The Korean-born, US-trained pianist known simply as Ji is very much a classical musician for the 21st century. Having won the New York Philharmonic’s Young Artists Competition at the age of just 10, he went on to study at the prestigious Juilliard School. Described by the Chicago Tribune as “a gifted, sensitive young pianist who is clearly going places,” he has chosen Bach’s sublime Goldberg Variations for his debut on Warner Classics. “Classical music is never going away,” he says, “We live in very modern world, and it’s our job to live in the moment, but it’s also our job to respect and preserve tradition.”
For his first Warner Classics release Ji has perhaps made a surprising choice: not a spectacular programme of Romantic showpieces, but a discreetly sublime and often reflective work composed in the first half of the 18th century: Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Writing of his fascination with Bach and his music, Ji has said: “Why do I feel this inexplicable emotional connection to someone I have never met? … Music, it’s a magical thing that allows everyone to connect with the authentic emotions that another soul chooses to express.”
For his first Warner Classics release Ji has perhaps made a surprising choice: not a spectacular programme of Romantic showpieces, but a discreetly sublime and often reflective work composed in the first half of the 18th century: Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Writing of his fascination with Bach and his music, Ji has said: “Why do I feel this inexplicable emotional connection to someone I have never met? … Music, it’s a magical thing that allows everyone to connect with the authentic emotions that another soul chooses to express.”
