Violist Richard O'Neill wins Grammy's Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Violist Richard O'Neill / Courtesy of Credia

By Park Ji-won

Richard O'Neill, a Korean American violist, won the Grammy Awards' Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his “Theofanidis: Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra,” Sunday, local time.

It is his first Grammy win after three nominations in the past.

“This is a great day for the viola. Thank you to the recording academy for this honor of a lifetime. To composer Christopher Theofanidis, conductor David Alan Miller, producer Silas Brown and the wonderful Albany Symphony. My love to you all. During this most challenging time for all musicians, my eternal thanks goes to my family, the Tacus Quartet and CU Boulder for keeping me alive. Stay safe and healthy everyone,” O'Neil said during the awards ceremony held online after winning the award.

O'Neill is a well-known classical musician in Korea, appearing frequently in media including documentaries and active performances and album releases. He led the chamber orchestra Ensemble Ditto here from 2007 to 2019. He was the first violist to receive an Artist Diploma from Juilliard. He also holds a Bachelor of Music from the USC Thornton School of Music magna cum laude and a Master's from Juilliard. Donald McInnes, Karen Tuttle and Paul Neubauer were his mentors.

Meanwhile, BTS failed to achieve another Grammy win this year. BTS was named in the best pop duo/pop group category, a first for a K-pop act, with its megahit English song ”Dynamite” released last year.