Chang Han-na Expands Conducting Career
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Chang Han-na will set aside her cello for the moment to wield the baton in Seongnam Art Center's ``Absolute Classic'' series, Sept. 11 and 12.
``I began conducting in order to broaden my horizons as a musician,'' Chang told reporters in a press conference Monday in Seoul. She said the beauty of conducting lies in ``creating sounds that resonate with individual spirit through the performance of others rather than my own.''
The 26-year-old made her conducting debut in 2007, at the helm of a group comprising Korean, Chinese and German youth orchestra members at the 1st Seongnam International Youth Orchestra Festival. Since then she has been taking small steps into the world of conducting, receiving tips from Maestro Lorin Maazel.
``I wanted to learn conducting from Maestro Maazel so I sent him a copy of Beethoven's Third Symphony that I conducted. When I received his reply saying he'll teach me, that I have a talent for conducting, I was grinning from ear to ear the entire day,'' she said.
``At first I began conducting with just excited passion, but now I'm more interested in more specific, minute details. I'm preoccupied with how to conduct certain parts and eliciting the sound I want,'' she said.
In the upcoming concerts she will lead the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra for a program of Tchaikovsky.
The cellist said that studying conducting has greatly benefitted her as a musician, as she learns about a composer more comprehensively. ``Tchaikovsky's unique cello piece is the Rococo Variations, which is a witty, elegant piece. While I prepared for his symphony however I realized that the Tchaikovsky I knew as a cellist was not everything,'' she said.
The Absolute Classic series is an educational initiative and will even feature young musicians aged 11-24 that were selected through an audition. ``I think classical music is a cultural heritage that anyone has the right to enjoy. I hope children and teenagers will learn how to perform together.
``It would be nice for young people, who are at an emotionally sensitive age, to listen to a lot of classical music. I hope classical music will be a choice when they wonder about what music they should listen to,'' she said. ``Music is a part of life. If we let music become our spiritual friend, it will move us, revamp our everyday lives and change our community.''
Chang said she plans to partake in the Absolute Classic series in the years to come. She will conduct the Bavarian State Youth Orchestra to play Mahler's Symphony No. 1 across five cities. Engagements as a cellist include a recital here in November and tours across Europe.
The concert Sept. 11 will feature Tchaikovsky's ``Francesca da Rimini'' Symphonic Fantasy After Dante, Op. 32 and Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. The program for the following evening includes ``Romeo and Juliet'' Fantasy Overture and Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 ``Pathetique.''
``Normally in classical concerts the distance between the performer and the audience is rather big. I hope it will be a concert where heartfelt music can abridge that distance,'' she said.
Fans can see the open rehearsal (5,000 won) at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sept. 11 and at 3 p.m. the following day. Tickets for the concerts cost 30,000-50,000 won. Chang will give a special Q & A session prior to the concerts. The sessions are free of charge but reservations should be made via telephone (031-783-8057).