William Walton and Edwin York Bowen count among composers who found it difficult to achieve a lasting international breakthrough. The viola faced a similar challenge, its attractive qualities simply ignored by many composers, with the solo and concerto repertoire for the instrument correspondingly small. Both composers had the renowned violist Lionel Tertis in mind when they composed the concertos on this album, and all lovers of classical music are indebted to them for these important contributions to the viola repertoire.

Violist Diyang Mei, first principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, has been steadily advancing his international career since his brilliant success at the coveted ARD International Music Competition in 2018. He has already performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie; also at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, the Black Forest Music Festival and the Mozart Festival in Würzburg.

Brett Dean, who enjoys an international reputation as a violist, composer and conductor, directs these performances.