Randall Goosby: "My Mission Is to Find the Roots of People of Color in White-Centered Classical Music"

Korean-American Violinist Randall Goosby
First Korea Tour on 20th in Gwangju, 22nd in Seoul
"I Am Here Thanks to My Mother's Dedication"

"I am very excited to perform in my mother's country. Without my mother and family, I would not be who I am today."

Violinist Randall Goosby is performing a track from his album at the album release and first Korea visit concert press conference held on the 19th at the Leeum Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 19th, violinist Randall Goosby (27), standing on the stage of the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, introduced himself and greeted the audience in his awkward Korean.

He is gaining recognition as a performer recently spotlighted in the U.S. and Europe, ahead of his first solo concerts in Korea on the 20th and 22nd at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju and Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, respectively.

He made headlines by presenting music that explores his cultural roots through his debut album "Roots," released in 2021 by DECCA. Introducing himself as "half Korean," he was born to a third-generation Korean-Japanese mother and an African American father. Based on this background, he has shown a deep interest in Black and Asian composers. Recently, he released an album with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Yannick N?zet-S?guin, featuring Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and a concerto by Black female composer Florence Price, expressing his affection for his roots.

In this upcoming Korean tour, Goosby plans to perform works related to his roots. Alongside Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2, he will play a suite for violin and piano by William Grant Still, known as the "godfather" of Black classical composers, as well as Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 "Kreutzer."

Violinist Randall Goosby is giving a greeting at the album release and first Korea visit concert press conference held on the 19th at the Leeum Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata was originally written to be dedicated to his close Black violinist friend George Bridgetower, but after a falling out, Beethoven later dedicated it to Rudolf Kreutzer," he explained. "I want to call this piece the 'Bridgetower Sonata,'" he said.

He continued, "Also, the second movement of Ravel's Sonata contains American blues music, and the composer related to this is Grant Still. His works strongly reflect the colors of blues." He expressed his ambition, saying, "I want to expand the horizons of classical music by discovering and performing works by Black composers as well as Asian composers from Korea, Japan, India, and other countries."

Goosby stated, "In the U.S., classical music is often seen as the exclusive domain of wealthy, older people, but I want to create an environment where people from more diverse backgrounds can enjoy classical music."

He expressed his desire to "meaningfully repay my mother's dedication and sacrifice," and showed his excitement by saying, "Performing in front of a Korean audience culturally connected to me is a very thrilling experience."

Before the press conference, he performed Bach's Partita No. 1 for solo violin. The poignant violin melodies filled the museum stage. The sound of the 1708 Stradivarius masterpiece "Ex Strauss," provided to him by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, was bright yet sharp. He enjoys golf and named this instrument "Tiger" after his favorite golfer Tiger Woods. "Until my second album, I used a Guarneri del Ges?, which had a dark charm, but the Stradivarius seems to have a bright tone," he said.

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