Viola da Gamba Society of America

Are you a composer? Are you an aspiring composer? Do you know composers who have an understanding of the viola da gamba? We want to hear from you. The Traynor Competition is open for submissions! We are looking for short pieces—five minutes max—for 2-4 viols that would be accessible to intermediate-level amateur players. In addition to cash prizes, the winning pieces will be published by the VdGSA. The deadline for submission is 1 October 2021, so don't put it off! Full details are on the Traynor page.

What better way to prepare for Conclave than making sure your instrument is ship shape! This afternoon Risa and I paid a visit to Baltimore to pick up and sort out instruments to lend to students who will be taking part in the VdGSA's first online Teen Beginners' class. It's actually quite exiting that we have twenty students signed up for this. A custos stopped by to help, and we collected six instruments to lend out to some of the beginners in our area. Here I am sheltering in a parking garage changing a string, in the midst of 95° heat, a raging thunder storm, and flash flood warnings. We managed to skirt the storm and were delighted to see the excited faces as we delivered instruments along the way back to Arlington.

From Tuesday's checklist: transfer VdGSA quilt near the Pennsylvania-Delaware border from past president to current president without prior announcement (no mainstream media present) collect a viol recently donated to the Society from an undisclosed location in suburban Maryland hold Conclave t-shirt packing event: six volunteers working for two hours, address labels, letters, envelopes, and t-shirts organized and ready to be mailed play consorts to celebrate (Lupo a 6 and Dowland a 5) introduce one total newbie to the viol

The VdGSA Join the VdGSA 1/13 Welcome! The Viola da Gamba Society of America is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the support, in the United States and abroad, of activities and resources relating to the viola da gamba, other early bowed string instruments, and their music. ​ We are a Society of players, builders, publishers, composers, scholars, restorers, and others sharing a serious interest in these beautiful instruments, their history, and their music, both old and new. ​ We hold an annual, week-long Conclave in mid-summer at educational institutions around the country with a faculty of internationally recognized performers and scholars. ​ To learn more about the viola da gamba, we suggest you visit About the Viol . ​ If this is your first visit, try reading the latest news in the President's Blog or discover the benefits of becoming a VdGSA member. ​ Join the VdGSA and experience the music, scholarship, and camaraderie!

Local Chapters Ah, the joys of playing consort music! The viola da gamba has always been a social instrument and the VdGSA fosters gamba playing activity across the country and beyond through its affiliated Local Chapters and Areas. Chapters and Areas support playing meet-ups, workshops, local teachers, and more. Like the national organization, the Chapters are a welcoming mix of amateur and professional players brought together by their love of the instrument. The table below will help you find the nearest local organization and its VdGSA representative, who can answer any questions you might have or point you in the direction of local viol teachers. If you want to know more—how to start a new chapter or area or the formal difference between a Chapter and an Area—take a look at our Chapters info page . Rocket City Viols (Huntsville) Kevin Lay US Alabama Contact Chapter VdGS-Southern Arizona Scott Mason US Arizona Contact Chapter SoCal Viols (LA/San Diego) Lucy Jones US California Contact Chapter Pacifica Viola da Gamba Society (Bay Area) Ellen Fisher US California Contact Chapter Wine Country Viols (Napa/Sonoma) Gwyneth Davis US California Contact Area VdGS-Denver Sarah Biber US Colorado Contact Chapter Rocky Mountain Viols June Williams US Colorado Contact Chapter VdGS-Greater Washington Baltimore Amy Domingues US District of Columbia Contact Chapter South Florida Kathleen Merfeld US Florida Contact Chapter Central Florida Dave Bushnell US Florida Contact Area Atlanta Jacob Bitinas US Georgia Contact Area Hawaii Viols Ann Barclay Rovner US Hawaii Contact Area VdGS-Third Coast (Greater Chicago) Phillip Serna US Illinois Contact Chapter Indiana Janet Scott US Indiana Contact Area Iowa Marian Wilson Kimber US Iowa Contact Area Kansas Tracy Hoover US Kansas Contact Area Kentucky Jack Ashworth US Kentucky Contact Area Maine Barbara Oliver US Maine Contact Area VdGS-New England Hannah Davidson US Massachusetts Contact Chapter North Star Viols (Minn./St. Paul) Ann Barclay Rovner US Minnesota Contact Chapter Oxford Viols Susan Marchant US Mississippi Contact Chapter Heartlands Jean Henderson US Nebraska Contact Area New Hampshire Jean Twombly US New Hampshire Contact Area Central New Jersey Judy Klotz US New Jersey Contact Area VdGS-Finger Lakes Zoe Weiss US New York Contact Chapter VdGS-Greater New York Stanley Dorn US New York Contact Chapter Albany/Troy Jean Seiler US New York Contact Area Western New York Nancy Washer US New York Contact Area VdGS-Central Carolina Kathy Schenley US North Carolina Contact Chapter Asheville Gail Ann Schroeder US North Carolina Contact Area Ohio Edith Yerger US Ohio Contact Area VdGSA-Cascadia Tim Scott US Oregon Contact Chapter Portland Janet Loy US Oregon Contact Area Eugene Charlie Ogle US Oregon Contact Area VdGS-Greater Philadelphia Heather Miller Lardin US Pennsylvania Contact Chapter Pennsylvania Patty Halverson US Pennsylvania Contact Area Tennessee Josh Keller US Tennessee Contact Area VdGS-Dallas Susan Scheib US Texas Contact Chapter Viols of Houston Pedro Funes US Texas Contact Chapter Austin Sarah Harriman US Texas Contact Area Vermont Peter Tourin US Vermont Contact Area Pacific NW Viols (Seattle) Bill Warren US Washington Contact Chapter Vancouver Sarah Poon Canada British Columbia Contact Area Halifax Stephen Barbour Canada Nova Scotia Contact Area Ontario Sara Blake Canada Ontario Contact Area Montreal James Williamson Canada Quebec Contact Area Australia Miriam Morris Australia ​ Contact Area England Esha Neogy England ​ Contact Area Japan Yukimi Kambe Japan ​ Contact Area Mexico Heather Spence Mexico ​ Contact Area New Zealand Rhona Lever New Zealand ​ Contact Area Norway Randolph Miles Norway ​ Contact Area

