Violists usually play the middle voice, blending into the ensemble. Violist Helen Callus, though, is stepping to the forefront as the new president of the American Viola Society. “The thing that amazes me,” she says, “is what a well-kept secret the AVS is, and that has to change.”

On July 1, Callus began her three-year term as the association’s president. She’s managing to fit those duties around her other activities, including performing, teaching at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and putting the finishing touches on a recording for Sanctuary Classics of works for viola and orchestra by British composers (including the Walton concerto).

No wonder she’s been described by one colleague as “a real dynamo, a strong and tireless advocate for the viola.”

The seemingly tireless Callus intends to leave her mark on the organization by expanding its membership as well as its educational programs and other services. “One of my main aims,” she says, “is to extend ourselves to every type of violist, from students to professionals, and enjoy the interaction from all walks of viola life.”

Callus promises that while the society continues to organize its biennial Primrose Memorial Scholarship Competition and publish the glossy, peer-reviewed Journal of the American Viola Society, the organization should soon be getting into the work and consciousness of every American violist.

“We have a vision to be able to assist every viola player in some manner,” she says, “whether it be special merchandise discounts for members or school teachers struggling for resources, a recording contract for the aspiring young viola player, an international competition win or experience of importance in the classical world at large, a congress to bring together as many great viola players as possible, chapter grants for day-long festivals, or more articles in the journal to reach as diverse an audience as possible. We also want to reach out to violists in other countries, and are very supportive of the work being done to form new societies in Japan, South Africa, and Russia.”

For more information, visit www.americanviolasociety.org.