By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Caption: Korean-American violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill will start his nationwide tour on Oct. 13 in Cheonan.
Acclaimed Korean-American violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill is back with a new album ``Winter Journey,'' his first after signing with the world's top classical label Deutsche Grammophon.
One of today's most promising violists in the world, O'Neill gives his own unique interpretation of Franz Schubert's Sonata in A minor ``Arpeggione'' and ``Winterreise (Winter Journey)'' on the album.
``I treat the viola not just as an instrument, but like I am singing through my viola,'' O'Neill told reporters, after a mini-showcase at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in southern Seoul on Tuesday.
While the viola may not be as popular as the violin or cello in Korea, O'Neill believes the viola has its own charm. ``The range of the viola is in the middle. It's an alto, which is if you're talking about human voice type, it would be a woman's low voice. ... It is more of a warm and comforting sound. The viola is different from the violin because the violin is a conquering instrument. It is the king of all instruments. The cello is also very noble and deep and warm,'' he said.
The 29-year old violist said he needs the viola to express himself. ``I need (the viola) to say what I want to say. ... I admire a lot of violists, but I try to create my own sound. I think about the sound and meaning of every note, what is the feeling, what vibration I am sending out to the air. That's how I approach music. ... I think the viola and I, we work well together,'' he said.
For his latest album, O'Neill chose Schubert because he greatly admired the Austrian composer's works. ``Schubert arguably has made the best music we have in classical music, especially with melody. Schubert's sheer talent for creating a simple melody is unparalleled in all of classical music," he said.
O'Neill is quite excited about this album, especially since it is his first since signing with the Deutsche Grammophon (DG) label. He is only the third Korean to release an album under the DG label, after maestro conductor Chung Myung-whun and the Chung trio.
``It has been a lifelong dream of mine to work with DG. When I was a child, we had hundreds of vinyl records and some of my favorite albums had the yellow DG label on the top. I grew up with this from a very young age and I remember how much I loved the sound. To me, (Deutsche Grammophon) was the benchmark of what classical music recording was," he said.
In the ``Winter Journey'' album, O'Neill's viola was accompanied by classic guitar duo Lee Song-ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini, and young guitarist Park Jong-ho. The album was recorded at the Oak Valley Church in Wonju in June.
When a reporter complimented his sophisticated image on the album cover and suggested he try modeling, O'Neill laughed: ``I think I would have to pay people to put my picture on something. I would probably be the world's worst model. I am not about looking good. I am more about my music.''
O'Neill received a Grammy nomination in 2006, and the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. He was the first violist to receive the prestigious Artist Diploma at Juilliard. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Music from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and a Master's degree from Juilliard.
O'Neill will hold a concert tour in Korea this month, starting in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province on Oct. 13. He will perform at the LG Arts Center in Seoul on Oct. 26 and 27 and will also participate in the contemporary music project Ars Nova on Nov. 2 at the KBS Hall in Seoul. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com.