Fine Violas

“I was thrilled to recently purchase one of David’s violas. It has the tone quality I sought and projects splendidly. I’ve followed his work for years and have always admired it. His violas are consistently beautifully made and possess a gorgeous, deep, baritone sound.”

Eric Koontz has led the viola sections of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya) and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra before returning to the United States to pursue studies towards the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In Barcelona, he premiered Max Bruch’s Double Concerto for Viola, Clarinet and Orchestra on the Iberian Peninsula under the baton of Lawrence Foster. An active chamber musician, he was a founding member of the Nayades Trio (flute, harp and viola); the Reinecke Trio (clarinet, viola and piano); and the Quartet Glinka, with whom he participated in performances of the complete string quartets of Dmitri Shostakovich at the Juan March Foundation in Madrid. In Israel, Koontz has performed with Music in the Desert, a festival for new music at Kibbutz Sde Boker, directed by Michael Wolpe.

As a chamber and symphonic violist, Koontz has recorded with the RCA, EMI, Ars Harmonica, Columna, Koch and Decca labels. He earned the Bachelor of Music at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and holds the Master of Music and the Master of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University. He has studied with Donald McInnes, Scott Rawls, Msao Kawasaki, Jesse Levine, Hatto Beyerle, Gerald Stanick, Jaap Schroder, and Lawrence Dreyfus.

Koontz joined the string faculty at the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University in 2005 and the faculty of the Brevard Music Center in 2004. Examples of his writing in print include the articles “Els músics i els reptes de l’OBC” (4 April 2002, Avui newspaper, Barcelona) and “Una orquesta eficaz y plural” (November 2002, Scherzo magazine, Madrid).

“I really love playing on Gerald the viola (named after the character from Finding Dory)- it has depth, resonance, and big sound which are not common for all violas, let alone a small one (15 3/8″). It’s such an easy and beautiful instrument to play, very responsive and warm with a clear ringing tone. I always liked David’s violas- I tried a couple of his earlier models in 2019 but they were too big for me, and was very pleased when he finally made a smaller viola. It was what I was looking for all along!”

Violist Amy Huimei Tan is dedicated to exploring the boundaries of artistic experiences through performing and collaborating across a wide range of musical styles and artistic disciplines.

An avid chamber musician based in NYC, Amy is a member of the Bergamot Quartet with whom she has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, and New York City Center. Amy has also brought new works to life through collaborative performances and recordings with Sō Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Bang on a Can, arx duo, Claire Chase, Dan Trueman, Terry Sweeney, and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble for the Kaufman Center’s Luna Composition Lab.

Amy has completed programs including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Chautauqua Institution Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, International Music Festival of the Adriatic, the Banff Centre, the Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Aigues-Vives en Musique Festival, New Music on the Point, and the Bang on a Can Summer Institute. Born and raised in Singapore, Amy received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan studying viola with Yizhak Schotten and composition with Paul Schoenfeld, Evan Chambers and Bright Sheng, and her master’s and performance diploma degrees from the Peabody Conservatory where she studied viola with Victoria Chiang and received the Israel Dorman Memorial Award for strings. Amy recently completed her residence at the Mannes School of Music as the Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet with the Bergamot Quartet, studying with members of the JACK Quartet.

“Commissioning a viola from David was a joy. I’m in love with every aspect of the instrument and was able to see it come into being.”

Téa began studying at Duke Strings School at the age of 5. She currently studies under Dr. Simon Ertz and has studied with Shelley Livingston, Jennifer Curtis, and Rebecca Buchanan. Téa is a member of the Duke Strings Ciompi Collaborative Chamber Quartet, the Duke University String School Youth Symphony, and the Mallarmé Youth Chamber Orchestra at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has performed with Indie Strings, a community orchestra based in Durham, North Carolina and in local assisted living facilities pre-Covid. During Covid, Téa participated in the North Carolina Symphony’s One State, One Score collaborative.

“My 2023 Finck Viola is a warm, responsive instrument that has exceptional power with a wide range of tonal colors. It is a joy to play.”

Melody Rike has worked as a professional musician and music educator for over 40 years. Her original instrument, a Carl Becker Sr. 1952 viola, carried her through the majority of her career, including more than a decade as Assistant Principal Viola of the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, substitute with the Chicago symphony, a stint as principal violist for the Long Bay Symphony, and multiple seasons in Charleston Symphony in SC. She reluctantly sold her beloved viola upon retirement.

Finding herself still passionate about music education and performance, Melody came out of retirement and began her quest for a new viola. Melody searched for several years before discovering luthier David Finck though a YouTube performance. Excited by the Finck viola’s sound, she commissioned one in 2023.

Today, you can find Melody playing her new viola while coaching the violists in the ASTA award winning East Chapel Hill High School Orchestras. She also freelances and teaches chamber music at the Chapel Hill School of Musical Arts, in North Carolina, where she works as the Senior Violin and Viola Instructor.