Jennifer Stumm viola

If the violin is a pop star, full of sparkle and pyrotechnics, the viola is a jazz singer who speaks to your heart when it’s breaking, who whispers secrets, and tells lies. The viola might be called the middle child of the string family, often overlooked in favour of its more famous relatives the violin and cello. It's a chameleon, a character actor, an instrument with imperfect acoustics and a spectrum of frequencies closest to the human voice. Composers throughout history have been drawn to its unique ability to convey deep expression, often writing their late (or their last) works for viola.

Weaving together music and spoken word on her 16th century viola, Stumm will perform pieces ranging from Bach all the way to Sting, as well as a new Music Network commission by Irish composer Jonathan Nangle. In this mix of talk and performance, the acclaimed violist tells a musical story of how imperfection can be the very thing that gives us our voice.

Known for the seductive power and “opal-like beauty" (Washington Post) of her sound, violist and director Jennifer Stumm has appeared on many of the world’s great stages. An enthusiastic speaker and writer, Jennifer recently spoke at NASA about how the arts can help innovate towards a better world, and her viral TEDx talk about the viola and the blessings of being different, An Imperfect Instrument, was named editor’s pick of all TED talks and led to a solo debut at the Berlin Philharmonie. Jennifer has created a special solo version of An Imperfect Instrument for this Music Network tour.