Kim Solbong Premieres in Spring Fest

The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music (SSF) opened Thursday at Sejong Chamber Hall, downtown Seoul, its fourth edition with a concert celebrating both continuing traditions and modern innovation.

While popular artists, including pianist Kim Sun-wook and the Jupiter String Quartet from the United States, offered tasteful renditions of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, rising South Korean composer Kim Solbong presented something new in his latest chamber piece ``Sundial Chronicles.’’

The festival’s 2009 composer-in-residence offered what he calls ``a rite of spring chronicling the change in time’’ through an eclectic dialogue among Western classical instruments and a couple ``gugak’’ (a traditional Korean music) organs, ``janggu’’ (drum) and ``gayageum’’ (12-string zither).

From left, gayageum and janggu. Photo by moi! During rehearsal

Of course, such a meeting point of East and West isn’t new. One can easily recall Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble which brings together violin, Brazillian shakers and Chinese ``pipa’’ (lute) to create sounds such gadgets weren’t meant to make, or Ahn Eack-tai’s Samulnori Concerto, which features the harmony of Korean traditional percussion art and the Western orchestra.

What is significant in the premiere is the effort of the young composer, who is not yet 28, to deconstruct the concept of chamber music, and the result is spontaneous combustion by what many exclaimed that evening as ``a dream team.’’

Kim himself tackled the piano -- including string plucking with a spoon that John Cage fans would appreciate -- opposite the janggu beats of maestro Kim Duk-soo. The founding father of samulnori brought exhilarating rhythms in solos, but stealthily controlled the volume for other parts in the spirit of true chamber music making.

Photo by moi! During rehearsal. I love it when Mr. Yang exclaimed "eolssu! (얼쑤)!"

They were joined by violinist-SSF artistic director Kang Dong-suk, cellist Yang Sung-won, clarinetist Jerry Jae-il Chae and gayageum artist Kim Ji-hyun. It was something that continues the spirit of shaking up conventions: the Western strings retained their essence but also strived for something more, with some wild lilting and vibrato, that could well have been played by a ``haegeum’’ (Korean fiddle) -- akin to how Isang Yun has the cello croon like ``geomungo’’ (Korean zither) in his Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra.

It would be rash, however, to assume that Yun or the other aforementioned artists influenced Kim. This reporter only mentioned these men’s works in an attempt to illustrate the unique nature of the performance. If a parallel were to be drawn, Chin Unsuk comes to mind -- Kim, like the prolific elder composer, defies categorization and speaks a musical language that is modern yet non-doctrinal.

Born in Korea in 1981, Kim studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in the U.S. He entered the public radar by winning the grand prize of media giant Bertelsmann Group’s 2000 World of Expression Awards and has since premiered diverse works. But ``Sundial Chronicles’’ posed a completely new experimentation, both technical and aesthetic.

``I was in such a zone of discomfort it felt like my first time composing,’’ the musician said about his first time working with Korean instruments, which are percussive and less practical than their Western counterparts.

``It’s a starter,’’ Kim Duk-soo said about the piece. ``Solbong is really talented, and we need more young artists to experiment like he does. I’m looking forward to what he can do next.’’

Indeed, the beauty of ``Sundial Chronicles’’ lies in its innovative power that will, this reporter hopes, propel the creation of something new and named and transcending self and heritage, a struggle every artist faces.

Does this multimedia world, where channels are more open than ever, challenge the creative process? ``It’s only a technical problem. Mediums, expressions will always change, but intentions and ideas of music always come first,’’ he said, citing Rachmaninov as an example of someone was not particularly a pioneer in hs time but whose works have enduring strength. ``As long as you are truthful, art will prevail,’’ he said.

Kim will serve as artistic director of Dumbo Space, a new hall under construction in his current home, New York City, as well as that of the 2009 Atlantic Music Festival, which opens June 22-July 21 in Maine.

