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| Seoul Philharmonic CEO Park Hyun-jung had no experience in music or orchestra management before being appointed the leader of the nation's top orchestra in 2013. / Korea Times file |
By Kwon Ji-youn
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Park Hyun-jung's detractors say she neglected her duties as CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), mistreated her colleagues and insulted the orchestra's guests during overseas tours. Since her 2013 appointment, 13 of the orchestra's 27 administrative staff have quit.
The orchestra's administrative office issued a press release Tuesday, requesting Park's resignation. "The SPO is facing a tragic moment," the press release read. "Park has been sexually assaulting employees and abusing her authority when it comes to hiring and promoting. We hereby request an internal audit, as well as the resignation of CEO Park."
According to the press release, Park would remark that her subordinates should "sell their organs to make up for corporate losses" or that one employee in particular "would serve well as a bar hostess." It added that Park changed the SPO's bylaws to enable the CEO to play favorites when hiring or promoting. She rejected proposals for outreach concerts, calling them "shabby."
She was set to give a rebuttal through a press conference Wednesday, but abruptly postponed the date, saying that she needed time to prepare for legal action against the employees and the media.
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| Seoul Philharmonic at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington, in April 2012 / Courtesy of SPO |
Outdated practices
The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea has launched an investigation into allegations involving Park. Park's case is an example of what can happen when a person unsuitable for the job takes the helm. Park previously served in positions that had little to do with music or managing an orchestra.
She began as a researcher at the Samsung Finance Research Lab, and then went on to work for Samsung life Insurance. After serving as president of the Women's Leadership Research Institute, she was appointed the SPO's first female CEO in February last year. Her term ends on Jan. 31, 2016. Rep. Lee No-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party earlier this year had slammed Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon for having pulled strings when appointing the SPO's new leader.
SPO music director Chung Myung-whun's chief focus has been to build a global orchestra. This cannot be realized without experienced and consistent leadership to support the music director's initiatives.
It seems the SPO's management practice is still stuck in old times, despite the orchestra's considerable musical growth. In August, the orchestra became the first Asian ensemble to perform at the prestigious BBC Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall, after the NHK Symphony in 2001.
Founded in 1948, the SPO is one of the oldest and most prominent orchestras in Korea, and music director Chung is a highly respected conductor who has been with the ensemble for almost 10 years.
Unlike the SPO, experts in music or orchestral management usually fill top administrative positions at top orchestras around the world, such as New York Philharmonic.
Zarin Mehta, the former president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, spent years with the Philharmonic before being named president. He built a career in orchestral management with the "Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal," a top Canadian orchestra based at the Place des Arts in Montreal, Quebec, from 1981 through 1990. Mehta also served as executive director of the Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States.
Mehta is credited with having changed much at the leading musical institution. He was responsible for the introduction of live concerts on iTunes, the programming stamp of principal conductor Alan Gilbert, and the expansion of the New York Philharmonic's website. He is also said to have increased attendance and raised the orchestra's profile.
After his departure in 2010, Matthew VanBesien, a 42-year-old former orchestral player, succeeded him in 2012. VanBesien is a musician who put away the French horn a decade ago to run the Houston Symphony and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia.
When Qatar founded the Qatar Philharmonic to nurture a world-class orchestra for the first time in the Middle East, they brought in renowned orchestra administrator Kurt Meister as executive director. Meister is a former bassoonist who worked for years with the "Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks" or the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, one of the top ensembles in the world. He also managed the Bavarian State Opera and the Munich Radio Orchestra.
Follow Kwon Ji-youn on Twitter @jennajykwon
