International Viola Congress
50TH INTERNATIONAL VIOLA CONGRESS - CHINA 2025
The International Viola Society (IVS) is a non-profit international organization that unites and supports the National Viola Associations and Societies of each country in their activities.
One of the main objectives of the International Viola Society is to promote ever-increasing standards of excellence in viola performance through annual congresses and associated competitions.
Annual congresses have been held since 1973 (with one exception). From 1973 to 2000, the congresses generally alternated between Europe and North America. In 2001, the first congress in the Southern Hemisphere (in New Zealand) was held and since then, congresses have taken place in Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. In 2023, the congress was held in Asia (Thailand) for the first time and will return on this continent for the second time next year in Xi'an, China!
The 50th congress will be held in 2025, August 13-17 in Xi'an, China and will be hosted by the China Viola Society. This prestigious event will bring together viola players, educators, and enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate the art of viola playing. The congress will include concerts, masterclasses, lectures, and exhibitions, providing a platform for participants to share their knowledge, skills, and passion for the viola.
The congress theme "East, West, tradition and innovation through the four strings of the viola” promises to weave together music old and new as well as explore the point of intersection between Chinese and Western musical traditions.
The deadline for the call of proposal is November 1st, 2024 and you can fill out the form here.
If you need any information or travel advices, you can follow this link.
This Parisian edition, organized in January 2026 by the French Viola Society under the aegis of the International Viola Society, will take as its theme Voyage autour de l'alto - entre héritage et diversité, reflecting a desire to reconcile the rich musical heritage of the French and international viola schools with the audacity of contemporary creations and the plurality of ways of integrating the viola into musical projects.
Prestigious performers, representing a wide range of aesthetics and generations, will bring the viola to the stage at its highest level, accompanied by partner orchestras and ensembles. They will also contribute to the transmission of knowledge through encounters, workshops and masterclasses.
The new generation of French violists and the work carried out by their teachers throughout the country will also be showcased, with concerts featuring students from all regions.
The Congress program will be largely fuelled by an international call for applications. This innovative, participatory process will bring new works to the fore, while rediscovering little-known repertoires and revealing promising talent.
Amateur violists will also play a key role in the event. A concert featuring some 100 musicians will be dedicated to them, in partnership with the Cité de la Musique.
An exhibition of violin and bow making will bring together craftsmen from all over the world, who will benefit from unique visibility.
Every morning, the participants will rehearse a program combining creations and arrangements for viola ensemble. These sessions will be open to schools, making cultural and artistic education accessible to all.
The congress, concentrated in the Parc de la Villette and its reference establishments dedicated to music, will take over other emblematic venues in the city, allowing participants to explore Paris, an exceptional setting.
The viola, placed at the heart of the registers, creates bridges between instrumental voices, becoming a metaphor for living together, cooperation and collective harmony. The International Viola Congress 2026 will be a veritable celebration, highlighting this unifying aspect of the viola and emphasizing essential values such as diversity, sharing and transmission.
Archives of the 1990 International Congress organized by les Amis de l'Alto in Lille