‘Classical Rock Star’ has successful solo career, performs cello concert on campus

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By Megan Hurt

Joshua Roman is like a typical college-age student in many ways. He likes to spend time with his friends and girlfriend and go to bars where he jams on a guitar. There is one quality that makes Roman stand out over the average college student: He is an accomplished cello soloist.
Roman will be showing off his cellist skills this Friday in the Singletary Center for the Arts as part of the Lexington Philharmonic MasterClassic concert.
Roman, whose mother plays the violin and father plays the cello, picked up the musical instrument at the age of 3, when his father convinced him a cello would be more fun than a violin.
“They couldn’t agree about what I should play, so my dad snuck me off into another room and told me with the cello you get to sit down while you play and the violin is scratchy and screechy and gives you’re a big headache,” Roman said. “I just did what my dad said to do.”
In those early days, Roman said he practiced 30 minutes a day, but now practices five hours a day.
“That’s a middle set,” he said. “There were times where I would practice all day … It’s hard to keep track but I think one day I practiced 14 hours. But I think that was kind of crazy and unnecessary.”
Roman became the youngest principle player at the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in history in 2006 at the age of 22. He stayed with the symphony until 2008, when he embarked on his solo career, becoming what many have dubbed the “Classical Rock Star.”
Since moving to New York City and embarking on a solo career, Roman said he enjoys being able to explore and play the music on a level he hadn’t been able to before.
“I finally feel like I’m working on everything I need to be working on for my career … I feel very much like me now, doing what I want to do, and I can share more because of it. I can perform for people and give them something personal,” he said.
Roman also organized a special trip to Africa with his siblings to help spread the love of music to a place that had never heard classical music before.
“We wanted to share a connection that music can bring that makes them feel human,” he said. “It’s a cultural exchange. People in these camps were coming up and were like, ‘Wow, we never heard the cello or the violin,’ but they were singing back the melodies. They understood the music, which was amazing.”
Roman said he learned a lot about himself and music from his experience playing for the underprivileged in Africa.
“It was very hard to walk away from these people wishing that we could give food or clothing or things like that,” he said. “It made an impression on all four of us to find ways to make a meaningful impact, to make a connection that music can have.”
Roman doesn’t just stick with the cello in his quest to perform music for people. He plays other string instruments as well, including electric guitar, bass and banjo. He has also sung and performed guitar in several rock bands.
“It’s rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “I love rock and I love rap. It feels pretty American, feels natural to perform (rock) as well.”
Because Roman can sometimes be found playing rock in bar-type venues, as well as classical in a tuxedo on a stage, he embraces his title of the “Classical Rock Star.”
“I think it was originally thrown out there because I was doing things in Seattle that people were excited about … People started to get the idea and it’s fun to be able to connect with all different people,” he said. “The raw energy was the focus, but in the end, it’s all really about the connection the music can make.”
And in the end, whether he’s a rock star, a successful cellist or a guy who just likes to jam to some music, Roman thinks the connection with people is the focus of his work.
“One of the things that always gets me is when someone comes up to me after a performance and gets it,” Roman said. “They really appreciate what is going on and feel that connection. The special moments are when I feel the connection with the audience and know they feel it too.”
Joshua Roman will be performing classical music pieces Friday at 8 p.m. in the Singertary Center for the Arts. Tickets range from $30 to $52 and can be purchased at The Lexington Philharmonic Web site.