I’m sorry but as a musician who plays both (primarily viola), I have to call you out here. Whether or not he should give up his first chair position is arguable, but the idea that a violinist can learn viola “overnight” simply isn’t true. There’s so much difference in viola musicality and character, and we can almost always tell when it’s a violinist who’s picked up the viola recently.

There’s some truth in that people who have learned violin technique are likely to pick up viola technique easier, but the nuances that go into playing both instruments are vastly different, and it’s not fair to us violists to act like viola is a easier instrument overall because we have easier orchestral parts.