Ryu Goto, with a burning heart and a super cool mind

Violinist Ryu Goto

As the 45^th Anniversary concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Manila Cathedral draws near, a few select members of the press were able to take a sneak peek at their rehearsals with guest violinist/conductor Ryu Goto at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

With the orchestra’s string section, we got to see Ryu in action as he took on double duties as violin soloist and conductor in Antonio Vivaldi’s Le quattro stagioni/The Four Seasons. Having a violin on hand was very convenient as he was able to convey clearly how he wanted some certain passages to sound.

Ryu Goto and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

As much as I wanted to see the rehearsal of him conducting Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, B. 163, I guess that I just had to wait for the actual concert itself for me to see it.

After the rehearsals, there was a brief interview with him wherein I was able to get to know him better. Below are what he said that struck me the most.

“I’m not defined by music, but it’s a huge part of who I am.”

Those who have followed Ryu’s career know that he is juggling three careers: violinist, karate athlete, and entrepreneur/venture capitalist. He tends to focus on what he is doing at the time. Right now, because of the upcoming concert, he is focused on the music. He hasn’t encountered a time when he had to be focused on all three at the same time. Although it has happened sometimes when he had to focus on two simultaneously.

“Create maximum output in the limited amount of time.”

It was surprising for others (but not for me) when Ryu revealed that he doesn’t like to practice. He even says that no one loves to practice. And because he doesn’t like to practice, he makes sure that he practices efficiently. He mentioned that there are a lot of resources are online like books and videos that can help a musician learn quicker than before. Although one has to read the reviews to know which online resources are helpful or not.

“It takes a different mindset to have a career in music.”

Most were taken aback when Ryu said don’t look for a career in music. And he had to stress that there’s a big BUT there. If one wants to become a millionaire and have job security, then one has to change his/her mindset. One has to love music, bring out his/her personality and put him/herself out there (exposing even the flaws). It is about experiences and who one is as a person more than the money and the fame. He also admitted that he didn't set out to be a professional violinist. It just somewhat happened.

“The heart has to burn but the mind has to be super cool.”

Things turned into a bit of a motivational speaking engagement for Ryu. He said that those pursuing a career in music must have the fire within while maintaining level head. He agrees that one needs to be practical too but being practical doesn’t mean being impersonal and emotionless.

“The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is the most genuine and professional people that I’ve known.”

Ryu had very nice words about the PPO. He said that he has encountered community orchestras with such passion but with amateur skill level. On the other hand, he has encountered top class orchestras at the top of their game but their attitude about music leaves something to be desired. But that’s not the case with the PPO as they are very good while having a great love for what they do, he says. I guess that’s why he is collaborating once again with the PPO for the third time in just a little over two years.

Catch Ryu Goto and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra this November 15 2018, 8:00 PM at the Manila Cathedral, in Intramuros Manila. Grab tickets now as they are going fast.

Violinist Ryu Goto returns for PPO’s 45th anniversary concert

Japanese-American violinist Ryu Goto returns to the country for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 45^th Anniversary concert happening on November 15, 2018, 8:00 PM at the historic Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila.

Ryu Goto will take on double duties at the concert as the violin soloist in Antonio Vivaldi’s mega popular Le quattro stagioni/The Four Seasons and also as conductor in that piece and in Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, B. 163.

He last set foot in the country when he performed Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 back in September 2016 at the opening concert of Yoshikazu Fukumura’s inaugural season as the PPO’s music director/principal conductor. Ryu recently reunited with the PPO and Fukumura last October during the orchestra’s tour in Japan for the Asia Orchestra Week 2018.

As I count the days until the concert, I’ll relive Ryu Goto’s debut performance here by putting his Légende CD for a spin. Recorded live in Wiesbaden in 2015, this recording features Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 and Henryk Wieniawski’s Légende, Op. 17 with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony under the baton of Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

An idyllic music lineup evoking rustic, rural landscapes performed by Ryu Goto and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra inside one of the most historic places in the country should be more than enough to check out this historic concert.

This Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 45^th Anniversary Concert at Manila Cathedral is presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with the Intramuros Administration, Manila Cathedral, and the Bureau of the Treasury.

Violinist Ryu Goto, conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura fire up Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 34th season opener

A season opening concert heralding the start of Yoshikazu Fukumura’s stint as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director and principal conductor would’ve been enough of an audience draw. Yet the inclusion of violinist Ryu Goto as the evening’s guest soloist not only heightened the excitement, it also ensured that this concert would be a lock among the best in year ending lists.

Having watched Fukumura’s four previous guest conducting stints with the PPO, I am already familiar not only with his animated and entertaining conducting style but also by how he is able to bring out a unified and balanced sound from the orchestra. And at the opening night, the orchestra’s sound was raised a notch further with the addition of the new wooden floor panels that covered the drab, black weathered main theater floor. As the orchestra performed the opening piece, Hector Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9, the lower strings was heard more distinctly, the changes in tempo came off as more precise, and the texture and colors, more vivid. I’ve had my regular seat for the past four seasons and the marked improvement with how the sound was projected from the stage to my seat made by these wooden floor panels was very discernible.

These panels also made for striking visuals. The fully lit stage looked brighter and the warm colored wood contrasted nicely with the black garments of the orchestra members. With this, I think that the next concerts could do away with the flowers lining up the front the stage.

On to Ryu Goto and his highly anticipated performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s immensely popular Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. During the first two movements, Ryu stood out as the orchestra played in a noticeably scaled down manner as if it was just a chamber orchestra. These movements also went on a tad slower pace than what I am usually accustomed to. Apart from some momentary distractions when I expected the orchestra to be less subdued and a bit faster, I was completely mesmerized by Ryu and his superb articulation which never wavered even up until the end of the brisk third movement. The enthusiastic audience response prompted two encores from him. First was a free flowing, unaccompanied Meditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet which was followed by an excerpt of the first movement Obsession from Eugene Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 27 "Jacques Thibaud".

The real test of the evening for me on how Fukumura would lead the orchestra was the performance of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. Right off the bat, my attention was caught by how crisp the lower pitched instruments sounded particularly the contrabassoon. Never in my concert viewing experience have I heard this instrument sounding more pronounced hearing each note played clearly and it is very likely due to the new wooden floors. But these floors have possibly made the spotty moments of the horns more obvious. While the Tchaikovsky’s earlier movements went a tad too slow for me, the last movement of the Brahms went too fast. The excitement of the choral theme of the fourth movement probably got Fukumura all excited as he sped throughout the remainder of the piece. I was unable to savor fully the texture of the fugue during the second pass of the choral theme. The clarity of the strings especially the cellos and basses that was brought about by the wooden floors could’ve made for such a divine moment but it all went by like a blur. This fiery pace carried on and there was almost no time to breathe once the final brass choral theme blared triumphantly. Despite the sped up tempo, the excitement was palpable and the audience started to applaud even before the last note ended. There was more Brahms as the audience was treated to the crowd pleasing Hungarian Dance No. 5 for the orchestra’s encore.

Overall, the PPO's 2016-2017 season opening night concert was an exhilarating affair with Ryu Goto’s Tchaikovsky bringing in the crowds and Yoshikazu Fukumura making sure that they stayed until the very end of the Brahms.