Violinist Daishin Kashimoto, Maestro Chung to Take Stage

This is the 18th in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians. ― ED.


A soaring number of Asian musicians can be spotted in major world orchestras, but only a handful of star soloists like Japanese violinist Midori shines through. The future seems bright, however, with the next generation of promising artists like pianist Kim Sun-wook, cellist Han-na Chang and violinist Daishin Kashimoto ― the latter being ``a jewel-like presence,'' according to music critic Lee Chang-song (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Magazine, September 2007).

Born in London in 1979, Kashimoto started playing the violin at age three. He entered the Juilliard School pre-college in New York as its youngest student (age seven) and continued his studies in Germany, where he is currently based. His accomplishments include winning, the youngest ever in history, of both the 1996 International Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition in Vienna and the Marguerite Long-Jacque Thibaud International Competition for Piano and Violin in Paris.

The 29-year-old appears in major concert venues with such conductors as Chung Myung-whun and Lorin Maazel and artists like Mischa Maisky and Yuri Bashmet. He revisits Korea July 29-30 to perform with the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO). Joining him are Maestro Chung, as pianist, and esteemed Chinese cellist Wang Jian for Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 56.

The Korea Times conducted an email interview with Kashimoto to discuss his thoughts about music.

Q How did you fall in love with the violin?

A ``The reason why I started violin was because of my mother, a pianist. She gave me toys of various instruments when I was small and I chose a toy violin, as it was more fun for me to have things in both hands (bow in one and the instrument in another). My mother loves music and she went to concerts when she was pregnant. So, in a way, I was listening music from that time and unconsciously music has been a part of my life.''

Q What is music to you?

A ``Music is, for me, the only method to deliver all of the human emotions to others beyond differences of culture and languages. It is a precious way to communicate with people without words. Even with the same piece, every time I play the music, I cannot feel the same. Music is a living thing in a way and is essential for humanity.''

Q How does heritage affect your musicality, if any?

A ``I feel that Asian (musicians) have a sensitivity that is unique to Asian people, and I think that it reflects in the music we play. There are many musicians with great talent from Asian countries. This is already becoming recognized in Europe, and I think that people are now paying a lot of attention to Asian musicians. I believe that there will be a time when all this talent will become active on the international stage.''

Q: Welcome back to Korea. What is your impression of the audience here?

A ``I am always inspired by the great energy and power of the Korean people. I think that people in Korea are very passionate and the audience listens to music with great enthusiasm.''

Q The APO brings together top musicians from Asia and the Asian Diaspora. It must be exciting to play with the ensemble.

A ``It is the first time for me to perform with APO, but I have heard from friends it is an excellent orchestra, and that Maestro Chung has been working with them regularly. Therefore, I am very much looking forward to playing with them at the concerts. The most interesting thing for me is the fact that people from different countries in Asia with different backgrounds, education, language and culture are working together to make the music. It is, indeed, a wonderful idea.''

Q What is it like to collaborate with Maestro Chung again?

(photo with maestro Chung, Courtesy of Matthias Creutziger)

A ``I have had opportunities to work with him both at orchestral concerts and chamber music concerts. My recent CD released from Sony BMG was a live recording from a Brahms concert in Dresden (2006) with Staatskapelle Dresden under Maestro's baton. It had been a dream for me to record this repertoire with Maestro Chung. As a conductor, Maestro has incredible concentration.''

Q What are your future plans and dreams?

A ``Personally, I want to have a family someday. Whenever I meet with Maestro Chung, I realize how he is placing importance on his family. It seems to me that the family is a source of passion and a great support for Maestro. I am always touched by his (regard) for his family, and I want to be like him in the future.''

Tickets for the concert at Incheon Multiple Arts Complex, July 29, cost 30,000 won and 50,000 won. Tickets for the performance at Seoul Arts Center on the following night cost from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (02) 518-7343.

After the concerts with APO, Kashimoto will appear at the Salon de Province Music Frestival in France and give a recital in Denmark. In October, the violinist will assume music directorship of a chamber music festival in Himeji, Japan. He hopes musicians from Korea will attend the festival.

Kwon, Sohn to Wed in Sept.

Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo, 32, announced plans to tie the knot with actress Sohn Tae-young, 28, in an outdoor ceremony at the Shilla Hotel, Sept. 28. Kwon appeared before reporters Friday night at the Seoul Plaza Hotel to confirm the news that had fans and the actors' own management companies in confusion.

