Myung-whun Chung

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For professional StarCraft player of the same name, see Jung Myung-hoon.

In this Korean name, the family name is Chung.
Myung-whun Chung
Born (1953-01-22) 22 January 1953 (age 68)
Seoul
NationalitySouth Korean
OccupationPianist, conductor
RelativesSisters Kyung-wha Chung and Myung-wha Chung
AwardsROK Order of Cultural Merit Geum-gwan (1st Class) ribbon.PNG Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit (1996)
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationJeong Myeonghun
McCune–ReischauerChŏng Myŏnghun
IPAtɕʌŋ.mjʌŋhun

Myung-whun Chung (born 22 January 1953, Seoul) is a South Korean conductor and pianist.

Career[]

Performer

Chung studied piano with Maria Curcio[1] and won joint second-prize in the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition. He performed in the Chung Trio with his sisters, violinist Kyung-wha Chung and cellist Myung-wha Chung.[2]


Conducting and musical direction

Chung studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School, and has conducted many of the prominent orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Inbal Orchestra.

Chung was chief conductor of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken from 1984 to 1990, and principal guest conductor of the Teatro Comunale Florence from 1987 to 1992.[3] Chung was the Paris Opera's music director from 1989 to 1994, during which time he opened the inaugural season at the new Opéra Bastille. He took the same role at the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997 and at the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France in 2000. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra made Chung a Special Artistic Advisor in 2001, its Honorary Conductor Laureate from 2010, and its Honorary Music Director from 2016. Chung became the first principal guest conductor in the history of the Staatskapelle Dresden in 2012. He was the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's principal conductor between 2005[4][5] and 2015.[6] During this period the Seoul Philharmonic became the first Asian orchestra to sign a major-label record deal[7] and gave its first performance at The Proms.[8]

Chung premiered Messiaen's final work: the Concert à quatre, which the composer had dedicated to Chung and the Orchestre de la Bastille. Chung visited North Korea in 2011 and agreed to form an orchestra of musicians from North and South Korea.[9]


Recordings

His recording since 1990 include:

Honours[]

Chung served as Ambassador for the Drug Control Program at the United Nations and was Korea's first Honorary Cultural Ambassador.

References[]

  1. ^ Niel Immelman (13 April 2009). "Maria Curcio". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. ^ Event Guide (12 August 2004). "Chung Trio Re-unites as 'Trio of Filial Devotion'". The Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  3. ^ Ben Mattison (22 January 2005). "Report: Myung-whun Chung Is Top Candidate to Lead Seoul Philharmonic". Playbill Arts. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  4. ^ Andrew Clements (4 March 2006). "Concert Review: LSO/Chung". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  5. ^ Ben Mattison (2 February 2005). "Myung-whun Chung Named Music Director of Seoul Philharmonic". Playbill Arts. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  6. ^ "Maestro Chung Myung-whun announces departure from SPO". The Korea Herald. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. ^ Martin Cullingford (13 April 2011). "Seoul Philharmonic signs to DG". Gramophone. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  8. ^ Erica Jeal (28 August 2014). "Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra/Chung/Wu review – playful and stylish sheng odyssey". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  9. ^ Tania Branigan (16 September 2011). "North and South Korea set to make sweet music together". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  10. ^ "Myung-whun Chung decorated". The official website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic.
  11. ^ "OSR - Myung-Whun Chung". www.osr.ch. Retrieved 4 August 2021.

External links[]

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Hans Zender 		Music Director, RSO Saarbrücken
1984–1990 		Succeeded by
Marcello Viotti
Preceded by
Daniel Barenboim 		Music Director, Opéra Bastille
1989–1994 		Succeeded by
James Conlon
Preceded by
Othmar Maga 		Chief Conductor, KBS Symphony Orchestra
1998 		Succeeded by
Dmitri Kitayenko
Preceded by
Marek Janowski 		Music Director, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France
2000–2015 		Succeeded by
Mikko Franck
Preceded by
Seung Gwak 		Music Director, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
2005–2015 		Succeeded by
Osmo Vänskä
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