Top performing arts school celebrates 20th anniversary

By Do Je-hae

The Korea National University of Arts (KNUA) was established as the only institute of higher education for nurturing artists 20 years ago by the culture ministry.

The school will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding this year with a special concert on Jan. 11 at the arts theater of its campus in Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. It has an additional campus in Seocho-dong.

"Our school was founded to prepare the nation for a new century in the arts. We have produced leaders in the field and contributed to improving Korea's international image through spreading Korean culture," KNUA President Park Jong-won said in a statement.

The anniversary concert will be led by conductor Chung Chi-young with performances by soprano Kim Young-mi, tenor Choi Sang-ho and Kim Duk-soo, a master of "samulnori" (traditional Koran percussion music) and a KNUA faculty member.

The concert will also feature young violinist Lee Ji-hye and the K’ Arts Ballet.

KNUA has 26 departments in six schools: music, drama, film TV and multimedia, dance, visual arts, and Korean traditional arts.

The school is known in particular for its excellence in training classical musicians.

In recent years, some of its graduates have won or medaled at prestigious international music competitions, contributing to altering the general perception Koreans have that one must study abroad to gain international fame.

Some of its famous graduates included pianist Kim Sun-wook and violinist Shin Hyun-su.

Kim came into the international spotlight when he won the Leeds Competition in 2006, becoming not only the competition's youngest winner in 40 years, but also its first from Asia. Kim's performance for the finals (Brahms's Concerto No. 1) won unanimous praise from the press, and led to concert engagements with the UK's finest orchestras as well as various recitals around Europe.

He was a student of pianist and conductor Kim Dae-jin at KNUA, who also taught many other fine young pianists including Son Yeol-eum, a second prize winner at the Tchaikovsky Competition last year.

Kim is currently studying conducting and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is due to give an all-Beethoven sonata cycle at the LG Art Center in November in what is expected to be one of the most anticipated recitals of the year.

Violinist Shin Hyun-su gained fame when she won the first great prize of Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Violin Competition in 2008. A former student of KNUA, she has never studied outside Korea.

KNUA runs exchange programs with the world’s top universities such as Yale and invites renowned teachers for master classes.

In light of the rise of young Korean classical musicians, the Belgian TV channel RTBF recently visited KNUA to prepare a documentary on its classical musicians.

Belgium is the host country of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition, which has produced many Korean laureates.

The program will be aired during the competition in May.