
• Alfred Charles Hobday (1870–1942)
• Manfred Honeck (b. 1958), conductor
• Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (1954–2006), mezzo-soprano

I

• Nobuko Imai (b. 1943)
• Yuko Inoue

J

• Hanoch Jacoby (1909–1990), composer
• Baudime Jam (b. 1972), composer
• Janine Jansen (b. 1978), violinist
• Leroy Jenkins (1932–2007)
• Raymond Jeremy (1890–1969)
• Otto Joachim (1910–2010), composer
• Matthew Jones (b. 1974), violinist

K

• Jiří Kabeš (b. 1946), singer, songwriter
• Thomas Kakuska (1940–2005)
• Jan Karlin (b. 1954), producer, administrator
• Jurgis Karnavičius (1884–1941), composer
• Gilad Karni
• Kim Kashkashian (b. 1952)
• Milton Katims (1909–2006), conductor
• Martha Strongin Katz (b. 1942)
• Hugo Kauder (1888–1972), composer, violinist
• Nigel Keay (b. 1955), composer
• Nigel Kennedy (b. 1956), violinist
• Louise Lincoln Kerr (1892–1977), composer
• Isabelle van Keulen (b. 1966), violinist
• Volker David Kirchner (1942–2020), composer
• Dmitri Klebanov (1907–1987)
• Paul Klengel (1854–1935), violinist, pianist
• Garth Knox (b. 1956)
• Ulrich Koch (1921–1996)
• Vesko Kountchev (b. 1974)
• František Kočvara (1730–1791), composer
• Katalin Kokas (b. 1978), violinist
• Johann Král (1823–1912), also played viola d'amore
• Tosca Kramer (1903–1976)
• Alison Krauss (b. 1971)
• Emil Kreuz (1867–1932)
• Milan Křížek (1926–2018), composer
• Boris Kroyt (1897–1969)
• Theodore Kuchar (b. 1960), conductor
• Ferdinand Küchler (1867–1937), violinist, composer
• Michael Kugel (b. 1946)
• Sigiswald Kuijken (b. 1944), violinist, conductor

L

• Michelle LaCourse
• Théophile Laforge (1863–1918)
• Édouard Lalo (1823–1892), composer
• Anne Lanzilotti (b. 1983), composer
• Jaime Laredo (b. 1941), violinist
• Victor Legley (1915–1994), composer
• Pierre Lénert (b. 1966)
• Harold Levin (b. 1956)
• Avri Levitan (b. 1973)
• Jodi Levitz
• Teng Li
• Ingvar Lidholm (1921–2017), composer
• Samuel Lifschey (1889–1961)
• Lim Soon Lee (b. 1957), conductor
• Alfred Lipka (1931–2010)
• Ernest Llewellyn (1915–1982), violinist, conductor
• Lloyd Loar instrument designer, composer, played viola alta
• James Lockyer (1883–1962)
• James Lowe (b. 1976), conductor
• Lydia Luce, singer-songwriter
• Pál Lukács (1919–1981)

M

• Jef Maes (1905–1996), composer
• Virginia Majewski (1907–1995)
• Sergey Malov (b. 1983), violinist
• Mat Maneri (b. 1969), composer, violinist
• Michael Mann (1919–1977), violinist
• Jethro Marks
• Carlo Martelli (b. 1935), composer
• Tatjana Masurenko (b. 1965)
• Uri Mayer (b. 1946), conductor
• Eduard Melkus (b. 1928), violinist
• Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847), composer
• Vladimir Mendelssohn (1949–2021), composer
• Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist
• John Metcalfe (b. 1964)
• Michel Michalakakos (b. 1954)
• Miroslav Miletić (1925–2018), composer
• Shlomo Mintz (b. 1957), violinist
• Marco Misciagna (b. 1984), violinist, educator
• Alexander Mishnaevski
• Roberto Molinelli (b. 1963), composer, conductor
• Nils Mönkemeyer (b. 1978)
• Pierre Monteux (1875–1964), conductor
• Arie Van de Moortel (1918–1976), composer
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), composer
• Janee Munroe (1923–2006)
• Henry Myerscough (1927–2007)

