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Classical partnership explored

Violist Yinzi Kong and pianist William Ransom, partners on stage and off, team for Romantic era concert this Sunday
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Internationally-renowned classical instrumentalist Yinzi Kong will demonstrate the power of the viola Sunday at First United Church in concert with her partner

It's a  guaranteed treat for lovers of the viola, the piano – and the emotive 19th century chamber music of Romantic-era composers Max Bruch, Cesar  Franck and Charles de Beriot.

Violist Yinzi Kong and her life and performing partner, pianist William Ransom appear at 3 p.m. this Sunday (Jan. 31) at White Rock's First United Church, 15385 Semiahmoo Ave. –  latest in a series of world-class classical afternoon performances presented by Encore Peninsula Concerts and co-sponsored by the City of White Rock.

Series artistic director Eugene Skovorodnikov – himself an internationally recognized concert pianist – notes that Kong is one of the foremost exponents of the viola in the world today.

"She is a beautiful, beautiful viola player, one of the top-notch players, and William is an exquisite performer himself, with a very solid background and taste. They complement each other really well."

The larger sister of the violin, the viola is considered the middle voice of the violin family – deeper than the violin, higher than the cello – in the orchestra and the traditional string quartet.

Just as the cornet resembles, yet differs in tonal quality from the more popular trumpet, the viola has a different emotional timbre from the violin, and, indeed, 'speaks' differently in the hands of the player.

As a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Vega String Quartet, based at Emory University Atlanta – where Ransom is director of piano studies and founder and artistic director of the Emory Chamber Music Society – Kong is thoroughly versed in the viola's ensemble role.

But the Shanghai born and raised musician is also supremely qualified to champion the instrument in a solo context, Skovorodnikov says.

"The viola is very beautiful – probably the instrument closest to the (Renaissance and Baroque era) viola da gamba and viola d'amore," he says.

"It's very sweet, not as bright and brittle as the violin – it's this gorgeous, vibrant, deep-textured sound."

Given the pre-eminence of the violin, there are not too many dedicated solo pieces for the viola, Skovorodnikov points out, noting that works are usually adapted from the violin or clarinet repertoire.

"The clarinet and the viola have the same range and nature, in a way."

He says he first encountered Kong as a member of the Vega Quartet, which began life as a group of fellow music graduates from Shanghai who went to the U.S. to continue their education.

"They're all fantastic instrumentalists in their own right," he says.

But he's also familiar with the duo that she and Ransom formed, which has also frequently travelled and performed internationally.

"They were part of my concert series in 2011 in Richmond," he says. "They love Vancouver, and William said they wanted to do this concert as part of a working vacation – they've booked a hotel in Vancouver and they're very independent, which is great because I can spend time with two very good friends, rather than technically acting as a babysitter!"

Born in Nashville, Ransom is a graduate of Juillard and has been head of the piano program at Emory University for the past 30 years, Skovorodnikov says.

"He was the one most instrumental in making the Vega Quartet resident at Emory – he realized they would 'raise the bar' in the (Atlanta) area.

"He moved mountains and now they have a fantastic music program – he's quite a force."

Skovorodnikov describes one of the major pieces of Sunday's program, Franck's Sonata in A Major, as one of the "workhorses" of chamber music, but one that he has only encountered as it was written, for violin and piano.

"I played a version with a violinist, a cellist and a flautist, but I've never heard it played by a viola – it will be fascinating to hear what happens."

Skovorodnikov adds that there is a common misconception about chamber music duos that identifies one as the predominant partner.

"In major chamber music repertoire, such as sonatas, it's two soloists that get together to play matching parts – it's not a main part and an accompanist," he says.

"The beauty of chamber music is that you have two soloists playing very advanced pieces for their instruments that match beautifully."

Historically, the piano was never intended to be relegated to a secondary role, he says.

"For example Beethoven once wrote that he had composed 10 piano sonatas – with the accompaniment of the violin!"