I composed my Solo Sonata for viola as a surprise gift for my wife, Kerstin, on her 40th birthday. It remains remarkable to both of us that, despite sharing our cozy apartment in Düsseldorf, she only learned of the piece when I presented it to her on her birthday.

The work is in three contrasting movements, following the traditional outline of a solo sonata. It opens with a robust “Allegro moderato,” transitions into a heartfelt and tender “Adagio teneramente,” and concludes with a jubilant and spirited “Presto giocoso.”