Randall Goosby ‘steals the show’ in his performance with the New Jersey Symphony
Randall Goosby made his return to New Jersey stages as he performed Barber’s Violin Concerto alongside Music Director Xian Zhang and the New Jersey Symphony in a performance that also included Sibelius’ Finlandia and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, “Ukranian” in New Brunswick, Princeton, Newark and Morristown. James C. Taylor of NJ Advance Media reviewed the Saturday evening performance at NJPAC.
Randall Goosby made quite an impression when he performed Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto with Zhang and the NJS back in 2023. He was even more impressive here with Barber’s music. In the wrong hands, Barber’s tonal music can sound fussy, but with the Stradivarius in Goosby’s hands, the violin concerto sounded special: a uniquely American take on what the instrument can do.
James C. Taylor of NJ Advance Media
» Read the full review from NJ Advance Media
Nancy Plum of Town Topics would review the performance in Princeton.
Goosby’s sound, along with the other strings, was fresh and open, complemented by a pair of horns and pizzicato celli. Goosby showed himself to be a reflective player and seemed to absorb the music from the accompanying instruments when not playing. He nevertheless had no trouble maintaining full control over quick passages when the Concerto became intense very quickly.
Nancy Plum of Town Topics