Conductor: Yunsung Chang
Conductor Yunsung Chang studied composition at Seoul National University’s College of Music and completed his graduate studies in conducting at the same institution before studying further at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In 1993, he won second prize at the Prokofiev International Conducting Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in 1997, he was awarded second prize (with no first prize given) at the Tokyo International Conducting Competition. He has conducted internationally acclaimed orchestras such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Tokyo Symphony and has led extensive performance tours including a Germany tour with the Nuremberg Symphony and a Japan tour with the KBS Symphony. In 1995, he gave the European premiere of Penderecki’s Symphony No. 5 <KOREA> in Krakow, further demonstrating a wide-ranging repertoire from the classical to the modern era. He has held positions as Chief Conductor of the Ulsan Philharmonic and Bucheon Philharmonic, Resident Conductor of Osaka College Opera House, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic, and has released recordings on the Camerata label in Japan. He is currently a professor of composition and conducting at Seoul National University’s College of Music and serves as the Artistic Director of the “Soli Deo Gloria” Music Association in Seoul and Vienna.
Orchestra: Hankyung arte Philharmonic
Founded in 2015 under the auspices, the Hankyung arte Philharmonic made its debut with a clear vision: A Bridge Between Culture and Economy. Following the inaugural Music Director Nanse Gum, Seok-Won Hong, former Principal Conductor of the Tiroler Landestheater in Austria, served as the orchestra’s second Music Director, and Wilson Ng from Hong Kong currently serves as Principal Guest Conductor. 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 Junggil Lee 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. The orchestra has kept 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. 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.