Kwon expressed great surprise at the influx of reporters at the press meeting that took place at 9 p.m. at short notice. The actor rose to hallyu stardom through his tough guy role in the TV soap ``Stairway to Heaven'' opposite Choi Ji-woo and recently appeared as a gangster in ``The Fate.'' But in real life, he said he was the one who shed tears after proposing to Sohn with an engagement ring. His fiancee hugged him warmly.

The ``My Tutor Friend'' star met the former Miss Korea earlier this year at a small party with mutual celebrity friends. News of their romance started circulating Wednesday and became the most searched topic on major domestic portals like Naver. Before the press meeting, Kwon verified the engagement through his fan Web site and apologized for the belated announcement. ``Sohn Tae-young is my haven,'' he told reporters, but kept silent to inquiries about a pregnancy.

Sohn is known through several TV melodramas and received acclaim for her role in the film ``The Railroad.'' Netizens are once again gossiping about the screen beauty's dating history. In 2001, she made headlines for dating actor Shin Hyun-joon shortly after splitting with famed songwriter Joo Young-hoon. A so-called love triangle among the three drew much public attention. Sohn again became the talk of the town in 2006 when she got involved with music video director Cool K. She openly expressed the pain of breaking up on a TV talk show last year, saying ``I have lost faith in love.''

Meanwhile, Sohn's sister Hye-im, also a former Miss Korea, was also in the media spotlight after giving birth to a daughter July 9 with her husband, popular pianist/composer Yiruma. The two were married at the same venue Kwon and Sohn plan to marry.

Kim Dong-won, Daxun Zhang Travel New Road With Yo Yo Ma

The double bass and pipa (Chinese lute) bring spontaneous combustion, and the unmistakable quivering of ``chang'' (Korean opera) resounds with the rhythm of Brazilian shakers and dumbeck. It's indefinable, yet deeply rooted with a sense of belonging and culture. It's the Silk Road Ensemble helmed by cellist Yo Yo Ma.

The term ``fusion'' or ``crossover'' is inadequate to describe this international music group, which claws at something deeper and thoroughly intuitive, deconstructing our concept of music and culture. ``Man could hear how the lively dialogue between ancient folklore and contemporary music came together,'' wrote music critic David Koch.

The Korea Times recently met two members of the group who participated in the Silk Road Ensemble's second album ``New Impossibilities'' (Sony BMG): South Korean ``gugak'' (traditional music) artist Kim Dong-won and Chinese double bassist Zhang Daxun.

Kim got involved with the project through Korean composer Kang Joon-il. Kang gave Ma a piece for cello, piano and ``janggo'' (Korean double-headed drum) and specifically asked that Kim play the drum.

A disciple of ``samulnori'' founding father Kim Duk-soo, the 42-year-old teaches at Wonkwang Digital University. One has to wonder how such an artist of wondrous caliber was hidden from the Korean public for so long.

While unable to meet due to scheduling conflicts, both Kim and Zhang spoke affectionately of each other and the Silk Road project.

``Daxun is such a warm, humble person. He really resembles the double bass ― you know, those kind of people that make you feel good just by being around,'' said Kim. ``He pours so much affection into his playing, and I am truly proud of him as a fellow Asian.''

Ma invited Zhang to join the Silk Road Ensemble after hearing him play for just ten minutes backstage. Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, a founding member of chamber group Ditto, also asked the 26-year-old to join after falling in love with his playing.

If one has the chance to hear him, it is strongly advised to sit by stage left, where the jumbo string is usually found. One can marvel as Zhang's luscious tunes fill in the hollows of the Earth and allow the sound of other instruments to take flight.

``He's wonderful,'' said Zhang, smiling, about Kim. He then did an impression of his ``gugak'' friend's unique vocal technique.

``To share and learn each other's music was really, really eye-opening. All music is folk music,'' he said. Born into a family of double bassists in China, Zhang moved to the United States because its diverse cultures would help him better understand the ``universal language'' of music.

``If you think about the essence of ethnic music, its peculiarity is, ironically, both its source of beauty and hindrance,'' said Kim. The latter is because music becomes set in a traditional pattern that often makes it an acquired taste. But the Silk Road Ensemble, he said, achieves something ``beautiful and extraordinary.''

``It's a liberation of music. These people who don't look like they'll get along come together and make music,'' he said. The Silk Road Ensemble, while still preserving the essence of each culture, establishes a new means of communication. Along the way the artist breaks down his or her own preconceptions of music. ``The classical cello usually delivers soft vibrato, but Yo Yo Ma said he used `crazy vibrato' to create sounds that the cello was not meant to make,'' he said.

