For scholar and violist Xue Ding, the choice of where to publish her research is a deliberate declaration of values and a strategic commitment to a specific community. Her work, which operates at the vibrant intersection of viola performance, musicology, and analysis, has found its definitive forum in the Journal of the American Viola Society (JAVS). This ongoing partnership is powerfully illustrated by her record of publication and active review: her paper, “The French Influence in Charles Loeffler’s Two Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, Viola, and Piano,” won second place in the society’s prestigious Dalton Viola Research Competition and was published in the Fall 2024 issue (Volume 40, Number 2). This work focuses on two songs from a collection of five. Ding’s original paper was a comprehensive analysis of all five songs in Loeffler’s opus, but due to the journal’s word limit, the study was collaboratively split into two parts to preserve its depth and rigor, with the second half already accepted and awaiting publication.
Her article “A Mirror of the Soul: The Viola in Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel” appeared in the Summer 2025 issue (Volume 41); and her latest work, “Cadenza Composition for the Stamitz Viola Concerto: A Historically-Informed Approach,” is currently under review with the journal. Ding’s publishing journey with JAVS demonstrates its vital role in nurturing and amplifying specialized scholarship across a spectrum of viola-focused inquiry, from analytical interpretation to practical pedagogy. This supportive approach, combined with the consistent platform JAVS provides, makes it the unequivocal home for her work.
A Legacy of Advocacy: From Newsletter to Authority
The journal’s authority is rooted in a pioneering legacy. The American Viola Society (AVS) traces its origins to the American Viola Research Society, founded in 1971 by Myron Rosenblum. Renamed in 1978, the AVS has been instrumental in championing the viola through landmark initiatives like the founding of the Primrose International Viola Competition (1979). As the society matured, its member newsletter evolved into the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Viola Society in 1985, establishing a permanent, scholarly archive for the instrument. This evolution mirrors the viola’s own journey into the spotlight, curated by a dedicated community.
A Foundation of Ethical Scholarship and Professional Trust
For Ding, submitting to JAVS is guided by two core principles: reaching the right audience and trusting the reviewers’ expertise. The journal certifies her work is read by the global community of performers, pedagogues, and scholars who will actively apply it. Crucially, she trusts the journal’s unique professional authority, as its editorial board and reviewers are predominantly violist-scholars holding Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. These experts possess the dual mastery of embodied performance knowledge and rigorous academic training required to fully understand her research.
This trusted environment is essential, as it directly addresses a systemic issue in broader music scholarship: the persistent chasm between abstract musicological theory and practical performance. Research judged solely by theoretical paradigms often fails to serve the living art form, its utility for performers overlooked. At JAVS, this disconnect is impossible, as the review process is anchored in the realities of performance practice.
The Trinity of Scholarship: Uniting Practice, History, and Theory
JAVS is the ideal venue for Ding’s methodology, which is built upon a trinity of practice, history, and theory. This integrated approach produces research that is intellectually rigorous and immediately applicable. Her papers on Loeffler and Pärt exemplify this model, weaving together historical context, theoretical analysis, and performer-centric insight. Her cadenza paper continues this tradition, providing historical context, theoretical analysis of period figures, and the essential practical outcome: a fully composed, stylistically faithful cadenza offered as a pedagogical model and a call to creative agency.
At JAVS, this holistic approach is not just understood; it is expected and celebrated.
Direct Impact: Reaching the Right Readers
This ethos ensures JAVS places Ding’s work directly into the hands of the readers who can maximize its value. The AVS community—a global network nurtured through chapters, festivals, and competitions—does not simply cite articles; it uses them. Insights from her research directly inform rehearsals, teaching, and performance decisions, creating a vital feedback loop between scholarship and the stage.
An Act of Stewardship in a Living Legacy
Ultimately, for Xue Ding, publishing in JAVS is an act of stewardship within a living legacy. It represents a commitment to contributing to the intellectual and practical infrastructure built by generations of violist-scholars. For work that seeks not merely to be cited, but to be used—to resonate in practice rooms and shape performances—the Journal of the American Viola Society (https://www.americanviolasociety.org) is the unequivocal choice. It is where her integrated scholarship joins a historic conversation and fulfills its highest purpose: advancing the art of the viola.
