Summer 2013 - The American Viola Society

y Tom Tatton
With Viola in Hand
A Gentleman and a Scholar:
An Interview with Tom Hall, Part I
Tom Hall, at left, coaches two of his students at Chapman College on Bach’s Brandenburg
Concerto No. 6 in 1979
Background/Education
It is my pleasure to visit with Dr. Thomas Hall,
Professor Emeritus of viola, music history, and
theory at Chapman University in Orange,
California. Dr. Hall is a reserved, rather tall
gentleman with rosy cheeks, a broad smile, and
a wonderfully keen sense of humor.
It is said that an artist is a person who does
something extremely well with imagination,
taste, style, and feeling. Tom fits the essence of
this definition in at least four broad categories—
viola performance, pedagogy, writing, and
administration. His performances of Harold in
Italy and Flos Campi, as well as his place in the
Chapman Chamber Players, are legendary in
Southern California. His teaching acumen, in
both the studio and the classroom, is well
known on the West Coast. His writing sparkles
with wit and common sense, and in leadership,
as Chair of the Department of Music, he was
enormously successful!
TT: Tom, let me begin this interview by
asking how you came to the viola. Many
violists have an interesting story; please tell
us yours.
VOLUME 29 SUMMER 2013 ONLINE ISSUE
64