Cellist Koh Contributing to Medical Research at Harvard

``Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,’’ but instead of wondering about the road not taken, scientist-musician Koh Bong-ihn is straddling both paths _ playing the cello on the world stage while contributing to medical research at Harvard’s Stem Cell Institute.

``Music requires practice, just like experiments require repetitions to yield results. They’re also all about interpretation,’’ the 23-year-old told The Korea Times at Seoul Arts Center in a recent interview. His family and friends, including Koh’s former teacher, the feted cellist Chung Myung-wha, were seen congratulating his impassioned performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Jeonju Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Jeonju in 1985, Koh made his international debut as an artist at age 12. But unlike most prodigies, he pursued a double degree at Harvard and the New England Conservatory, studying molecular biology while participating in Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road project among other musical engagements.

He certainly enjoys the tension of balancing art and science, but interestingly enough, it is not so much about pursuing both careers. ``It’s the thought of not pursuing both careers that drives me,’’ he said.

``A lot of times I have been tempted to choose just one, when I see my (science) peers do well and have their moments of glory… I could be a better scientist or a better musician if I don’t split my time. But it’s a personal satisfaction, and I wouldn’t be happy if I give up either one,’’ said Koh.

Promoting Peace Through Music

What inspires him is the transforming power of music and science. ``When I play music, I can feel the audience breathing with me. When I’m going home late at night after working in the lab, I pass through the hospital and feel good that I’ve contributed to something that might help patients one day,’’ he said.

Koh’s silver-toned sounds shine through in standard classical repertoires like the Elgar concerto, but he also demonstrates flair for modern pieces. Last year, the cellist awed concertgoers with Isang Yun’s Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra. He enriches his music with his individual artistic intonation, and his melodic, idiomatic phrasings are at times unexpected, but are fresh and organic.

Some say that the critical aspect of artworks, whether it be a Miles Davis improvisation or a Picasso painting, is not so much the featured objects themselves but rather the space between objects. In Koh’s rendition of the Yun concerto, it was the silence between the notes that kept listeners on the edge of their seats.

He had learned about the late Korean-German composers’ music while spending his teens in Germany. As a Korean, he said he felt responsible to endorse Yun’s music and ideals _ ``to use music as a weapon to promote peace.’’

Last October, he became the first South Korean to play the cello concerto with a North Korean ensemble in Pyongyang. ``It was extraordinary,’’ he said about the five-day trip. He had certain expectations about the level of artistry of North Koreans, but was impressed by their prolific musicality and deep understanding of Yun’s work. The young cellist became very attached to the orchestra’s principal violinist and cellist and also had the opportunity to meet Yun’s widow, I Soo-ja.

What lies next? Koh is wrapping up his last semester at the New England Conservatory and is applying for Ph.D programs in stem cell biology. This multitalented musician may seem like the quintessential overachiever in a state of limbo. But he is challenging the notion.

``In about 20 or so years from now, I’d like to imagine myself working in a lab, where the radio is playing a recent performance of mine,’’ he said, eyes brimming behind his glasses.

Kwun to Perform With Tokyo Met Symphony

This young man is like the Big Bang, though his fame has yet to catch up with his towering talents like Sarah Chang here. He could probably make any instrument sound good, but omg his 1774 Guadagnini has that buttery goodness.

Japan’s renowned Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, led by maestro Kazuhiro Koizumi, returns to South Korea April 16. The last time they played here was 23 years ago, and coincidentally enough, it will feature a 23-year-old Korean violinist as soloist.

>>Post-concert comment: The orchestra was awesome. Maestro Koizumi gave flight to such frills-free, yet charismatic music. The audience responded with very little coughs in between movements and gave a standing ovation.

The concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts presents a program of Tchaikovsky, including Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 with Kwun Hyuk-joo, a Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory graduate praised for his ``quintessentially Russian’’ sound. Not surprisingly, it is the violin concerto he performed most frequentlyViolinist Kwun Hyuk-joo will appear as soloist in the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra's concert April 16 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul. /Courtesy of Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation onstage.

