Chung Extends Contract With Seoul Philharmonic
Orchestra Presents Full, Diverse Program for 2009
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) is launching a new season with conductor Chung Myung-whun continuing onboard.
After being appointed as the leading Korean ensemble's music director in 2005, the maestro served as its artistic director from 2006 to 2008. He will continue his tenure for three more seasons until the end of 2011, the SPO announced Friday.
Chung, who turns 56 on the 22nd, shot to stardom in 1974 as the nation's first winner of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. He began his conducting career in 1978 as assistant conductor of the Carlo Maria Giulini-led Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has since been leading the world's premiere ensembles.
The conductor is credited with the SPO's positive growth, with 2007 profits making a 16-fold jump from the year before. Last year, the orchestra celebrated its 60th anniversary and enjoyed a busy season with themed serial concerts and an ambitious new Mahler repertoire.
SPO Opens New Season
The 2009 season presents a total of 20 concerts grouped under four categories ranging from classical and romantic to contemporary and modern works. Fans can welcome back the popular Masterpiece Series over eight concerts. Maestro Chung will conduct timeless pieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Stravinsky as well as Verdi (opera concertante).
The first two of the Masterpiece Series will take place this month. On Jan. 16 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the SPO will perform Rimsky-Korsakov's ``Scheherazade'' and German pianist Lars Vogt will join the group for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21. On Jan. 22 at Seoul Arts Center, Chung will lead the orchestra for Bruckner's Seventh Symphony. The Masterpiece Series will feature Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 later on in the season.
Young, up and coming conductors will grace four of the New Wave performances, beginning with Sung Shi-yeon, the 33-year-old female assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 19 at Seoul Arts Center.
Beginning March 15, four Great Concerto performances will explore the cream of the crop among concertos with star soloists. The Virtuoso Series includes four programs of special guest conductors and soloists, including pianist Kim Sun-wook (March 27), cellist Jian Wang (May 14) and maestro Mikko Frank (Oct. 1).
Tickets for all SPO concerts range from 10,000 won to 50,000 won (70,000 won for the Masterpiece Series) and are now available online at www.ticketlink.co.kr and www.interpark.co.kr. A 30 to 40 percent discount is available for the package purchase of all 20 performances.
Classical music fans can also look forward to a concert in April by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, of which maestro Chung is music director.