Despite being the instrument of choice for composers from Haydn and Mozart to Hindemith, Britten and Vaughan Williams, the humble viola still plays second fiddle – pardon the pun – to its smaller cousin, and that despite Australia having been the home to some of the world’s most celebrated violists (think William Primrose or Brett Dean). To put the record straight, violists Wenhong Luo and William Vyvyan Murray, in collaboration with Caroline Henbest of ANAM and Katie Yap, have come up with ViolaScape, a Melbourne-based festival aimed at raising the viola’s profile. Clive Paget caught up with Luo and Murray to find out more the festival and all-things viola – and yes, there’s a viola joke towards the end…

What made you want to create a viola festival in Melbourne?

WL: Creating a viola festival has been on my mind for a long time. I have been part of many exciting viola festivals around the world. Viva Viola in Shanghai and Viola Space in Tokyo are two that I find especially inspiring. I want to create a gathering place in Melbourne where we can all celebrate the unique voice of the viola, explore new repertoire and find ways of...