IPA: /ˈvaɪəlɪst/
KK: /ˈvaɪəlist/
A person who plays a string instrument called the viol or the viola.
The violist performed beautifully at the concert last night.
Violist → It is formed from "viola" (from Latin *viola*, meaning a type of stringed instrument) and "-ist" (meaning a person who practices or is concerned with something). A violist is a person who plays the viola, a string instrument.
Think of someone who plays a string instrument called a 'viola' — the '-ist' means a person who does something, so a violist is simply a person who plays the viola.