Exploring New Horizons

Zhang got to improvise for the first time through the ensemble. ``If the bass is finally to produce a headliner, the instrument can have no better champion,'' wrote the Washington Post regarding the first ever double bassist to champion the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. He is very open about music ― he likes tuning into the latest Chinese pop music and plays whimsical jazz pieces on the piano.

While the Silk Road project was something new, Zhang is no stranger to innovation. The scarcity of music for his instrument doesn't seem to be a problem and he is always paving a new path for himself by rearranging string pieces originally written for violin and cello. But fortunately there is an increasing number of contemporary classical music for the double bass, he said.

Kim is also busy making something of his own. In his newly released first solo album ``On the Way'' (Sony BMG), traditional percussion beats are spiced with psychedelic bass guitar tunes and soulful Korean narratives take on a new color when delivered in English.

``One can live comfortably as a traditional musician, by feeding upon what our mothers gave us. But I wanted to do something of my own,'' he said. ``It's like I've finally let go of 20 years' worth of luggage,'' he said about the slim CD that wraps up his entire musical career thus far.

The album was fashioned in a way reminiscent of the hit Irish movie ``Once.'' His good musician friends based in Europe offered to make an album in their spare time and many were impromptu creations. While the music is distinctively Korean, it is fluid enough to seep into the hearts of non-Koreans. "It's an inspiration to make music with him," wrote Ma in the album jacket.

``When we talk about a Silk Road experience, we don't mean simply the cultural exchange brought about by caravans traveling across deserts, but something much broader,'' Ma was quoted as telling The Guardian in September 2007. ``Whether the intercultural development of the tang in Argentina or the transport of indigo dye from India to Cape Verde to the Caribbean, to the term blues to the jeans we wear today, the collaboration and creativity of mini Silk Roads have given birth to some of the most extraordinary cultural evolutions,'' he said.

Asia has seen exciting cross border endeavors like the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Chung Myung-whun, which will perform July 29-30 in Korea.

Another venture delves deep into Asia's colorful cultural identity. In December, the Korea-ASEAN (Assoc. of South East Asian Nations) Folk Orchestra will be officially launched at the summit meeting in Thailand. The state-sponsored project is hoped to give way to more artistic activities in the tradition of the Silk Road Ensemble.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/07/135_27605.html

Indulge in Imaginative Operas on Small Stages

The Seoul Opera Ensemble is staging “Mozart and Salieri” as part of its opera festival at the National Theater of Korea through July 27. / Courtesy of Seoul Opera Ensemble

Last month, the Seoul Opera Ensemble Company staged a hip version of Verdi's ``Rigoletto'' at the Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center. Such small stages will continue to host operas that flirt with experimental structures and bring audiences closer to the genre.

The Small Theater Opera festival, currently ongoing through July 27 at the National Theater of Korea, features rare-to-see pieces such as Rimsky-Korsakov's ``Mozart and Salieri.'' The work dramatizes the supposedly fatal rivalry between the two composers in 18th-century Vienna, and inspired the critically acclaimed Milos Forman movie ``Amadeus'' (1984).

Accompanying the show are works by the Mozart and Salieri themselves, ``Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario)'' and ``Prima la musica e poi le parole (Music Comes Before Speech),'' respectively. At the time, it is said that the emperor assigned the two to write an opera about the birth of opera, and Salieri's piece was preferred over Mozart's satirical criticism of the corrupt music scene.

Tickets for each opera cost from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. Call (02) 6223-5312 or visit www.seoulopera.org. Located near Dongguk University station, line 3, exit 6.

While Seoul Arts Center prepares for its Opera Theater's reopening in mid-December with ``The Nutcracker,'' the Towol Theater will continue to resound with operatic arias. The National Opera of Korea invites first-time opera-goers and avid fans to watch Bizet's Spanish love story ``Carmen'' July 23-Aug. 1.

Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 50,000 won Students and children can receive special discounts up to 50 percent, with the lowest reservation price costing 5,000 won. Call (02) 586-5282.

In August, Seoul Arts Center presents Mozart's ``The Magic Flute'' from Aug. 9 to 24. This is part of the center's annual best-selling summer vacation treat for families. The fantastic visuals and storyline featuring nymphs and singing flutes will captivate children and adults alike. Under the baton of Christopher Lee from Austria, the Seoul Arts Center Festival Orchestra and the country's top singers will deliver a night of magic with the stellar Queen of the Night aria.

Tickets cost 30,000 won to 50,000 won. Call (02) 580-1300 or visit www.sac.or.kr (Korean and English). The center is located near Nambu Bus Terminal station, subway line 3, exit 5.

