Randall goosby

VIOLIN

An exquisite tone and sheer virtuosity.
— New York Times
With his secure technique, natural phrasing, gorgeous tone and smart programming, Randall Goosby has everything it takes.
— NPR
In a perfect balance of intelligent artistry and showmanship, he brought down the house.
— New York Times

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Biography

“For me, personally, music has been a way to inspire others” – Randall Goosby’s own words sum up perfectly his commitment to being an artist who makes a difference. Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light.

Highlights of Randall Goosby’s 2023/24 season include debut performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelsons, National Symphony/Thomas Wilkins, Pittsburgh Symphony/Manfred Honeck, Seattle Symphony and St Louis Symphony both under Christian Reif, with European debuts including a European tour with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Danish National Radio Symphony/Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Oslo Philharmonic/Ryan Bancroft and Lahti Symphony/Dalia Stasevska.

During 2023/24 Goosby will be Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre which will include a return to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 under the direction of Gemma New and feature both recital and chamber concerts. Other upcoming recital appearances include Chamber Music Cincinnati, Emory University in Georgia, Elbphilharmonie Recital Hall in Hamburg, Perth Concert Hall in Scotland and La Società dei Concerti in Milan.

Summer 2023 includes Goosby’s debut at the Mostly Mozart Festival under Louis Langrée performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as well as at Marlboro Music. Previous engagements have included the Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nezet-Seguin, San Francisco Symphony/Esa-Pekka Salonen, returns to the Philharmonia Orchestra/Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Los Angeles Philharmonic/Dalia Stasevska, Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Tabita Berglund, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Karina Canellakis. Goosby made his debuts in South Korea in recital and in Japan with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa/Kahchun Wong performing Bruch Violin Concerto in G minor. In summer 2022, he returned to the Hollywood Bowl with his mentor, Itzhak Perlman and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In spring 2023, Goosby’s debut concerto album was released for Decca Classics together with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the violin concertos by Max Bruch and Florence Price. Gramophone Magazine observed: “There’s an honesty and modesty…This playing isn’t dressed to impress but to express.”

Goosby’s first album for Decca, entitled ‘Roots’, is a celebration of African-American music which explores its evolution from the spiritual through to present-day compositions. Collaborating with pianist Zhu Wang, Goosby curated an album paying homage to the pioneering artists that paved the way for him and other artists of colour. It features three world-premiere recordings of music written by African-American composer Florence Price, and includes works by composers William Grant Still and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson plus a newly commissioned piece by acclaimed double bassist Xavier Foley, a fellow Sphinx and Young Concert Artists alumnus.

Goosby is deeply passionate about inspiring and serving others through education, social engagement and outreach activities. He has enjoyed working with non-profit organizations such as the Opportunity Music Project and Concerts in Motion in New York City, as well as participating in community engagement programs for schools, hospitals and assisted living facilities across the United States. In 22/23 Goosby hosted a residency with the Iris Collective in Memphis with pianist, Zhu Wang. Together they explore how the students family history can relate to music and building community collaboration through narrative and performances. 

Randall Goosby was First Prize Winner in the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In 2019, he was named the inaugural Robey Artist by Young Classical Artists Trust in partnership with Music Masters in London; and in 2020 he became an Ambassador for Music Masters, a role that sees him mentoring and inspiring students in schools around the United Kingdom. In 2010 he won first prize of the Sphinx Concerto Competition, he is a recipient of Sphinx’s Isaac Stern Award and of a career advancement grant from the Bagby Foundation and of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant. An active chamber musician, he has spent his summers studying at the Perlman Music Program, Verbier Festival Academy and Mozarteum Summer Academy among others.

Goosby made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at age nine and with the New York Philharmonic on a Young People’s Concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall at age 13. A former student of Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho, he received his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Artist Diploma degrees from the Juilliard School. He is an alumni of the Perlman Music Program and studied previously with Philippe Quint. He plays the Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona, “ex-Strauss,” 1708 on generous loan from Samsung Foundation of Culture.

News
Media
Reviews

“A violinist whose star is very much in the ascendant”

The Strad

“There’s an honesty and modesty – about his playing that stands him apart. It’s so refreshing to note an absence of excess in either sound or feeling. This playing isn’t dressed to impress but to express.”

Gramophone

“Goosby’s breathtaking delivery – perfection meets panache – giving Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto a fresh, exhilarating lick of paint.”

“His slow movement was the perfect synthesis of simplicity and nuance, the rustic zest of the finale heightened by hi-octane physicality and the teasing playfulness he infectiously injected.”

The Scotsman

“Remember this name: Randall Goosby. The 20-something American violinist wowed with an electrifying performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Saturday.”

“He communicated with warmth and beauty of tone from the first notes of Tchaikovsky’s concerto. The violinist’s lyrical themes were deeply expressive, and he dispatched its fireworks without breaking a sweat. The first movement’s cadenza had muscular intensity, and he reached for the high harmonics with pinpoint precision.”

Cincinnati Business Courier

“He exerted a masterly level of control and lavished an exquisite tone... His performance won him a deserved standing ovation for its sheer virtuosity.”

The New York Times

“With his secure technique, natural phrasing, gorgeous tone and smart programming, Randall Goosby has everything it takes.”

NPR

“Goosby is not only technically impressive, but he also has those rare qualities of a first-class soloist: charisma for days, and the strong point of view of an artist with a distinct voice.”

Philadelphia Inquirer

“With his lush, warm tone and exceptional technique, Goosby is easily winning over music lovers.”

NPR

“Goosby plays like an angel with nothing to prove. A cool, calm, collected angel. The slow movement was infused with an imperturbable serenity, perhaps the single most elusive state to achieve in the Hollywood Bowl. He is poised for the big time.”

Los Angeles Times

“What makes ‘Roots’ most impressive is how its mix of mastery and mystery leaves one with that rarest of pleasures — something sometimes reserved for the opening notes of well-worn concertos: a first impression worth repeating.”

The Washington Post

“The works, by virtue of being adapted from songs, bring out the alluring lyricism of Goosby’s playing, which has a tinge of golden-age tenderness and expressive portamento.”

The New York Times