PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS: 
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
Joseph de Pasquale
American viola player and teacher Joseph de Pasquale was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 14 October 1919. He studied with Louis Bailly, Max Aronoff and William Primrose at the Curtis Institute.
He was principal viola with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and, later, the Philadelphia Orchestra. He gave the first performance of Walter Piston's Viola Concerto and George Rochberg's Viola Sonata. He recorded for Albany Records, Boston, Decca, RCA and Sony.
He was Professor of Viola at the Curtis Institute, and his students included Cathy Basrak, Roberto Díaz, Richard Fleischman and Stephen Wyrczynski.
Joseph de Pasquale died on 22 June 2015, aged ninety-five.