Chin Unsuk's "Alice in Wonderland" on DVD

In the meantime, local fans will finally be able to appreciate an original opera at home. South Korea's feted composer Chin Unsuk's ``Alice in Wonderland'' is now available on DVD (Eklasse).

Lewis Carroll's classic story is brought to life with Chin's dreamy music, Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang's poignant libretto and Kent Nagano's fine-tempoed interpretation. It debuted last year at Munich's Bayerische Staatspoer (Bavarian State Opera) with maestro Nagano at the baton, and now everyone can experience the performance. The opera was listed in the Los Angeles Times' ``Best of 2007'' and named ``World Premiere of the Year'' by European critics in Opernwelt magazine.

Deliciously surreal and hypnotizing, Alice's adventure is thoroughly deconstructed through multimedia creations inspired by pantomime, theater and musical. It is at once fascinating and thought-provoking as our protagonist asks the undying question: ``Who in the world am I?'' Soprano Sally Mathews delivers arias with restrained drama and deep tones while she speaks the lines with a childish purr.

Particularly striking is the scene with the smoking Caterpillar, brought to life by a bass clarinet soloist. The opera production seems to be an audiovisual materialization of the composer's musicality ― her greatest muses being dreams, light and color.

In English with Korean, French, German and Italian subtitles. Chin herself spent six months translating the libretto into her native tongue. On sale at major record shops and bookstores. Call (031) 911-5613.

Boy Soldier's Diary Testifies Human Strength

This book gave way to a most beautiful "inyeon" or friendship with the author, Dr. Park.


"Diary of a Boy Soldier"
"소년병의 일기" (문학)
Munhak: 230 pp., 10,000 won

Various works in literature depict the reality of war in modern history. But rarely do we see such a vivid and thorough record such as Park Myung-kun's ``Diary of a Boy Soldier'' (Munhak: 230 pp., 10,000 won), a journal he kept on a day-to-day basis as a teenage corporal during the Korean War (1950-53). More than just a valuable historical record, it is a testimony to the human spirit and its strength to survive.

Before taking us to the battlefield, Park introduces early 20th-century Korea under Japanese colonial rule. The joy of liberation (1945) and finally being able to read and write in Korean at school were short-lived, however. The inter-Korean conflict broke out in the summer of 1950, and Park was forever separated from his family, ``not knowing it would be my last farewell… not having had a chance to hold their hand or hug goodbye like they would nowadays.'' After surviving the war, he would fulfill his childhood plans to become a doctor and immigrate to the United States. Now, aged 73, the retired professor lives in Texas.

Doctor Park Myung-kun, top left, was 17 years old when he served in the South Korean armed forces 1950-52. He chronicled the 20 months in a diary./ Courtesy of Munhak

Park's story stretches across important moments and places in modern Korean history, from colonization all the way to the Korean Diaspora. Moreover, it is an extraordinary tale of endurance ― both physical and moral.

Born in North Korea in 1934, Park was ``the baby of the family,'' he told The Korea Times in a recent e-mail interview. Communists took away his eldest brother and his family had no news of his other brother who was studying in Seoul. As the only son at the time, Park said he felt a ``duty to take revenge'' and voluntarily joined the 6th division of the South Korean army at the tender age of 16. They were recruiting North Korean youths who could speak the northern dialect, and one entry shows how soldiers sometimes had difficulty communicating.

Park and others joined the armed forces completely untrained, except for some basic knowledge of handling rifles. ``I was in a way forced to be brave, although deep in my heart, I was scared most of the time,'' he explained in the interview. The harsh reality of war was omnipresent, and four comrades were killed just a few days into his military life. No one is to be trusted at the front, where the enemy hired toddlers to poison soldiers.

He said one of the most terrifying moments was when he had to flee an attack barefoot on a snowy day ― his boots were too large and were more of a hindrance. Fortunately, he had an extra pair of socks.

Surviving on the Front

Early entries trace the route of Park's infantry. He smartly kept track by locating the address signs of abandoned houses. We see how these young men made their way through rough times, taking whatever they could, like toothpaste in abandoned houses, and catching fish using grenades. The helmet doubled as washing bowls, food bowls and even pillows. Unable to bathe or change, lice would add to the discomfort.

While striking in factual detail, the diaries are marked by a sense of detachment. About six months into warfare, Park writes about being bothered by the stench of rotting corpses. When asked if the sight shocked him, he said: ``Perhaps I had become insensitive about death... I got used to seeing dead bodies. I knew that if I died, my body may become like one of these bodies but I did not want to think about it much.

