Chang Han-na named 1st female musician to lead Seoul Arts Center

Conductor and cellist Chang Han-na / Korea Times file

Conductor and cellist Chang Han-na has been named president of the Seoul Arts Center, becoming the first female musician to head the institution since its founding in 1987, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Chang is expected to receive her official appointment from Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young on April 24, pending confirmation of her arrival schedule, and will serve a three-year term.

A globally recognized figure in classical music, Chang won the Grand Prix at the fifth Rostropovich International Cello Competition in 1994 at age 11, launching an international career that included engagements with the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. She shifted her focus to conducting in 2007 and has since built an extensive international network and repertoire across Europe and North America.

In Korea, she served as artistic director of the Absolute Classic Festival at Seongnam Arts Center from 2009 to 2014 and led the Daejeon Grand Festival at Daejeon Arts Center from 2024 to 2025. In November 2025, she was appointed adjunct professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's Graduate School of Culture Technology.

Chae said Chang's 32 years of experience as a performer and conductor, combined with her global connections in the music world, made her the right choice to set a new artistic vision for Korea's premier performing arts venue at a time of growing international interest in the country’s culture.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.