Chris Yates - Viola
Christopher Yates began studying the viola at the age of seven and at sixteen won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. He studied there with Stephen Shingles and other teachers have included Bruno Giuranna, Nobuko Imai and the members of the Amadeus Quartet. Whilst still a student, Christopher gave the UK Premiere of Penderecki’s viola concerto in the presence of the composer, which was highly acclaimed in the national press. “Christopher Yates made a fine job of the solo part; a powerful player of extraordinary facility” (The Guardian). He was the first viola player to reach the national final of the LSO String Competition where he played the Bartok Concerto with the LSO in the Barbican.
At the age of 22 he became the principal viola with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and became the viola section leader with the CBSO eighteen months later. He has appeared as a soloist with the CBSO on many occasions, playing the solo parts in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Tippett’s Triple Concerto, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, Hindemith’s Trauermusik, Strauss’s Don Quixote and Britten’s
Lachrymae. “The CBSO’s principal viola, Christopher Yates, was the perfectly polished soloist in Britten’s Lachrymae”.
He has been a member of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group since joining the CBSO and has undertaken many tours, recordings and television and radio broadcasts with them. In January 2000 he gave the premiere of Thea Musgrave’s Lamenting with Ariadne which was written for him and BCMG, and has given several performances of John Woolrich’s Envoi for viola and ensemble with them. In 2010, he gave the premiere of Howard Skempton’s “Only the Sound Remains” for viola and ensemble, and has since recorded this on the NMC label.
Christopher has appeared as a soloist at the Aldeburgh and Cheltenham festivals and, in addition to his performing commitments, he enjoys teaching. He plays on a viola made by John Lott, circa 1830.
