The viola, a commonly overlooked string instrument, creates one of the smoothest and richest tones in the orchestra. Stopping outside of the music practice rooms on any given day, one can encounter the mellow tune Sunny Li ‘19 might be playing on her “overlooked” instrument.

An active musician at Kent School, Sunny plays in the orchestra, chamber orchestra, string ensemble, and string quartet. Li also participated in the Northern Connecticut Regionals Festival and Connecticut All-State Festival last year. Hoping to further her musical ability and learn from new teachers and peers, she attended Interlaken, a prestigious arts summer camp in Michigan, this past summer.

At age five, advised by her school teacher, Sunny began learning the viola and quickly improved her abilities. For Li, practicing viola is the “most healing and refreshing time of the day,” and she is determined to continue growing as a violist. However, this does not mean that she only listens to viola music; her favorite composer is Tchaikovsky, despite the fact that he never composed for the viola.

Li observes, “although modern music such as pop songs might seem more interesting at first, classical music is what really helps me clear my mind and feel stable.” She looks up to Tabia Zimmerman, a violist whose mesmerizing facial expressions and ability to express her feelings through music awes her.

Li plans to continue pursuing her passion for the viola after graduating from Kent School, and she hopes to one day perform in front of hundreds of people as a renowned viola virtuoso.