This sonata was written for violist, Chiu-Chen Liu. She is also a gifted visual artist.

Here in my dedication:

"Because you are a visual artist and violist who likes Hindemith, the first movement is based on the first phrase of his 'Mathias the Painter.'"

Because your sense of color is so vibrant, the second movement is based on a bar from one of the most colorful works, Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade.'

The final movement is based on "The Great Gate of Kiev" from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." This is also meant to support Ukraine in this terrible time of Russian aggression.

Viola Sonata No. 2 Mov. I

Kenneth Lieberson is a composer of symphonies, concertos, tone poems, theater and chamber music, songs, a cantata and a one act opera. His music has been heard on National Public Radio, at The Library of Congress, Lincoln Center, Queens College, NYU, Stony Brook, CAMI Hall, Merkin Hall and at high and middle schools. His B. M. and M. M. are from Juilliard. He also earned an M.B.A. at NYU's Stern School of Business.

Mr. Lieberson has also written two novellas, dozens of short stories and hundreds of poems.  He illustrated some of these.