My Viola and I explores the history of the viola and music making during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century from the point of view of the great man himself, Lionel Tertis. This is a must not only for violists but also for string players or for those who are interested in the history of music, Lionel Tertis, a violist, teacher, and violist pioneer who helped us to look at the modern viola. Lionel Tertis first studied the violin in Leipzig, Germany and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he was encouraged by the principal, Alexander Mackenzie, to take up the viola. Further encouraged by Oskar Nedbal, he became one of the best-known violists of his time. As Professor of Viola at the RAM, he encouraged his colleagues and students to compose for the instrument, thereby greatly expanding its repertoire. Composers such as Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge, Gustav Holst, Benjamin Dale, York Bowen, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and William Walton all wrote pieces for him.
