Conductor: Kwang-Hyun Kim
Maestro Kwang-Hyun Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1981. He studied at the Seoul National University under the esteemed professors Hun-Jeong Lim and Dok-Ki Kim, before continuing his studies in Stuttgart, Germany with Prof.Per Borin. One of South Korea’s leading conductors, Kwang-Hyun Kim made his professional debut in 2004 with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, he is a regular geust conductor to the Korean foremost orchestra, including the Korean National Symphoy Orchestra, KBS Symphony, Gyeonggi Philharmonic, Daejeon Philharmonic, Daegu Philharmonic, Busan Philharmonic, Bucheon Philharmonic, Incheon Philharmonic, Gangnam Symphony, and many professional Orchestras in South Korea for 20 years. He was appointed as the the first ever youngest music director at the age of 34, in South Korea and served as the music director and chief conductor of the Wonju Philharmonic from 2015 to 2021. Internationally, he has been invited to the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Reutlingen Philharmonic, South-West German Philharmonic Konstanz, Stuttgart Chamber in Germany, Karlovy Vary Symphony in Czech, Kyushu Symphony in Japan among others. In 2018, he successfully toured with the Türingen Philharmonic Orchestra to Gotha and Salzburg. A renownedforemost opera conductor, he has received critical acclaim for his direction of Puccini’s La Boheme with the Korean National Opera in 2018. He has led leading productions, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammemoor, Gounod’s Faust with Daegu Opera House; Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera and La forza del destino with Seoul Arts Center; Puccini’s La Tosca and Turandot with Daejeon Arts Center; and more then 20 productions in South Korea and Europe.
Orchestra: Hankyungarte Philharmonic
Founded in 2015 under the auspices of the Hankyung Media Group, the Hankyung arte Philharmonic made its debut with a clear vision: A Bridge Between Culture and Economy. With the baton in the hands of Nanse Gum as its inaugural music director, the Hankyung arte Philharmonic quickly made waves. The orchestra gained national recognition for its excellent performances with seasoned conductors such as Heonjeong Lim, Deokgi Kim, and Daejin Kim. Since 2016, the Youth Cultural Love Day tour has been instrumental in nurturing cultural sensibilities among the youth in less-privileged areas. Notable collaborations of 2018 include a joint performance with the renowned I Musici and a heartfelt rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with a 180-strong citizen choir, showcasing the power of community. Despite the global sweep of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Hankyung arte Philharmonic never ceased to innovate. The orchestra performed the entirety of Beethoven’s Egmont with actor Lee Junggil via online streaming, and won the Minister of Education Award for its Textbook Concert, which recorded live performances of classical music from textbooks. In 2023, the orchestra successfully held more than 60 regular concerts, including The Classics 2023 series. This year, the orchestra is garnering significant international attention through invitational participation in the Hong Kong Arts Festival and collaboration with the La Scala Ballet in March, and distinguished engagement in the Fukuyama International Music Festival in Japan in May. Through their constant innovation and creative endeavors, as Korea’s premier orchestra, the Hankyung arte Philharmonic plays a pivotal role in leading the Korean classical music scene.