What could come from a country that just this past year celebrated 200 years of independence that was only discovered in 1502 and was under the yoke of the Spanish Empire for over 300 hundred years? What contribution to the art music community could this third-world country, Costa Rica, bring to the table? Specifically, what contributions could Costa Rica make to the viola repertoire, which status as a soloistic instrument was raised only 100 or so years ago? How could a small country

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... to the repertoire of this often-forgotten instrument? To answer these questions, I have embarked on research of viola art music written by Costa Rican composers that show essential characteristics of the music essence in the country. These great works not only represent a maturity in the development of the art music in Costa Rica, but they are also technically and artistically challenging for the instrument. The three pieces analyzed are Preludio and Inversion for Viola Solo by Eddie Mora, Trio Concertante for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano by Sergio Delgado, and Kérwá for Viola Solo by Carlos Castro. These represent the cultural diversity that the country encapsulates as they incorporate art music, popular folk music, and indigenous folk music as inspirational trends in their composition.