Sarah Chang's national tour
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Star violinist marks 20 years with EMI
Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. / Yonhap
By Do Je-hae
Violinist Sarah Chang burst on to the music scene at age 9, making her debut with the New York Philharmonic in a 1989 concert under maestro Zubin Mehta. It didn’t take long for EMI to sign her and in 1992 she released her first album “Debut” consisting of solo pieces for violin and piano.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Chang’s exclusive association with the label that boasts a tradition of recording some of the most respected violinists in history, including Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin and Itzhak Perlman.
The Korean-American will celebrate the landmark year with a national recital tour starting today. She visits various cities around Korea until Dec. 16, playing in Gwangju, Daegu, Suwon, Changwon, Gunpo, Daejeon and Busan with her final stop at Seoul Arts Center.
The 31-year-old rarely performs recitals, preferring to collaborate with orchestras in bravura concerto performances.
“Since my debut, about 95 percent of my performances have been with orchestras. I have not been an eager recitalist,” Chang said during a press conference at a Seoul hotel, Thursday. “It has been hard to find a good partner for recitals.”
Her partner for the national tour is British pianist Ashley Wass, with whom she has worked with on a number of occasions. It is the pianist’s first time performing in Korea.
The recital program will feature Vitali’s Chaconne in G Minor for Violin and Piano, Bach’s “Air on the G String,” Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in D major, and a new arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” written for Chang by American composer David Newman.
“I have always loved Bach and Prokofiev. With new pieces, I like that I can talk to the composer about the piece,” the violinist added.
Chang had a meteoric rise to become one of the top performers of her generation. By 15 she had already performed with top orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. She continues to appear in the music capitals of Asia, Europe and the Americas. She is the youngest artist ever to record with EMI at age 9, when she wasn’t yet playing on a full size violin. Chang now plays a 1717 Guarneri del Gesu violin.
“I have made 19 CDs, 1 DVD for EMI. I am proud and grateful for the last 20 years,” Chang said. EMI will release a box set of her entire works with the label to celebrate the artist’s 20th anniversary.
The 1999 Avery Fisher Prize winner has been serving as a U.S. State Department Special Cultural Envoy since 2011.
The Philadelphia native has never lived in Korea but she is extremely popular here. She has professed a special attachment to Korea in media interviews and represented the nation during cultural festivities at this summer’s London Olympic Games.
Tickets for the recital range from 60,000 to 160,000 won. For more information, call 02-541-3183 or visit
Recital dates
Dec. 1 Gwangju
Dec. 2 Daegu
Dec. 5 Suwon
Dec. 6 Changwon
Dec. 8 Gunpo
Dec. 10 Daejeon
Dec. 11 Busan
Dec. 16 Seoul
Sarah, then and now
1993
This is Sarah Chang’s very first concerto recording for EMI. She chose the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, which she learned in one week when she was only 7 years old.
EMIpaired her with the London Symphony Orchestra and they have worked together often on stage and in recordings since.
Although a teenager at the time of this recording, Chang’s technical virtuosity and emotional range was already that of a seasoned performer. She delivers a particularly impressive interpretation of the songful second movement of the concerto.
2009
The Bruch/Brahms concerto recording is her latest work for EMI. She waited a long time to perform the Brahms concerto, which is generally perceived as a piece for older violinists.
The Bruch concerto is a piece that she played during the Juilliard pre-school audition.
Maestro Kurt Masur first met Chang when he was leading the New York Philharmonic in the 1990s and they have developed a strong partnership over the years.