Ryu Goto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryu Brian Goto (五嶋 龍;Gotô Ryu) is a Japanese-American violinist. His elder sister, Midori Goto, is also a violinist.
[edit] Biography
Born in New York City in 1988, Ryu began playing the violin at age three, and made his concert debut four years later with the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
Since then his concerto engagements have included appearances with the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra with Myung-Whun Chung; Dallas Symphony with Mikko Franck; Bamberger Symphoniker opening their 2002-03 season under Jonathan Nott and also as soloist on their very well-received 2004 tour of Japan; and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
This is not the first time he will have taken the stage with Vladimir Ashkenazy, having recently toured Japan with the Philharmonia under Ashkenazy's direction and performed under his baton with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra.
The numerous awards bestowed on Ryu include the Special Grand Prize at the North Carolina Youth Orchestra Competition, First Prize at the Greenwich Youth Orchestra Competition in Stamford, Connecticut, Special Prize from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation at Alice Tully Hall in New York City and the first recipient of the Sergio Franchi Award as an instrumentalist.
Since 1996, Fuji TV has broadcast each summer a documentary entitled "Ryu Goto's Odyssey". Along with his appearances in TV commercials and advertisements, he has been the image boy of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). His childhood friends hung the nickname "JR" on him because he had been a train enthusiast.
Ryu plays the 1715 Stradivari violin known as both the 'Ex-Pierre Rode' and the 'Duke of Cambridge', an instrument which is on loan to him from the NPO "Yellow Angel". He has played numerous chamber music recitals with world-class musicians including Mischa Maisky and Chung Trio. Ryu is increasingly interested in performing with other young musicians, and plans are now underway for regular appearances with his own piano trio.
In June 2005, Ryu recorded his first CD for Deutsche Grammophon, which included the Philharmonia Orchestra. This CD was the best selling classical album in Japan for 2005.
Alongside his concert engagements, Ryu combines a rigorous schedule of academic studies, which will take him to Harvard University in September 2006, with community work and hobbies such as playing the guitar and karate in which he has black belt 2nd Dan. He is an alumnus of Trinity School (New York City).
