The first reference to the Viola Sonata was upon its submission to a composition competition sponsored by Clarke's neighbour, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.

[2] Out of 72 entries, Clarke's Sonata tied for first with a piece by the Swiss composer Ernest Bloch.

Because of the many different obstacles the piece presents, as well as its highly idiomatic writing, it is becoming more and more a staple of the violist's repertoire.

[4] The Rebecca Clarke Society commissioned an orchestration of the Viola Sonata from composer Ruth Lomon.

Subsequent performances have featured soloists Esra Pelivahnli, Catherine Hanson, and Melissa Matson.