[On Stage] Yongjae O'Neill, the Unchanging Value of Love and Hope Conveyed Through Music

On the 27th, 'Hikkeunneungk! Music Festival' Stage
Concerto Performance That Brought 2021 Grammy Glory

Richard Yongjae O'Neill is often regarded as the violist most familiar to Koreans. The 2004 KBS documentary "Human Theater," which introduced his story, made a huge impact. The young man in his 20s at the time is now in his 40s and will take the stage at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on the 27th. This is part of the "Hic et Nunc! Music Festival," which runs until September 2.

In a written interview with Asia Economy, Yongjae O'Neill said that although his way of thinking about music has changed a lot over the past 20 years, there is one unchanging value. "I hope that the moment people listen to my music, they think, 'Ah! The world is still a good place.'

The "Hic et Nunc! Music Festival" is a classical music festival hosted by the Sejong Soloists, a chamber music group celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. "Hic et Nunc!" is Latin for "Here and Now!"

Richard Yongjae O'Neill [Photo by Sejong Soloists]

The Sejong Soloists is a chamber music group founded in 1994 by violinist Kang Hyo, who gained fame as a leader at the Juilliard School and Yale University. It is a special group for Yongjae O'Neill. He joined the Sejong Soloists in 2001 and first visited Korea as a member that year. Through this connection with Korea, the story of his mother, who was a Korean War orphan adopted to the U.S. at age four, and Yongjae O'Neill himself, who entered the prestigious Juilliard School with the devoted love of his American grandparents, was introduced on the broadcast.

For him, music seems synonymous with words like love and hope. This is likely why he wants to share music with more people. He said, "I am grateful for all my life and performance experiences so far," adding, "They have been a great help on my musical journey."

On this stage, Yongjae O'Neill will perform Christopher Theofanidis's "Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra" with the Sejong Soloists. This American composer's piece earned him a Grammy Award. Yongjae O'Neill won the 2021 Grammy for "Best Classical Instrumental Solo." He was previously nominated in 2006 and 2010 but did not win then.

"Winning the Grammy was one of the greatest gifts in my life. It allowed me to be more flexible and open-minded toward change and growth."

The viola is known to receive less attention compared to the violin and cello. Therefore, Yongjae O'Neill was very happy to give hope to other violists through the Grammy. "Violists choose the viola because they know the joy of being part of something bigger. They are people who help others shine and are happy even if they themselves do not receive the spotlight."

Yongjae O'Neill said, "My MBTI is INFJ, the Advocate type," adding, "It seems to be a good personality type for a violist."

Richard Yongjae O'Neill [Photo by Sejong Soloists]

Since 2020, Yongjae O'Neill has been a member of the Tak?cs Quartet, a world-renowned string quartet celebrating its 50th season this year. Before that, he led the classical ensemble DITTO for 12 years until 2019.

"Activities like DITTO aimed to make chamber music more approachable to many people. Now, being part of a string quartet allows me to continue promoting chamber music, so joining the Tak?cs Quartet is an honor and meaningful."

Yongjae O'Neill said he hopes to someday perform Berlioz's "Harold in Italy" to honor his teacher Donald McInnes. "My teacher McInnes debuted performing Berlioz's 'Harold in Italy' with the French National Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein. I want to perform that piece someday to pay tribute to his great teachings."

When asked about recent performances he admires, Yongjae O'Neill said he is a fan of Yunchan Lim and Bruce Liu. He also added, "Recently, I have been active at festivals held at the Colorado Aspen, Illinois Ravinia, and Santa Barbara's West Music Academy. The young artists I met there are truly outstanding."