Lionel Tertis

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Lore & Background

He preferred a large viola for its rich tone and later created his own Tertis model at 16-3/4 inches.

Reader's Guide

Lionel Tertis's significance lies in his role as a pioneer who transformed the viola from a largely orchestral instrument into a solo and chamber music voice. Although Tertis did not premiere that concerto—finding it difficult to comprehend at the time—he later performed it multiple times. His writings, including 'My Viola and I' and 'Cinderella No More', document his life and advocacy for the instrument. The Tertis model viola remains influential for its tonal qualities in a manageable size.

Did You Know?

• The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was established in 1980 to honor the memory of the English viola virtuoso Lionel Tertis.
• The competition did not take place during the years of the Coronavirus pandemic and resumed in January 2025 at The Glasshouse, Gateshead.
• The 13th Lionel Tertis International Festival, held from 6 to 13 April 2019, attracted 107 entries from around the world.
• The competition has now been paired with the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition, with the two running concurrently.
• Participants in the Tertis competition must be aged between 19 and 30 at the time of the competition.

Origins & the Journey of a Venue

The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was founded in 1980 as a tribute to the English viola virtuoso whose name it bears. For nearly four decades, the event found its home at the Erin Arts Centre in Port Erin on the Isle of Man, a setting that gave the competition a distinctly island character. The competition operated on a triennial cycle, returning to the stage every three years rather than annually. However, the Coronavirus pandemic interrupted this rhythm, and no edition took place during those disrupted years. When the competition finally returned in January 2025, it did so in a new location: The Glasshouse in Gateshead, marking a significant shift from its long-standing Manx base. This relocation, combined with the pairing with another major viola competition, signals a new chapter for an event that had been rooted in a single island venue for almost forty years.

Structure, Eligibility & the Paired Format

The competition is open to viola players of any nationality, provided they fall within the age bracket of 19 to 30 at the time of the event. This makes it a distinctly young-artist platform, sitting in the gap between student-level contests and fully established careers. The triennial schedule means eligible players have a multi-year window to prepare and enter, and the 13th edition in April 2019 drew 107 entries from around the world, underscoring the global reach of the event. In a notable structural development, the Lionel Tertis competition has now been paired with the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition, with the two events running concurrently. This pairing effectively doubles the competitive landscape for viola players in a single gathering, creating a broader showcase for the instrument. The 14th edition, held from 19 to 25 January 2025, represents the first iteration of this combined format, offering competitors and audiences a more concentrated and ambitious programme than the standalone event that preceded it.

A Living Archive of New Viola Writing

One of the competition's most distinctive features is its tradition of a required work that every competitor must perform. For each edition, a piece is either newly commissioned or carefully selected, and it is written specifically for viola solo. This practice has produced a remarkable catalogue of new viola writing over the decades. The earliest editions featured orchestral concertos, including Gordon Jacob's Concerto No. 2 in G major in 1980 and Wilfred Josephs's Concerto for viola and orchestra, Op. 131, in 1984. From 1988 onward, the compulsory works shifted to solo viola pieces, drawing on a constellation of composers: Paul Patterson, John McCabe, Michael Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennett, Sally Beamish, John Woolrich, David Matthews, Roger Steptoe, Peter Maxwell Davies, Stuart MacRae, and Roxanna Panufnik. The 2025 edition features Garth Knox's The Bridges of Newcastle, published by Schott. This ongoing commissioning role has made the competition a significant engine for new viola repertoire.

Resilience Through Disruption and Renewal

The competition's 13th edition, held as a festival from 6 to 13 April 2019 at the Erin Arts Centre, attracted 107 entries from around the world, demonstrating the event's sustained international draw. That 2019 gathering represented the last edition before the global pandemic halted the competition's triennial cycle, leaving a gap in the calendar during the most disrupted years for live music. The return in January 2025 was therefore a moment of renewal: the 14th competition ran from 19 to 25 January at The Glasshouse in Gateshead, a venue far removed from the Isle of Man setting that had defined the event since 1980. The resumption also came with a structural evolution, as the Tertis competition was paired with the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition, the two now running concurrently. For a competition that had weathered a pandemic-induced hiatus and a complete change of geography, the 2025 edition marked both a homecoming of sorts and a bold step forward in how the event presents itself to the international viola community.