By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
In August 2006, the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra made a comeback after a six-year hiatus due to financial difficulties. After the performance in Seoul, Maestro conductor and pianist Chung Myung-whun cheerfully made each member of the orchestra stand up and applaud along with audiences.
``What I felt was special while conducting this orchestra was that I could sense that a serious alternative orchestra was budding for the future, as musicians based in America and Europe mingled with excellent young musicians of Asia,'' Chung said. ``Let us Asian nations move toward a peaceful and lovely world through music. Wouldn't it be a heaven if we could connect with each other through music?''
Chung had floated the idea of the Asia Philharmonic as early as the mid 1990s, hoping to make it into a leading regional orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic represents Europe. While the Asia Philharmonic members manage to gather only once a year like a festival orchestra, Chung hopes that it will become permanent by 2010.
This year, the orchestra takes one step closer to Chung's dream as it will stage four concerts _ two in South Korea and two in Japan.
As in previous cases, the members include top-class Asian musicians from orchestras around the world. These include concertmaster Robert Chen from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Qiang Tu, acting assistant cello principal of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra; Koichiro Yamamoto, principal trombone of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra; and Ning Shi, viola principal from the Gent Opera House Orchestra. In total, the members come from 28 orchestras around the world.
In addition to Dvorak's Symphony 8 in G Major (Op.88) and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (Op. 68), the repertoire also includes a symbolic Asian fete _ ``Overture for the Broken Watch'' from South Korean composer Chin Un-suk's opera ``Alice in Wonderland,'' which premiered in Munich, opening the Bavarian State Opera's summer festival earlier this month.
The Asia Philharmonic will perform at Incheon Multiculture and Arts Center on Aug. 3, and at the Seoul Arts Center on Aug. 4. In Japan, the orchestra hits Toyama Aubade Hall on Aug. 6, and Tokyo Opera City on Aug. 7. For more information, visit www.cmikorea.co.kr.