“Music is one of the most powerful expressive tools imaginable,” says Randall Goosby. As an artist, he wants to make a difference – and that not only in the concert hall. It quickly becomes apparent that he really means it: he wants to communicate something, break down barriers and provide access. He wants to reach people – everyone. In this Elbphilharmonie Innerview, he also talks about his own path to music and explains how important it is for him to find the right balance in life.

Purely by chance

“My parents didn’t grow up around classical music, but they wanted their kids to have the opportunity to learn an instrument,” explains Randall Goosby, who modestly says, that his path to music began “purely by chance” . When he chose the violin as a child, he would never have imagined that he would become a professional musician one day. And indeed, his career path sounds like a fairy-tale: raised in Philadelphia and Jacksonville (Florida), he already won a number of prizes during his school days, and made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 13. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, and can now be seen performing on the world’s biggest stages. In short: he knows what he’s talking about when he says that access to music education can change lives.

And it’s something he wants to pass on. Without fuss, he sets up impactful projects in the field of education and outreach, and collaborates with voluntary organisations such as the Opportunity Music Project in New York and countless other charities across the United States. “I hope to share the joy that music has brought to my life with as many young people as possible” says the violinist.

Work hard, play hard

If you had asked a younger Randall Goosby what he dreamed of being, he would probably have said a pro basketball player in a successful team. And even though music won in the end, sport continues to play an important part in his life to this day.

“Work hard, play hard,” he says with a grin. “I didn’t always have much of a choice but to grind it out for hours in the practice room, nevertheless, I made sure to take breaks, whether it be sports, video games or just hanging out with friends.” He is delighted when he finds the basketball court near the Elbphilharmonie. “Every concert hall should have one,” he says and promptly sinks a few baskets.

A deeper understanding for one another

“In a world where division has become all too common, every concert is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come together and learn something new. And for me, the Elbphilharmonie is a breathtaking representation of this kind of cultural exchange,” says Goosby, for whom the unique potential of music lies in an understanding of different cultures: “I believe that if we listen closely enough, we can achieve a greater sense of empathy for each other by sharing the music of different cultures.”

The American rising star thereby sees himself as an ambassador and uses his rapidly growing fame as a platform for presenting long-neglected Afro-American composers. His debut album “Roots” predominantly features works by black composers – a homage to those “who had to get by in the music industry at a time when racism, prejudice and exclusion were still the order of the day,” he explains. At his acclaimed debut in the Recital Hall in October 2023, Goosby and his piano partner Zhu Wang presented highlights from the album, including two fantasias he rediscovered by the American composer Florence B. Price.