Local Chapters Ah, the joys of playing consort music! The viola da gamba has always been a social instrument and the VdGSA fosters gamba playing activity across the country and beyond through its affiliated Local Chapters and Areas. Chapters and Areas support playing meet-ups, workshops, local teachers, and more. Like the national organization, the Chapters are a welcoming mix of amateur and professional players brought together by their love of the instrument. The table below will help you find the nearest local organization and its VdGSA representative, who can answer any questions you might have or point you in the direction of local viol teachers. If you want to know more—how to start a new chapter or area or the formal difference between a Chapter and an Area—take a look at our Chapters info page . Rocket City Viols (Huntsville) Kevin Lay US Alabama Website Chapter VdGS-Southern Arizona Scott Mason US Arizona Website Chapter Pacifica Viola da Gamba Society (Bay Area) Ellen Fisher US California Website Chapter SoCal Viols (LA/San Diego) Lucy Jones US California Website Chapter Wine Country Viols (Napa/Sonoma) Gwyneth Davis US California Website Area VdGS-Denver Sarah Biber US Colorado Website Chapter Rocky Mountain Viols June Williams US Colorado Website Chapter VdGS-Greater Washington Baltimore Amy Domingues US District of Columbia Website Chapter South Florida Kathleen Merfeld US Florida Website Chapter Central Florida Dave Bushnell US Florida Website Area Atlanta Jacob Bitinas US Georgia Website Area Hawaii Viols Ann Barclay Rovner US Hawaii Website Area VdGS-Third Coast (Greater Chicago) Phillip Serna US Illinois Website Chapter Indiana Janet Scott US Indiana Website Area Iowa Marian Wilson Kimber US Iowa Website Area Kansas Tracy Hoover US Kansas Website Area Kentucky Jack Ashworth US Kentucky Website Area Maine Barbara Oliver US Maine Website Area VdGS-New England Hannah Davidson US Massachusetts Website Chapter North Star Viols (Minn./St. Paul) Ann Barclay Rovner US Minnesota Website Chapter Oxford Viols Susan Marchant US Mississippi Website Chapter Heartlands Jean Henderson US Nebraska Website Area New Hampshire Jean Twombly US New Hampshire Website Area Central New Jersey Judy Klotz US New Jersey Website Area VdGS-Greater New York Stanley Dorn US New York Website Chapter VdGS-Finger Lakes Zoe Weiss US New York Website Chapter Albany/Troy Jean Seiler US New York Website Area Western New York Nancy Washer US New York Website Area VdGS-Central Carolina Kathy Schenley US North Carolina Website Chapter Asheville Gail Ann Schroeder US North Carolina Website Area Ohio Edith Yerger US Ohio Website Area VdGSA-Cascadia Tim Scott US Oregon Website Chapter Portland Janet Loy US Oregon Website Area Eugene Charlie Ogle US Oregon Website Area VdGS-Greater Philadelphia Heather Miller Lardin US Pennsylvania Website Chapter Pennsylvania Patty Halverson US Pennsylvania Website Area Tennessee Josh Keller US Tennessee Website Area VdGS-Dallas Susan Scheib US Texas Website Chapter Viols of Houston Pedro Funes US Texas Website Chapter Austin Sarah Harriman US Texas Website Area Vermont Peter Tourin US Vermont Website Area Pacific NW Viols (Seattle) Bill Warren US Washington Website Chapter Vancouver Sarah Poon Canada British Columbia Website Area Halifax Stephen Barbour Canada Nova Scotia Website Area Ontario Sara Blake Canada Ontario Website Area Montreal James Williamson Canada Quebec Website Area Australia Miriam Morris Australia ​ Website Area England Esha Neogy England ​ Website Area Japan Yukimi Kambe Japan ​ Website Area Mexico Heather Spence Mexico ​ Website Area New Zealand Rhona Lever New Zealand ​ Website Area Norway Randolph Miles Norway ​ Website Area