“If any contemporary violist continues to carry the torch of the composer-performer, it is Scott Slapin.”     
Journal of the American Viola Society

 “...brilliantly written... real lyricism... heartfelt’"   
Fanfare   

"Slapin is a real viola virtuoso..."   
American Record Guide  

“…a solid core of modern viola duo writing.”
Interlude

  “Scott Slapin is great! It's hard to imagine better performances.”   
20th Century Violin Virtuoso Ruggiero Ricci        

0:00 Bach Sonata No. 1 Fugue
0:39 Slapin South Hadley Mass (Adagio)
1:45 Lane Sonata No. 3 (Wind in the Trees)
2:30 Hindemith Sonata Op. 25, Nr. 1 (mvt 4)
3:02 Slapin Sonata in C for two violas (Andante)
4:10 Slapin Adventures in Ancestry (Part 1)
5:20 Slapin Intermezzo for two violas 

7:06 Paganini Caprice No. 3
7:50 Slapin Sonata in G for violin and viola (Allegretto)
8:31 Bach Partita No. 2 (Chaconne)
10:00 Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro
11:22 Slapin Lullaby
12:03 Paganini Caprice No. 10
12:35 Ernst The Last Rose of Summer

One of Scott's compositions

Scott with his Iizuka viola and violin and two paintings by William Sorrow

Scott with a painting by Emanuel Vardi

bio

Scott Slapin is widely recognized as one of the most prolific and technically formidable forces in the modern viola world. Celebrated by international publications including Fanfare, The Strad, and the American Record Guide, Slapin has spent decades redefining the boundaries of his instrument’s repertoire as both a virtuoso soloist and an expressively lyrical composer.

As a recording artist, Slapin's extensive discography includes dozens of premieres as well as historic milestones, such as the first complete cycle of J.S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas on viola. On commercial film and television soundtracks, he can be heard performing his own evocative recital works, solo Bach, and Paganini's wickedly-difficult Caprices. (He's recorded all 24.) With a catalog of over eighty Neo-Romantic compositions, Slapin has been commissioned by leading institutions such as the Primrose International Viola Competition and the American Viola Society, where he previously served as an artist-in-residence. His recital music has been performed by hundreds of violists internationally, and ten-plus albums of his original music have been recorded by diverse ensembles, including the American Viola Quartet, the Wistaria String Quartet, the Penn State Viola Ensemble, Viola Around the World, and the Slapin-Solomon Viola Duo. 

Slapin was one of the youngest graduates in the history of the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, earning his degree at just eighteen years old. He has since given countless recitals, written for and soloed with orchestras, and premiered solo works at Carnegie's Weill Hall and international viola congresses. His multi-faceted career has also included teaching at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, serving as a Lucas Artists Fellow at the Montalvo Arts Center in California, and playing in prominent symphony orchestras from Cincinnati to São Paulo. Slapin and his wife, Tanya Solomon, met as the violists of the Philadelphia Virtuosi. Together, they form the award-winning Slapin-Solomon Viola Duo—a partnership active since 1999— and manage a highly sought-after private teaching studio in Newcastle, England, reaching students across five continents via the online platform Muze. Slapin plays on a viola and violin by renowned luthier Hiroshi Iizuka.

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