Randall Goosby Inspires Students in Exclusive AMP Masterclass & Emory University Recital
On Thursday, March 4th, the Atlanta Music Project welcomed American concert violinist Randall Goosby for an inspiring violin masterclass with AMP Academy students Paris Adams, Autumn Inman, and Ethan Waithe.
Fresh from a U.S. recital tour and preparing for an upcoming European concert tour, Goosby graciously shared his time and expertise with our students by refining their violin technique and musicianship.
Following the masterclass, attendees engaged in a fireside chat moderated by Amber Smith, Associate Director of the AMP Academy. Goosby shared his journey as a young classical musician, and insights into his successes and struggles along the way.
The 26-year old violinist made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at age nine. By age 13, he performed with the New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall and was the youngest to win the Sphinx Concerto Competition. 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 was also featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk.
Goosby has performed with orchestras across the United States including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, and New World Symphony. His recital appearances have included the Kennedy Center in New York, Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, and Wigmore Hall in London.
Randall Goosby with AMP Academy violinist Ethan Waithe at the masterclass. Photo by Qu West Photography
Goosby, who is of Korean and African-American descent, is vocal about his personal mission to foster a more inclusive and accessible culture within classical music. He is dedicated to spotlighting under-represented composers, furthering his commitment to diversity and equity in the classical music world.
“I don’t want my legacy to be on the stage,” Randall mused at the fireside chat. “I want to have brought people, communities, families, and generations who look like us into an art form that, historically, we’ve had no business in.”
Randall Goosby and Amber Smith in conversation at the fireside chat. Photo by Qu West Photography
The following Friday evening, AMP Preparatory String Orchestra students eagerly flooded Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts to witness Goosby’s performance with pianist Zhu Wang. “It was amazing, because I actually got to see him in real life. And that I could only dream of” said Malaika, who plays viola in the Prep String Orchestra. “I’m average at viola, but seeing him made me want to try my absolute best”.
AMP was able to connect with Randall Goosby through Kathryn Colegrove, Associate Director for Programming and Outreach at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory University. “I’d heard about the impactful work AMP was doing, and [was able to connect] with Dantes Rameau and Aisha Moody last March. As chance would have it, Dantes had already been looking into opportunities for AMP with Randall Goosby”, says Kathryn. “As we were set to present Mr. Goosby in a recital concert, it seemed to be the perfect fit to expand the Schwartz Center’s community engagement activities outside of our doors and work directly with AMP for a student master class and Q & A”.
Randall Goosby with AMP students after his Emory recital.
Some students who attended Goosby’s Emory performance were starstruck, nearly at a loss for words when sharing about their experience with Randall. Others felt nervous, and “jittery”. But the universal experience among them was the profound sense of inspiration they felt after being in Randall’s presence and witnessing his exceptional gift.
“Seeing Randall Goosby showed me that even though I struggle in violin, if I practice hard enough, I can be better at it,” AMP Prep String Orchestra student Kaitlyn Taylor said confidently when asked about the impact of seeing Goosby. Feruzi Tiya’s sentiment was similar, as he shared, “He inspires me to be a great musician”. Feruzi’s brother, Manzo, says that even as a cello student, “[Randall] inspired me to go faster with my bow strokes,” aspiring to work his way up “practicing everyday for 5 hours when I’m older.”
On behalf of the AMP staff and faculty, we extend our deepest gratitude to Randall Goosby and his management team for graciously providing this invaluable opportunity to connect with Randall during the masterclass and fireside chat, enjoy his performance, and benefit from his expertise.
Additionally, we extend a heartfelt thank you to the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory University for facilitating our connection with Randall Goosby for this special event.