Lionel Tertis – Master Violist & Co-creator of the Tertis Viola

Lionel Tertis, born in 1876 in the borough of Hartlepool in Northeast England, is regarded as one of the great viola virtuosos of the 20th century. However, he started out by concentrating on the violin, which he studied in Leipzig, Germany and at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London. While at RAM, the principal, Alexander Mackenzie, encouraged the young Tertis to take up the viola and he quickly emerged as one of the most in-demand violists, touring as a soloist across Europe and the U.S.

In 1900, Tertis became a professor at RAM and was highly influential in expanding the repertoire for the instrument. In fact, composers such as Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge, Gustav Holst, Benjamin Dale, York Bowen, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton created pieces for him. In 1906, Tertis temporarily replaced acclaimed violist/composer Oskar Nedbal in the Bohemian Quartet and later assumed the violist chair in the Gerald Walenn Quartet.

1920 proved pivotal in Tertis’ career when he was introduced to an oversized 1717 Domenico Montagnana viola during a concert tour in Paris. Despite its “unplayable condition,” he acquired the viola and it became his preferred instrument due to its rich tone. Knowing that violists might find violas like the Montagnana too large, in 1937, Tertis decided to create his own model, a somewhat smaller instrument that retained the richness and tonal characteristics of the Montagnana. Tertis sought out English luthier Arthur Richardson and together they created the Tertis model.

Also in 1937, Tertis decided to retire from performing and focus on teaching. In 1950, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in that year’s New Year’s Honours. He also proceeded to compose several original works and arranged many pieces not originally intended for the viola. Many of his writings about the viola and string playing were also published, including “Cinderella No More” and “My Viola and I.” Lionel Tertis died in 1975 in Wimbledon, London at the age of 98.

Dolce Violins carries several student violas in the Tertis model. We have found that 15″ Tertis model violas, and 15.5″ Tertis model violas sound particularly good.