``This was when I was on the very front line where life meant very little. Frankly, I did not feel many emotions those days. Having an emotion or deep thought was a luxury. When you know you may disappear from this world at any minute, the only thing you have is the basic instinct of survival,'' he said, adding that emotional detachment is perhaps a ``protective mechanism'' that enables people to ``endure unimaginable hardships.''

What is most remarkable about the diary is that Park managed to write almost everyday. ``I did not want to stop (writing the diary), because even though I was not certain if I would be alive the next day, there still was a thin line of hope that I could survive the war and show my parents the diary,'' he said.

He further explained in the interview that he had a good fountain pen and was able to obtain good quality paper from an empty house. ``There was always a quiet moment even on difficult days,'' and he often grabbed a minute before dark using candlelight.

Doctor Park, top left, poses with fellow soldiers near Nakdong River in Gupo, Busan, May 1952. Courtesy of Munhak

The diary entries chronicling his 20 months as a soldier (1950-52) are laid out with additional notes. Archaic or dialectic terms were changed, and some names were switched, in which case there are explanations.

Less than a year on the frontline, Park suffered a wound below his knee and was hospitalized for several months in what used to be a school building. The entries become more introspective as he spends each day listlessly, reading novels or watching movies to chase away the loneliness.

His longing for family would peak on holidays like Chuseok (Thanksgiving) and when other patients would have visitors. Occasionally Catholic nuns would stop by on an evangelistic mission. One touching entry is about mouth-watering persimmons. Usually visitors would share food with neighboring patients, but Park was unfortunately two beds away. Ever since, he would indulge in the sweet fruit whenever he could and even grew a persimmon tree in the yard of his U.S. home.

Meanwhile, fear of being crippled by the knee seized him, but the possibility of being discharged from military service also boggled him: what lay ahead for an ``orphaned'' 17-year-old? But he would recover and return to the army. Yet the ruthless cruelness from senior soldiers would strengthen his determination to leave and become a doctor. As a young boy living in a Stalinist state, he realized early on that doctors had comparatively more freedom.

Becoming an American Doctor

But all was not lost for Park. Though devastated to learn that his parents and nephews were unable to cross down to the South, he reunited with his sister and brother. He went back to school and made what he calls a ``miraculous'' entry to Seoul National University medical school. During his residency, he was encouraged to apply for the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates program, which granted him residency in America.

When asked about pursuing medicine, he said, ``I thought my experience in the army would pull me through the long duration of medical school. I believe my experience of hardship during my military service gave me confidence, taught me to be patient, and to work hard for whatever I chose to do.''

The doctor arrived in the United States in 1962, and obtained his pediatrics degree after years of struggling with English and a tight budget. He met his Korean wife, a schoolteacher. In 1991, he won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and in 2005 he received a special honor from the Seoul National University medical school alumni association.

Park wishes to tell young people one thing: ``Do not be disheartened by reality, but don't be satisfied by reality, either. Always dream big and make constant effort to achieve it. Heaven helps those who help themselves.''

'Red Cliff': Megastars Bring Mega Action

"Red Cliff" ("Chi Bi 적벽대전," South Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan)

Directed by John Woo. Starring Tony Leung (양조위), Takeshi Kaneshiro (금성무), Chang Chen (장첸).

Finally. Asian cinema sees the birth of a movie with the grandeur ― in both budget and inspiration ― of epic franchises like ``The Lord of the Rings.'' ``Mission Impossible II'' and
``Face/Off'' helmer John Woo brings ``Red Cliff'' (``Chi Bi'' in Chinese), a pulsating, two-part battle flick based on the historical tome ``The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.''

To drive up the heat, it stars not one but three iconic actors: Tony Leung (``Lust, Caution''), Takeshi Kaneshiro (``House of Flying Daggers'') and Chang Chen (``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.'').

This $80 million co-production by South Korea's Showbox/Mediaplex is yet another story about the three warring ancient Chinese states. Recently, there was another domestic production geared for a pan-Asian audience, ``Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon'' with Andy Lau and Maggie Q. ``Red Cliff'' not only satisfies those who grew up reading the novel, but will also appeal to a wider audience.

One thinks of the term: ``man's reach exceeds his grasp.'' The efforts of the director to push on ― even after surpassing the original budget halfway through the shoot and pouring every penny of his own funds into the project ― bear fruit because the movie is built upon a strong foundation. A classic story comes to life through a beautiful, well crafted mise-en scene with memorable characters and a believability that stems from a delicious mix of realism and fantasy. >>More

Read about "Red Cliff 2"
Read about the film's Asian Premiere in Seoul