Flute, Viola & Harp Trio
The Flute, Viola and Harp Trio is the most varied of the TSO ensembles. It has instruments from three different families, a wind instrument, a bowed stringed instrument and a plucked string instrument.

Paula: Hi Morris.

Morris: Hiya Paula! Can you tell me how this combination of instruments first came about? It seems really unusual.

Paula: The first composer to use this combination was the French composer Claude Debussy in 1915. Since then, many other composers have written for it.

Morris: Are the harp and viola really in different families? They both have strings. Aren't they both in the string families?

Trish: The difference is that I always pluck my strings. The harp is really more closely related to the guitar!

Ann: I can pluck my strings too! That's called pizzicato, but most of the time I use a bow. harp players never, ever use a bow.

Morris: Okay. Thanks guys!