Music

CWU Viola Day

Viola Day Information

Viola Day is an opportunity for violists to gather and play together. Participants of all levels are welcome and all activities are open for observers to enjoy. 

Each year, 4 soloists will play a movement of the Telemann concerto with the alto clef orchestra. At least one player will be a non-CWU student. Please inquire if you're interested!

General 

• Sunday, November 5, 2023
• 11:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
• Central Washington University 
• McIntyre Music Building
• Concert hall, Recital hall, Choir room
• Cost - Free!
• Concert dress - all black
• Participation Certificates will be presented to participants at the final concert.

Schedule

• 11:00 a.m. - Rehearsal of ensemble pieces on noon concert
• 12:00 p.m..  - Noon Concert
• 1:00 p.m.. - Lunch (provided)
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.. - Viola Games
• 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.. - Masterclass with Dr. Dan Doña from Boston University
• 4:00 p.m.. - Rehearsal of ensemble pieces for final concert
• 5:00 p.m. - Final Concert
• 6:00 p.m.. - Cookie Reception

Activities

• Lunch - The CWU viola studio will provide a lunch of sandwiches and snacks in the choir room. All participants and guests are invited to join and can bring their own food if they wish.
• Viola Games - This is a very silly collection of activities that challenge us and make us laugh! There are prizes for participation. Viola-oke - viola karaoke! we will play through songs with a karaoke track. Sheet music will be provided. Pop, jazz and classical will be heavily featured. Be in contact if you have a request! LingLing Workout- Made famous by the YouTube duo, TwoSet. Google it. Challenges can be done as a group or individually. Viola Trivia- test your viola knowledge! Viola Joke Stand-off- the best joke and delivery wins! Although we all win if we laugh.:-)
• Masterclass - Dr Dan Doña will be joining us from Boston University. He will work with 4 students, one of which can be a non-CWU student. Please inquire!

Music

Each concert will have a mix of solo and ensemble pieces. Anyone can play along on the ensemble pieces by showing up to the Viola Day rehearsals. Participants are not required to play all the pieces- only the ones they are comfortable playing. See below for sheet music links. Once you're registered, you will be contacted to discuss your part choice/assignment.

Concert Order

Noon Concert

• Telemann Viola Concerto
• Ensemble Music Part 1
• Brandenburg 6

Final Concert

• Bohemian Rhapsody for 8 Violas arr. Dan Doña
• Lollipop
• Natalie's Waltz
• Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Registration

Please let us know you're coming so we have enough food for the CWU hosted lunch and are prepared with stage setup. Register at the link below.

Dr. Dan Doña

Daniel Doña has distinguished himself as an active performer and pedagogue. He serves on the viola faculty of the Boston University School of Music alongside his duties as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Coordinator of String Chamber Music. Daniel is also Co-Director of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute String Quartet Workshop.  In addition to his teaching at BU, Dr. Doña serves on the faculty of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Intensive Community Program.  He regularly writes program notes for the Caramoor Center for the Arts and other concert presenters.  An avid chamber musician, he is a member of TriChrome and the critically acclaimed Arneis Quartet.

Performance highlights include appearances at the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, Beijing Modern Music Festival, Music on Main (Vancouver) and Stanford University’s Lively Arts series as well as broadcasts on CBC Radio 2, WGBH and WCLV. As part of Filipina-American composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra’s Fragility Ensemble he has performed at the Asia Society Triennial, MassMoCA, and at the Joudour Sahara Festival in Morocco.  Daniel is featured on composer Ketty Nez’s CD Double Images.  He performs regularly with Emmanuel Music and other ensembles in the Boston area. Daniel has presented guest masterclasses at the University of Connecticut, Swarthmore College, Northwestern University Music Academy and Miami University.  

Daniel pursues interdisciplinary projects with a passion.  As a recipient of a Humanities Enhancement Project Award from the Boston University Center for the Humanities he curated concerts exploring relationships between poetry and music accompanied by lectures presented by members of the BU and Harvard English Departments.  As a member of the Banff Festival Quartet he performed in collaboration with dancers, presenting Hans van Manenʼs Grosse Fuge and a world premiere of Heather Myersʼs Dedications.  His META fellowship with the Mass Cultural Council focused on exploring connections between mindfulness practice and music pedagogy and performance.  As part of the initial cohort of  BU’s Designing Antiracist Currucila Fellowship program he deepened his exploration of incorporating repertoire of underrepresented composers into the School of Music curriculum.

Dr. Doña received his AB in Philosophy from the University of Chicago, where he was awarded the inaugural David Fulton Award for excellence in instrumental performance. He received his MM in Viola Performance from the University of Oklahoma where he studied with Matthew Dane (viola) and Felicia Moye (violin). At Boston University he studied with Michelle LaCourse, Steven Ansell and Ed Gazouleas. He received his PD and DMA from BU and was a two-time recipient of the String Department Award.

In his spare time Daniel enjoys traveling with his husband Scott, which sometimes includes finding exotic places to run races and always involves the pursuit of culinary adventures.  He ran the Berlin Marathon on his honeymoon and has also completed the NYC and Chicago Marathons.  Bookstores are his Achilles heel.

Questions and Inquiries

Please contact Dr. Michelle Rahn for any information you need at Michelle.rahn@cwu.edu