N

• Philipp Naegele (1928–2011), violinist
• Naruhito, Emperor of Japan (b. 1960)
• Oskar Nedbal (1874–1930), composer
• Paul Neubauer (b. 1962)
• Václav Neumann (1920–1995), conductor
• Maria Newman (b. 1962), violinist, composer
• Casimir Ney (1801–1877)
• Nokuthula Ngwenyama (b. 1976)

O

• Heiichiro Ohyama (b. 1947)
• David Oistrakh (1908–1974), violinist
• Raphaël Oleg (b. 1959), violinist
• Martin Outram

P

• Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840), composer, violinist
• Johannes Palaschko (1877–1932), violinist, composer
• Úna Palliser, vocalist, violinist
• Ian Parrott (1916–2012), composer
• Harry Partch (1901–1974), composer
• Ödön Pártos (1907–1977), composer
• Joseph de Pasquale (1919–2015)
• Bruno Pasquier (b. 1943)
• Pemi Paull (b. 1975)
• Pierre Pasquier (1902–1986)
• Clara Petrozzi (b. 1965), violinist, composer
• Allan Pettersson (1911–1980), composer
• Cynthia Phelps (b. 1961)
• Robert Pikler (1909–1984), violinist
• Ashan Pillai (b. 1969)
• Enrico Polo (1868–1953), violinist
• Jocelyn Pook (b. 1960), composer
• Diemut Poppen (b. 1960)
• Rita Porfiris (b. 1969)
• Ari Poutiainen (b. 1972)
• Lawrence Power (b. 1977)
• William Presser (1916–2004), composer, violinist
• Milton Preves (1909–2000)
• Joseph Primavera (1926–2006), conductor
• William Primrose (1904–1982)

Q

• Karl Traugott Queisser (1800–1846)

R

• Julian Rachlin (b. 1974), violinist
• Mary Ramsey (b. 1963), violinist, singer, songwriter
• Wilhelm Ramsøe (1837–1895), composer, conductor, violinist
• Émile Pierre Ratez (1851–1934), composer
• Mary Ruth Ray (1956–2013)
• Adolf Rebner (1876–1967)
• Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936), composer
• Sophia Reuter (b. 1971), violinist
• Allard de Ridder (1887–1966), conductor, composer
• Frederick Riddle (1912–1995)
• Timothy Ridout (b. 1995)
• Joaquín Riquelme García (b. 1983)
• Karen Ritscher
• Hermann Ritter (1849–1926)
• Carol Rodland
• Jean Rogister (1879–1964), composer
• Hartmut Rohde (b. 1966)
• Alessandro Rolla (1757–1841), composer
• Antonio Rolla (1798–1837), violinist, composer
• Paul Rolland (1911–1978)
• Max Rostal (1905–1991), violinist
• Simon Rowland-Jones (b. 1950)
• Vincent Royer (b. 1961)
• Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995), composer
• Thomas Ryan (1827–1903)
• Maxim Rysanov (b. 1978)

