Joshua Roman is quickly breaking down the stereotypes associated with an elite cellist.
Excelling in the instrument since childhood, he became the principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at age 22.
Leaving that position after a few years, Roman garnered rave reviews in the media while dazzling audiences and online viewers with concertos and his ability to play the classical instrument with both technical mastery and captivating emotion. .
A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Roman is also known for his genre repertoire and wide-ranging collaborations, including a live performance of the complete Six Suites for Solo Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach and an improvisational performance with Bill, Tony Award winner. T. Jones and Grammy-nominated singer Somi.
But in a recent phone interview, Roman expressed an even wider musical palette, unapologetically admitting to being a diehard fan of mainstream music.
Beyoncé’s latest album “Renaissance” is an absolute favorite. He collaborated with DJ Spooky on a rendition of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place”. And the 38-year-old Chelsea resident was visibly excited as he spoke of his love for Nirvana’s 1993 performance, ‘MTV Unplugged in New York,’ which featured performances by cellist Lori Goldston.
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Roman will bring those musical sensibilities and talents to Sunday’s performance with the Canton Symphony Orchestra in an opening concert marking the organization’s 85th anniversary. Roman will perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto at the 7 p.m. show, which also includes Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony and music by Cleveland composer Margaret Brouwer.
The concert will take place at Umstattd Hall, 2331 17th St. NW in Guangzhou.
This will be Roman’s second performance with the Canton Symphony Orchestra.
“Joshua is such a wonderful musician, and Elgar’s Cello Concerto is a very iconic piece of music,” said Rachel Hagemeier, symphony orchestra education and community engagement manager. “And I think people would recognize parts of it without knowing it (it was Elgar’s Concerto). It will be familiar to listeners.
“Joshua is a very dynamic person,” added Hagemeier, who will be promoted to CEO at the end of November while taking over from outgoing CEO Michelle Charles. “He’s going to play it wonderfully, but you’re going to be able to see the emotion he has.”
The cello has a ‘gloomy, catch your soul’ sound
Roman explained what makes Eglar’s Cello Concerto such a prized piece of music.
“It’s kind of emblematic of the soul of the cello,” he said. “It’s epic; it’s one of the deepest expressions of humanity you can get from a musical instrument, and there are some incredibly light and dynamic moments – it’s very moving. it’s one of my absolute favorites.”
The “gloomy sound, catch your soul” of the cello is embodied in Elgar’s Concerto.
The cello “is the most versatile instrument there is,” Roman said. “The range goes from very low to very high, so you can get a full soprano, alto, bass with four cellos or a single layered cello, but then you have all these different ways to play it.”
“So the ability of the cello to offer sonic exploration, it’s stunning, and I’m still surprised by the things that I sometimes find… (and) it’s a really easy instrument to collaborate with because you can also s fits almost anything, because it’s a chameleon.”
Here’s the rest of the interview in a Q&A format edited for brevity and clarity.
Why did you decide to play the cello instead of a more common instrument like guitar, drums or piano?
It’s an interesting path to choose, I suppose. My dad played the cello, so it was either the cello or the violin, and I was 3, and I went with the cello.
…. I don’t know why I loved him so much. It was just natural; it was good, and there was never a time in my memory where it wasn’t going to be a thing, and yes, a lot of other people asked me why (I chose the cello).
I played the guitar quite a bit… (and) I play other instruments, and I love learning languages. I was really into physics and wanted to be a fighter pilot if I broke my arm and couldn’t play the cello… Every time I got away from it, either literally or in my head, either emotionally or whatever or spiritually, when I came back it was clearer than ever (I want to play the cello). You only get one life; you can’t do everything. That’s what I do.
You’re probably too young to remember the use of a cellist in Nirvana’s 1993 “MTV Unplugged” concert.
It’s one of my favorite Nirvana performances of all time. I remember that. I don’t think I saw it live. I saw it later, but still as a teenager, like at the end of the 90s, and it marked me enormously. There are other random examples. I’m pretty sure there’s a cello in the “Good Vibrations” (Beach Boys song)…
It’s more and more, especially in the 90s, it’s become a thing. I think it’s just because now people understand what the cello is capable of.
(Roman cited renowned cellists like Yo-Yo Ma, who helped popularize and introduce the instrument to more musicians and listeners, and the late Russian Mstislav Rostropovich, who is considered one of of the greatest cellists of the 20th century.)
They are larger than life; they’re bigger than music, and as the cello has entered the popular imagination, it’s been used in so many cool ways.
Have you gained a new appreciation for live shows following the pandemic?
With just one phone call, I had 60% of my income and all the concerts for the year were kind of taken off the schedule. It was crazy.
I went through several phases with that, going through a frenetic need to get online every day as much as possible playing for people, and I went through a period of intense creativity and composition in response to the pandemic and I kept a music journal, and then I had health issues because of COVID and I took a break, so it wasn’t until I took that break and came back to it, that I had this feeling of “Wow, I really need the cello”.
For me, it’s something that I guess I had taken for granted. I love the cello. I know I love the cello, but to be away from it for so long and then pick it up again…to hear something and then feel it reflected in the sound with the vibrations in the air, that was powerful for me.
I feel more convinced than ever (of) the value of live music in the room. … For me, it’s a very powerful experience that I hope people are more aware of after this long period of isolation, and not being surrounded by things and people like we were before. I hope we never take this for granted again.
Do you listen to pop or mainstream music that might surprise people?
I grew up listening to classical music. But my experience has been, (what’s important is) anywhere you can meet people and connect with them in a way that creates real connection, so forget about the trappings of where you are find … whether it’s very fancy or a bar or wherever you are. Great music speaks for itself and it connects.
I love the Beatles. I love doing Beatles arrangements, and I’m a big fan of a lot of music being written right now beyond classical music, both in my day and way before my day.
I love Beyoncé’s new album; it’s one of my favorite albums this summer… (and) I listen to (Puerto Rican rapper and singer) Bad Bunny.
The music is great. I don’t want to limit myself, but I’m also happy to draw on the tradition (of classical music).
Contact Ed at 330-580-8315 and [email protected]
On Twitter @ebalintREP
If you are going to
What: Canton Symphony Orchestra Opening Night Concert MasterWorks with renowned cellist Joshua Roman
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Umstattd Hall, 2331 17th St. NW in Guangzhou
Tickets: Starting at $10 and can be purchased online at https://www.cantonsymphony.org/. The symphony box office can be contacted at 330-452-2094.