Manipulate the viola d'amore freely and discover new musical possibilities!
Garth Knox
Born in Ireland and raised in Scotland. The youngest of four siblings, all of whom play stringed instruments, he was encouraged by his childhood to play the viola, and his career as a violist began. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied under Fredric Riddle. He started his career as a violist performing a wide repertoire from baroque to contemporary. In 1983, at the invitation of Pierre Boulez, he became a member of the Ensemble Intercontemporin (Paris), where he performed many solo works and chamber music, including the concerto conducted by Boulez, in concert tours and at international music festivals. In 1990, he joined the Arditti String Quartet and gave the premiere performances of works by leading contemporary composers such as Ligeti, Kurttag, Berio, Xenakis, Cage, Feldmann and Stockhausen. In 1998, he left the quartet to concentrate on his solo activities. As a soloist, he has premiered works by many composers such as Henze, Ligeti, Schnittke and Benjamin. Recent recitals in Brussels, Vienna and Paris include the world premiere of Eötvös' Viola Duo with Tabea Zimmermann and a duo concert series with Kim Kashkashian which was broadcast in Germany. . He is also actively working on new music by Viola d'Amore. Based in Paris, he has performed solo, chamber music and with orchestras in Europe, America and Japan. Released many CDs. In 2012, he served as a jury member for the 2nd Tokyo International Viola Competition at Viola Space 2012 vol.21.
