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| "British Viola" by Richard Yongjae ONeill / Courtesy of Credia |
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| Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill poses during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap |
American violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, highly popular among Koreans, released a new solo album Monday, four years since his seventh solo album was released in 2012.
"It's a very special album which features the first piece I ever heard on the viola and it's the reason why I play the viola," said O'Neill, during a press conference held in Seoul, Monday, to introduce the album to the public.
"I was told to listen to Walton's album when I was playing in an orchestra for my community when I was 13. I come from a very small town in Washington state and I mention that because a lot of my inspiration as an artist comes from that period ― my childhood, my early adolescence. So I went home and listened and at first I thought it was weird. It's dark with dissonant chords... But I listened again and again and I became hooked on this piece. It has an amazing story. It begins and ends in the same place and it's not a particularly happy ending," said the violist.
The Deutsche Grammophon-released album "British Viola" features his live performance recording with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis in 2013 and concertos for viola and orchestra composed by William Walton, a representative British composer of the 20th century.
"I've been a fan of Sir Andrew Davis for a very long time. As a child I had his recording and it was a huge privilege to work with him. He has an incredible sense of humor and is dear friends with the violinists in my quartet. Working with the BBC orchestra was a tremendous honor," said the violist, who has become popular among Koreans since his appearance on the "Human Theater" documentary series in 2004, and for his maternal Korean heritage.
His eighth album, "British Viola," features only pieces that are composed by British composers. It's an "homage to all the viola repertoires of the century" according to the violist.
"A huge majority of repertoire written for the viola has originated from the UK. It has a long history, longer than any other country featuring the viola as a solo instrument," said the artist as to why only British pieces were included in the album.
"I've always felt that there's always bad weather in Britain ― fog, rain and winters are dreary. The countryside is beautiful but not incredibly pleasant ― it's mysterious. That to me evoked the spirit of viola."
The live performance recording with the BBC orchestra playing Walton's pieces is featured for the first time in his album as well as pieces by British composers Frank Bridge, York Bowen, and Benjamin Britten. Steven Lin, a rising Taiwanese American pianist who won the Silver Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition in Israel in 2014, accompanied O'Neill on the piano.
"I found Steven Lin at a festival a few years ago and he was a young artist at the time and I was very impressed. He developed into a tremendous young artist. He came to the recording absolutely prepared and rock solid," said O'Neill, recalling his experience recording with the pianist.
"Recording is a difficult process. We really do many takes because it has to be a perfect performance. He was always spot on. It's such a delight to see him grow into a formidable artist."
O'Neill also had a showcase scheduled Monday night at Club Octagon in Gangnam, southern Seoul, to introduce his new album via the "Yellow Lounge Seoul" stage.
"I'm all for reaching out to a new audience and part of that is departing from the typical concert venue and traveling to unconventional places. I have a little bit of experience in New York. A lot of new music happens in downtown New York. A lot of traditional music happens in Carnegie Hall but a lot of experimental music happens in unconventional venues downtown and I'm looking forward to the performance tonight," said O'Neill.
"The Viola is a beautiful instrument of immense colors and emotional power and has been overlooked as a solo vehicle for many years. It's a beautiful thing to be part of a young generation of soloists fighting to make the viola a prominent solo instrument."
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