S

• Pauline Sachse (b. 1980)
• Luigi Sagrati (1921–2008)
• Philip Sainton (1891–1967), composer, conductor
• Matthias Sannemüller (b. 1951)
• Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio (b. 1960), violinist
• Guido Santórsola (1904–1994), composer
• Hermann Scherchen (1891–1966), conductor
• Peter Schidlof (1922–1987)
• Ervin Schiffer (1932–2014)
• Hanning Schröder (1896–1987), composer
• Franz Schubert (1797–1828), composer
• Joseph Schubert (1754–1837), composer, violinist
• Rudolf Schwarz (1905–1994), conductor
• Albert Seitz (1872–1937), composer
• Konstantin Sellheim (b. 1978)
• Tibor Serly (1901–1978), composer
• Jonathan Sheffer (b. 1953), composer, conductor
• William Shield (1748–1829)
• Bernard Shore (1896–1985)
• Gilbert Shufflebotham (1907–1978), violinist
• Oscar Shumsky (1917–2000), violinist, conductor
• Paul Silverthorne (b. 1951)
• Robert Siohan (1894–1985), composer, conductor
• Nadia Sirota
• Hans Sitt (1850–1922)
• Scott Slapin (b. 1974), composer
• Kay Slocum
• Peter Slowik (b. 1957)
• Anton Stamitz (1750–c.1800), composer
• Carl Stamitz (1745–1801), composer
• Johann Stamitz (1717–1757), composer
• Helen Camille Stanley (b.1930), composer
• Jean Stewart (1914–2002)
• Scott St. John (b. 1969)
• Simon Streatfeild (1929–2019), conductor
• Jennifer Stumm
• Josef Suk (1929–2011), violinist
• Jean Sulem (b. 1959)
• Louis Svećenski (1862–1926)
• Gusztáv Szerémi (1877–1952), composer

T

• Robert Talbot (1893–1954), conductor, composer, violinist
• Václav Talich (1883–1961), conductor, violinist
• Antoine Tamestit (b. 1979)
• Will Taylor (b. 1968)
• Jan Tausinger (1921–1980), composer, conductor
• Arve Tellefsen, (b. 1936), violinist
• Yuri Temirkanov (b. 1938), conductor
• Mela Tenenbaum, violinist
• Lionel Tertis (1876–1975)
• Xaver Paul Thoma (b. 1953), composer
• Marcus Thompson (b. 1946)
• Katia Tiutiunnik (b. 1967), composer
• Lars Anders Tomter (b. 1959)
• Giuseppe Torelli (1658–1709), pedagogue, composer
• Sabine Toutain (b. 1966)
• Jacqueline Townshend (1912–1983), pianist, violinist
• Walter Trampler (1915–1997)
• Michael Tree (1934–2018)
• Anahit Tsitsikian (1926–1999), violinist, musicologist
• Karen Tuttle (1920–2010)

U

• Åke Uddén (1903–1987), composer, conductor
• Alfred Uhl (1909–1992)
• Chrétien Urhan (1790–1845)

V

• Nancy Van de Vate (1930–2023), composer, pianist
• Léon van Hout (1864–1945)
• Roland Vamos (b. 1930)
• Emanuel Vardi (1915–2011)
• Maxim Vengerov (b. 1974), violinist
• Robert Vernon (b. 1949)
• Maurice Vieux (1884–1951)
• Johann Georg Hermann Voigt (1769–1811), composer
• Ladislav Vycpálek (1882–1969), composer, violinist

W

• Louis van Waefelghem (1840–1908)
• Ernst Wallfisch (1920–1979)
• Geraldine Walther (b. 1950)
• Johann Baptist Wanhal (1739–1813)
• Harry Waldo Warner (1874–1945), composer
• Melia Watras
• John Webb (b. 1969), composer
• Hieronymus Weickmann (1825–1895)
• Justus Weinreich (1858–1927), composer
• Franz Weiss (1778–1830)
• Henryk Wieniawski (1835–1880), violinist
• Emanuel Wirth (1842–1923), violinist
• Lena Wood (1899–1982)
• Mark Wood

X

• Hong-Mei Xiao (b. 1963)
• Pierre-Henri Xuereb (b. 1959)

Y

• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931), violinist

Z

• Bernard Zaslav (1926–2016)
• Wen Xiao Zheng (b. 1981)
• Grigori Zhislin (1945–2017), violinist
• Lev Zhurbin (b. 1978), composer
• Tabea Zimmermann (b. 1966)
• Fidelis Zitterbart (1845–1915), composer
• Đuro Živković (b. 1975), composer, violinist
• León Zuckert (1904–1992), composer, violinist
• Pinchas Zukerman (b. 1948), violinist

See also

• Lists of musicians

Notes and References

1. Web site: News Violist Tasso Adamopoulos has died aged 76. The Strad. February 27, 2024.