By Kwon Ji-youn
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (SPO) decision to cancel its U.S. tour set for April due to a lack of funding could have far reaching implications beyond just the trip.
Both the SPO and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said they could not reach the SPO's music director Chung Myung-whun as of Monday, and the SPO, now without a CEO, faces the daunting task of keeping Chung at the orchestra's helm when it is scheduled to renew its contract with the maestro next year.
At a press event in January following former SPO CEO Park Hyun-jung's resignation, Chung stressed the importance of the U.S. tour for the SPO's development and for his determination to stay with the orchestra in 2016.
"The U.S. tour will give us a chance to show the world what we can do," he said. "If the tour falls apart, then the SPO will be put to shame."
He also noted that if he doesn't receive the support he needs, a contract renewal may be difficult.
The move to cancel its U.S. tour came Friday, two and a half months after the SPO's CEO stepped down in response to a petition for her removal. The orchestra's administrative department had called for Park's resignation, claiming that she had neglected her duties and verbally abused employees.
Nonetheless, the orchestra articulated its plans to push ahead with the tour to seven U.S. cities this spring. Chung said the SPO were to perform with pianist Kim Sun-wook in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Davis, Ann Arbor and Santa Barbara from April 14 through 24.
"We did our best to try and carry the tour through, but the circumstances were beyond our control," an SPO official said. "We couldn't put the decision off any longer. Following the controversy surrounding former CEO Park and the police raid that occurred last Wednesday, we told the production agency that we have decided to cancel the tour."
Police raided the SPO office and its computer network management center in central Seoul on March 11 over the defamatory remarks made by its employees against their former boss. Park had filed a complaint with the police, claiming the SPO employees had tarnished her reputation with groundless allegations.
Some 65 percent of tickets for the U.S. tour have sold so far, as have roughly 90 percent of the tickets for the orchestra's performance in Santa Barbara. The SPO and its production agency are in talks over what to do about the sold tickets.
In a written statement to tour venues, the production agency and the SPO said "the cancellation is due to a recent and significant cut in tour funding from the City of Seoul."
It continued, "The SPO, which is heavily subsidized by the City of Seoul, has failed to secure sufficient financial support from alternative sources and has therefore made the decision not to proceed with the tour."
Chung stated that he is deeply saddened that the tour to the U.S. has been cancelled and that it is "due to financial reasons entirely beyond the orchestra's control."
The SPO had estimated the U.S. tour will cost about 1.7 billion won ($1.5 million), some of which the SPO had hoped to receive in sponsorship from businesses.
Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested a budget appropriation of 1.05 billion won for the tour, but the Seoul Metropolitan Council denied it. With the feud between CEO Park and music director Chung, the SPO was unable to garner further business interest.
In 2012, the SPO used sponsorships and its own business expenses to fund its overseas tours.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter have said the dispute with Park has put a strain on his health, and Chung's disk herniation has spread to his neck.
"It's true that his health has been of concern, but this didn't contribute to the U.S. tour's cancellation at all," an SPO official said. "The sole reason is that we weren't able to secure the finances needed for the tour."
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (SPO) decision to cancel its U.S. tour set for April due to a lack of funding could have far reaching implications beyond just the trip.
Both the SPO and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said they could not reach the SPO's music director Chung Myung-whun as of Monday, and the SPO, now without a CEO, faces the daunting task of keeping Chung at the orchestra's helm when it is scheduled to renew its contract with the maestro next year.
At a press event in January following former SPO CEO Park Hyun-jung's resignation, Chung stressed the importance of the U.S. tour for the SPO's development and for his determination to stay with the orchestra in 2016.
"The U.S. tour will give us a chance to show the world what we can do," he said. "If the tour falls apart, then the SPO will be put to shame."
He also noted that if he doesn't receive the support he needs, a contract renewal may be difficult.
The move to cancel its U.S. tour came Friday, two and a half months after the SPO's CEO stepped down in response to a petition for her removal. The orchestra's administrative department had called for Park's resignation, claiming that she had neglected her duties and verbally abused employees.
Nonetheless, the orchestra articulated its plans to push ahead with the tour to seven U.S. cities this spring. Chung said the SPO were to perform with pianist Kim Sun-wook in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Davis, Ann Arbor and Santa Barbara from April 14 through 24.
"We did our best to try and carry the tour through, but the circumstances were beyond our control," an SPO official said. "We couldn't put the decision off any longer. Following the controversy surrounding former CEO Park and the police raid that occurred last Wednesday, we told the production agency that we have decided to cancel the tour."
Police raided the SPO office and its computer network management center in central Seoul on March 11 over the defamatory remarks made by its employees against their former boss. Park had filed a complaint with the police, claiming the SPO employees had tarnished her reputation with groundless allegations.
Some 65 percent of tickets for the U.S. tour have sold so far, as have roughly 90 percent of the tickets for the orchestra's performance in Santa Barbara. The SPO and its production agency are in talks over what to do about the sold tickets.
In a written statement to tour venues, the production agency and the SPO said "the cancellation is due to a recent and significant cut in tour funding from the City of Seoul."
It continued, "The SPO, which is heavily subsidized by the City of Seoul, has failed to secure sufficient financial support from alternative sources and has therefore made the decision not to proceed with the tour."
Chung stated that he is deeply saddened that the tour to the U.S. has been cancelled and that it is "due to financial reasons entirely beyond the orchestra's control."
The SPO had estimated the U.S. tour will cost about 1.7 billion won ($1.5 million), some of which the SPO had hoped to receive in sponsorship from businesses.
Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested a budget appropriation of 1.05 billion won for the tour, but the Seoul Metropolitan Council denied it. With the feud between CEO Park and music director Chung, the SPO was unable to garner further business interest.
In 2012, the SPO used sponsorships and its own business expenses to fund its overseas tours.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter have said the dispute with Park has put a strain on his health, and Chung's disk herniation has spread to his neck.
"It's true that his health has been of concern, but this didn't contribute to the U.S. tour's cancellation at all," an SPO official said. "The sole reason is that we weren't able to secure the finances needed for the tour."
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