[From Ryu Taehyung's Seat] Courage and Talent Melted into Viola... Grammy Also Praises

Richard Yongjae O'Neill Wins 'Best Classical Instrumental Solo'

Selected for 'Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra'
War Orphan Mother and Devoted American Grandparents
Middle Name 'Yongjae' Reexamined

Ryu Taehyung Music Columnist

I first encountered the name Richard Yongjae O'Neill in 2004. At that time, he was a promising performer at the Juilliard School of Music. The middle name ‘Yongjae,’ given by Kang Kyungwon, the wife of Juilliard professor Kang Hyo and the administrative director of the Sejong Soloists and the Daegwallyeong International Music Festival at the time, also became a topic of interest. Seeing his early unblemished and clear demeanor, the name ‘Yongjae,’ meaning ‘courage and talent,’ naturally came to mind.

Yongjae O'Neill’s life was broadcast on KBS’s human documentary ‘Human Theater,’ and his name, active with the Sejong Soloists and the Lincoln Chamber Music Society, was widely discussed, receiving such enthusiastic response that a sequel was produced and aired. Over 1,000 fans quickly flocked to his fan cafe, and tickets for his first solo recital at Hoam Art Hall sold out within three days.

When I personally attended a Sejong Soloists performance at the Daegwallyeong International Music Festival in August 2004, his viola playing caught my eye. Agile and spirited movements, precise gestures that felt both cautious and confident, Yongjae O'Neill’s name was etched once again.

However, Yongjae O'Neill’s life was not smooth. His mother, Colin O'Neill, was a war orphan adopted into the United States in 1957. After suffering from a high fever in childhood, she developed an intellectual disability and gave birth to Yongjae O'Neill as a single mother. Due to her disability, it was difficult for her to care for Yongjae O'Neill. Yet, the devotion of his maternal grandfather and grandmother was no less than that of biological parents.

Yongjae O'Neill says, "My maternal grandfather and grandmother were absolute presences. Until high school, the place where I took lessons was more than four hours round trip by car. My grandmother, who was over eighty years old, drove herself through rain or snow for ten years, consistently taking care of me."

Initially playing the violin, Yongjae O'Neill parted ways with his maternal grandfather at the age of 15 to study music by moving to a bigger river, a bigger sea. Since his family was not well-off, he studied viola through self-support, burning with courage and talent. "The viola is a string instrument that has not received much attention for centuries. In the case of the violin, the techniques based on Paganini’s 24 Caprices still influence today. However, the viola’s repertoire largely consists of works by 20th-century violist-composers. It is that unfamiliarity that I liked."

Richard Yongjae O'Neill. (Photo by Credia)

Challenges with Early Music and Unaccompanied Albums
Photo Essays and Music Video Production
Various Changes to Target Younger Audiences
Expect Mature Performances Reflecting His 40s

An outsider playing unfamiliar composers’ works on an unfamiliar instrument in a foreign land. Yet, chamber music masterpieces including Haydn’s string quartets are completed with the viola tone created by Yongjae O'Neill. His playing places a strong punctuation mark on the overall ensemble.

His debut album, released by Universal in 2005, included Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata performed with pianist Warren Jones at Friedrich Ebert Hall in Hamburg, Germany, Faur?’s ‘Apr?s un r?ve,’ and Schubert’s ‘Serenade,’ among others.

In 2006, his second album ‘Lacrime’ was released, showing a full-fledged crossover tendency. It gathered only sorrowful repertoire that could bring tears just by hearing the titles, including Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite ‘Waltz’ arranged by Yongjae O'Neill himself, Sor’s ‘La Romanesca,’ Offenbach’s ‘Jacqueline’s Tears,’ and Cl?ment’s ‘Romance No. 1.’ The encore track ‘Seomjipagi’ (Island Baby) was the finishing touch. Yongjae O'Neill said it was a song he empathized with because he scattered his grandmother’s ashes into the sea when she, who had been a great support to him and his mother, passed away.

In 2007, ‘Winterreise,’ featuring Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’ interpreted on viola, and in 2008, ‘Misterioso,’ a challenge in early music, were released. These are considered masterpieces from Yongjae O'Neill’s early career. In ‘Misterioso,’ he played a Giovanni Tononi viola strung with gut strings using a Baroque bow. "Playing with gut strings was generally difficult, especially when playing in high positions. The strings below the fingers tend to slip easily. The sound and tone of gut strings are incomparable. How should I put it? Warm yet very unique. I think I fell in love with this tone."

That same year, Yongjae O'Neill performed Walton’s ‘Viola Concerto’ as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski during their visit to Korea.

In 2010’s ‘Nore_Sad Song,’ he played vocal pieces such as Rachmaninoff’s ‘Vocalise,’ Brahms’ ‘Four Serious Songs,’ and Dvo??k’s ‘Songs My Mother Taught Me’ on viola. The 2011 album ‘Preghiera_Prayer’ included Massenet’s ‘Meditation from Tha?s,’ Caccini’s ‘Ave Maria,’ and Bloch’s ‘Prayer.’

His seventh studio album in 2012 was ‘Solo,’ an unaccompanied album. He successfully expressed broad emotions by exploring the pure sound of the viola alone in works such as Bach’s ‘Cello Suite No. 2’ and sonatas by Hindemith and Leger. In 2014, he held his 10th anniversary recital. Then in 2016, the album ‘British Viola’ featured only works by British composers.

Britain is also a country that produced great violists such as Lionel Tertis and William Primrose. "The British weather is different from California or Hawaii in the U.S. It’s always rainy, damp, and foggy. Especially the mysterious climate of the outskirts resembles the feeling of the viola a lot."

Many have gradually come to feel the world of classical music that moves the heart, which they had not known before, through Yongjae O'Neill’s viola.

Richard Yongjae O'Neill. (Photo by Credia)

Yongjae O'Neill was the face of ‘Ensemble Ditto.’ ‘Ditto’ is both a concept and a brand. It means ‘empathy’ and also refers to bright and light performance pieces, ‘Divertimento.’ Ensemble Ditto, founded by Yongjae O'Neill in 2007, started with the motto of ‘empathetic classical’ and ‘bright classical.’

Besides performances, Yongjae O'Neill targeted younger audiences through visual performances, photo essays, and music video production. Since 2009, the Ditto Festival expanded the scope. Most Ditto ticket buyers on ticket sites are women in their 20s and 30s. With their support, Ditto ranked first in paid audience at the Seoul Arts Center in 2008?2009 and sold out all seats at the Seoul Arts Center from 2007 to 2011.

The tour locations expanded from 10 cities nationwide to overseas. In 2010, Ditto entered Japan with sold-out performances in Tokyo and Osaka, and also performed in Shanghai, China. After announcing disbandment in 2019 and holding farewell concerts, Ditto was a haven where youth and classical music coexisted.

Yongjae O'Neill did not just provide an introduction to classical music. He continued performing as a key figure in core classical music. In 2016, the Enes Quartet visited Korea and performed Beethoven’s complete string quartets. The Enes Quartet, consisting of James Enes and Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Yongjae O'Neill (viola), and Robert Demaine (cello), delivered remarkably high-level performances.

In 2019, Yongjae O'Neill joined the Tak?cs Quartet as the violist, a group renowned worldwide with awards such as the Gramophone Award. He has been active with them since June last year. We only hope the COVID-19 situation settles so they can visit Korea as well.

Reflecting on the positivity toward life and the power of music Yongjae O'Neill has shown, it seems that if we endure a little longer, good days will come. Now in his early 40s, Yongjae O'Neill is at an age where he can deliver deeper and more passionate performances.

Ryu Taehyung, Music Columnist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.