viola
Ettore Causa studied at the International Menuhin Music Academy with Alberto Lysy, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Johannes Eskar, as well as with Michael Tree at the Manhattan School of Music.
Upon completing his studies, Ettore Causa was appointed First Solo Viola of the Carl Nielsen Philharmonic in Odense (Denmark) and also became the leader of the Copenhagen Chamber Soloists.
In 2000, he was awarded both the Peter Schidlof Prize and the John Barbirolli Prize for the most beautiful sound at the prestigious Lionel Tertis International Viola competition in England. He has since made solo and recital appearances in major venues around the world, performing in such important halls as Victoria Hall (Geneva), Zurich Tonhalle, Madrid National Auditorium, Barcelona Auditorium, Salle Cortot (Paris), Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Tokyo and Osaka Symphony Hall, and MSM Auditorium (New York). He has played at major festivals including the Menuhin Festival (Gstaad), Festival de Estoril (Portugal), Salzburg Festival, Festival del Pontino (Italy), Tivoli Festival (Copenhagen), Festival of Perth (Australia), Prussia Cove (England), Savonlinna, (Finland), and Lanaudiere (Canada).
Particularly devoted to chamber music, he is also regularly invited to prestigious chamber music festivals where he plays with internationally renowned colleagues such as Pascal Rogé, Thomas Adès, Natalie Clein, Alberto and Antonio Lysy, Jeremy Menuhin, Anthony Marwood, Ani Kavafian, Ulf Wallin, William Bennett, and others. Since 2004 he has been a member of the Aria Quartet, which has made its name as one of the leading ensembles on the Swiss chamber music scene and with whom he performs regularly in Switzerland and abroad.
In 2001 Ettore Causa was appointed professor of both viola and chamber music at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland. He is regularly invited to give master classes not only in Switzerland but also in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Argentina.
Released in 2006 and featuring transcriptions of romantic music for viola and piano, his first recording for Claves record was an overwhelming success and was crowned with the 5 Diapason. A new recording (also on Claves) featuring the Brahms viola sonata has already been highly praised by critics worldwide. Ettore plays on a viola made for him by Frederic Chaudiere in 2003.