``But it’s different each time I play it and depends on the orchestra and conductor,’’ Kwun told The Korea Times, Tuesday, in Seoul, expressing enthusiasm about playing with a major Japanese orchestra for the first time.

The violin concerto seems to have a special place in his heart. ``When you watch a movie, sometimes you feel an emotional release in your heart that’s liberating, refreshing and beautiful. Russians are very free-spirited, relaxed and never rushed. I think among Russian violin concertos, and especially among Russian Romantic works, the Tchaikovsky piece expresses this characteristic of Russians well,’’ he said.

The virtuoso _ and one does not take the world lightly _ is regarded as ``a rising artist that will continue the Russian violin lineage carried on by Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan, Gidon Kramer and Vadim Repin.’’ Kwun was only 18 when he won the 2002 Yampolsky competition, receiving high praise from the elderly Russian maestro Tikhon Khrennikov.

``I feel extremely thankful,’’ he said about such compliments. ``But I myself am never satisfied with my playing. My teacher always told me, `the moment you’re satisfied, you’re doomed.’’’

Out of his tuxedo, Kwun looks nothing like the ``typical’’ classical musician, especially with a piercing in his right eyebrow. Contrary to his funky style and frank speech, however, he was extremely soft-spoken. While there was nothing wrong with his Korean, he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Having moved to the former Soviet State at age 10, he feels more comfortable with Russian. In addition to the language, Russian musicality seems to run in his veins.

He demonstrates lyricism, immaculate technique and powerful gusto _ characteristics that the aforementioned Russian master violinists share. And yet, it would be unfair to limit Kwun’s teeming musicality to the Russian repertoire. In recent years, he has showcased contemporary works with the Kumho Asiana Soloists and gave an exquisite rendition last February of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 with the Seoul Philharmonic.

His repertoire covers all the standard violin pieces, from Paganini to Shostakovich, and keeps expanding as he explores contemporary works. Kwun has also won major international competitions, from the Queen Elisabeth to the Paganini, and has toured extensively in Europe, playing an exquisite 1774 Guadagnini. A young musician couldn’t ask for more.

The road leading to such accomplishments, however, was far from easy. His mother accompanied him to Russia but he was on his own to deal with various discriminations one is bound to face as a foreigner. ``When I look back to it now, I can smile. I used to be quite rebellious about it, but now I feel much more at ease,’’ he said.

Kwun added that he was fortunate to have great teachers like Kim Nam-yun and Eduard Grach. He has resumed his studies in Germany, and works toward his lifelong goal _ to perfect what he already knows, and to become his own teacher one day.

Also featured in the program are Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from ``Eugene Onegin’’ and Symphony No. 5. Tickets cost from 25,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (02) 6303-7700.

Young Star Pianists to Go On Stage

Young, popular pianists will grace Seoul Arts Center this week ― Kim Sun-wook, 20, who is seen as a future leader of the Korean classical music world, will appear Friday with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra; Lim Dong-hyek, the 24-year-old with the following of a rock star, will perform Sunday with the Northern Sinfonia; and Evgeny Kissin, the 37-year-old Russian sensation, will perform a long-awaited recital for local fans on April 2.

>>Click for details

Next Generation Artists Sparkle in Seoul

Youthful exuberance reigned in Seoul last week as Yundi Li, Sung Si-yeon and Alexander Gavrylyuk ― musicians who will lead the future of classical music ― took the stage.

Chinese star pianist Li made sure his Wednesday recital at Seoul Arts Center, the first in six years, would be unforgettable, making fans anticipate his next visit. The following evening at the same venue, conductor Sung lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to create exhilarating rhythms opposite pianist Gavrylyuk.

