Like many violists, I started on violin, switching to viola when I started high school. Part of the attraction was because I had recently become obsessed with and started playing cello, so with the addition of viola I could (attempt to) record a string quartet by myself. But when I started playing, it was the rich sound of the lower strings and the interesting inner musical lines, particularly in chamber music, that really made me fall in love with the instrument.
My favorite composer without question is Antonín Dvořák, and a few of my favorite pieces are his Piano Quintet, String Quartet No. 10, and Symphonies 8 and 9.