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Maestro Chung Myung-whun was taking a rest on Mar. 9 after completing a rehearsal for a concert with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in the Opera City in the Japanese capital. ¡°This is the Maestro¡¯s room. Do not disturb,¡± a sign on the door read. But the designated conductor and music director of the Seoul City Philharmonic Orchestra was happy to talk to the Chosun Ilbo about a career spanning 45 years.
As a seven-year-old boy in 1960, he appeared as a pianist with the Seoul City Philharmonic in 1960. His feet did not even reach the pedals of the piano, and a folded blanket on the chair helped him reach the keyboard. As the child pressed a key to perform a Haydn concerto, the audience burst into laughter. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the title of the number. But I vividly remember the laughter. I have maintained a tie with the Seoul City Philharmonic since then,¡± Chung says.
Maestro Chung will return to Seoul late this month as a music advisor of the Seoul City Philharmonic. He will sign a new contract next year to work as the principal conductor and music director of the orchestra.
As his primary tasks, Chung counts selecting two deputy conductors and auditioning new members for the orchestra. Thai conductor Bundit Ungrangsee was chosen as one of the deputy conductors and a Norwegian conductor has been considered as a candidate for the other job. It has not been decided when Chung will next conduct the Seoul City Philharmonic.
¡°I will have an official concert with the Seoul City Philharmonic after next year. But I plan to give a concert where I will conduct the orchestra and hold auditions. I will have some time to strictly judge whether orchestra members and the conductor harmonize with each other and the city government offers sufficient support,¡± said Chung.
Seoul, though home to 12 million people, has no world-class orchestra. ¡°Korea has many talented musicians. But its orchestras don¡¯t reach the global standard. When working in the U.S. and Europe, I have thought a lot about how to improve Korean orchestras,¡± Chung says.
Chung already once had the job of principal conductor and music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, in 1997. But he quit after less than a year. ¡°I asked them to overhaul the orchestra's organization and improve the management. But they rejected my request. Making a good orchestra is like raising trees for several decades. It demands a long view and sufficient investment,¡± he says. ¡°There should be a good concert hall for orchestras, first of all. And talented musicians, a passionate conductor and attention from society - that's what makes a good orchestra.
Chung has also been working with a French music program for adolescents for five years, and he and the Seoul City Philharmonic plan to provide music programs for Korean youngsters too. ¡°I learned from my teacher [Carlo Maria] Giulini that it takes time to mature in music,¡± the maestro says. And with that, we end our disturbance of his rest.
(Kim Seong-hyun, danpa@chosun.com )
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