Violist O’Neill Set to Dazzle Fans

This guy has an amazing stage presence. I've also noticed his exquisite taste in shoes.

Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill/Photo Courtesy of Credia

Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill is back to show off a different musical streak. The 30-year-old star musician begins a cross-country tour this weekend to play tracks from his fourth solo album ``Mysterioso’’ (Archiv Produktion/Universal), a Baroque project with the renowned period ensemble Alte Musik Koln.

``If I were to find a main concept to tie all of the tracks together, I would have to say it is the sound world within which the piece exists,’’ said O’Neill in a statement. The album features Baroque classics like Corelli’s Violin Sonata No. 12 ``La Folia’’ and Vitali’s Chaconne in G minor _ which, based on manuscripts, are a special treat for period music purists.

For the recording, the artist modified his viola, a rare Giovanni Tononi from 1699, with gut strings, which are not wound like today’s synthetic steel ones, and used a baroque bow. ``The timbre of the viola is even more mellow, rich and gentle, with gut strings. I am sure that any listener will be able to tell right away how different and mysterious the tone color is,’’ he said.

To capture the life and energy of the pieces, he paid heed to articulations of notes, tempi and hierarchy of beats. The style indeed contrasts sharply with the poeticism of O’Neill’s earlier albums, but his way of liberating a controlled gust of lush emotion and whirlwind colors remains unchanged.

``As classical musicians, we dedicate our whole lives to the pursuit of deepening our knowledge and understanding of the great masterpieces of the great composers of all time… Baroque period practice affects so much of what we do in later periods, including the work of Mozart and Brahms. Those composers had deep respect of the Baroque,’’ he said.

After entering the public spotlight through a TV documentary as the loving son of a Korean adoptee, the violist has been captivating fans with his music. In addition to his best-selling albums and sold-out performances, O’Neill’s stardom was manifested in appearances in the sensational TV soap ``Beethoven Virus’’ and a fashion-icon award ceremony alongside movie stars.

One of the few violists to receive the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Grammy nomination, O’Neill studied at the Juilliard School in New York. While appearing in various halls, he also teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Read my previous interview with Mr. O'Neill. He also published an essay on classical music.