Incheon fails to attract Julliard branch

By Yun Suh-young

Incheon has failed to attract a branch of the prestigious American music school Julliard due to a breakdown in negotiations. In the process the city missed an opportunity to attract another reputable music school from Europe.

The city admitted Thursday in a statement that the plan to open a campus of the Julliard School at an art center site currently under construction in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) has become “virtually impossible” at the moment after trying to work out details since 2007.

On top of the land and construction costs, Julliard had requested the nation’s second largest port city to provide operating funds. The city was unable to convince any private Korean companies for this purpose.

“We told them that it was difficult to receive financial support from the government. Instead, we suggested a private company. We’re still trying to find a private enterprise willing to fund the operating expenses, but if this doesn’t work out, it will be difficult to attract the school here,” said a city official.

The city had three working-level meetings with Julliard staff in 2009 and the school announced a plan to build a branch in East Asia in 2011. Without adequate funding, however, the deal has fallen through.

In the process of trying to attract Julliard last year, the city rejected Brno Conservatory, a Czech music school, which had sent a letter of intent to establish a branch in the IFEZ.

The city, while in negotiations with Julliard, responded that it could not accept other offers.

Despite being rejected last December, the head of the conservatory made a visit to Korea recently to try and woo the city to consider the school.

According to Pavel Manasek, the director of Brno Conservatory, and the school’s officials, they made the offer last year knowing that the city’s talks with Julliard weren’t progressing.

“We already decided to establish a branch campus in Korea during a faculty meeting and have received permission from the Czech government,” said a school official during the visit Monday.

Incheon City, however, confirmed Thursday that it is unable to accept the Czech conservatory.

“We have told them it won’t be possible. The art center site isn’t currently equipped with music facilities and therefore not ready to have a music school. Even if we fail to attract Julliard, we don’t have any plans to offer the site to other schools,” a city official said.