Yundi Li's Poetic Pianism

As the youngest ever winner of the Chopin International Competition, Yundi Li is naturally associated with the musician. He displayed a different musical streak last year through the new repertoire of Prokofiev and Ravel, demonstrating a flair for rhapsodic melodies and primitive rhythms.

Somewhat ironically, however, it was the 26-year-old's return to a program of Chopin that, though inspiring a pang of nostalgia, demonstrated his ever-evolving growth as a musician ― and suggested that it is perhaps prejudiced to label him as a Chopin specialist.

An enthusiastic audience, including his staunch female fans, greeted the charming pianist. But the hall instantly hushed for his sweeping, balletic renditions of Chopin's ``Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2'' and ``Mazurka Op. 33.''

But the Romanticist shined through with ``Five Yunnan Folk Songs,'' a collection of Chinese folk songs arranged for the piano. Li certainly has an uncanny ability to beautify music, including even some of the most irking pieces of music like Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2. His poeticism was manifest in the melodious folk songs, through which he allowed crystalline tunes to glide like an autumn leaf floating upon a dancing stream.

As if to make the Chopin pieces seem like minor spices to the musical feast, he gave a polished performance of Mussorgsky's ``Pictures at an Exhibition.'' Finally, in response to the prolonged ovations, he gave two encores of beautiful Chinese folk songs. Afterward, members of the audience hurriedly flocked outside to get his autograph.

``It is logical that I am associated with Chopin. But at the same time, he has nothing to do with me, because I can play a wide-ranging repertoire,'' he was quoted as once saying. Indeed, the recital showcased Li's versatility, and moreover, it suggested how unfair it is to mention his name, without fail, alongside Lang Lang just because they are the same age and nationality ― because his musicality seems to know no frontiers.

Sung, Gavrylyuk's Synergy Effect

Li's powerful rendition of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, a piece rarely played in Korea, remains fresh in the minds of many after his CD and tour last year. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's ``New Wave'' Series I featured rising pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk with the same piece, though with his own color and dynamism.

The 24-year-old Ukrainian held the audience in rapt attention with his exquisite technique, tackling particularly the long solo part of the first movement with jazz, with a striking sense of ease and spontaneity.

Conductor Sung Si-yeon, on the other hand, offered a sound that was more organic, rounded and ``organized'' than expected of the robust piece. While the Seoul Philharmonic could have been more reverberating in the third movement, it was nevertheless not without the certain magnetism necessary to match the virtuosity of the soloist and create musical synergy.

Whole minutes disappeared as Gavrylyuk displayed his natural artistry and expansive breadth of emotion, and concertgoers did not ― or rather could not ― let out a single cough between movements. But once the final notes resounded, the concert hall rumbled with ovation, which continued well into the intermission time. For the enraptured audience, the soloist offered ``Flight of the Bumblebee'' as an encore, showcasing more of his ``flying fingers'' (it seems Lang Lang no longer has monopoly over that nickname).

Gavrylyuk launched his career through international events such as the Rubenstein. His fame has only just begun to catch up with his immense talents that deserve greater attention. But he doesn't seem to have to wait long, as he will soon making a recording and concert tour of Prokofiev's complete piano concertos with the Sydney Symphony led by Maestro Vladimir Ashkenezay. In 2012, he will debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the baton of Mihail Platnev.

Meanwhile, Sung shined with another Nordic repertoire. Last year, the assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave a colorful rendition of Sibelius's ``Lemminkainen's Homeward Journey.'' This time she took concertgoers on an invigorating ride into the Finnish composer's musical world with ``Pohjola's Daughter.''

Lastly, she wrapped up the evening with glimmering golden tones in Bartok's ``The Miraculous Mandarin.'' Her charismatic command of the dissonant harmonies showed why she won the Bamberg Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition.

The 34-year-old, chosen among the next generation of classical musicians by The Korea Times along with pianist Li, is a rising ``maestra'' to watch out for. Such young artists as Li, Sung and Gavrylyuk hush concerns over the diminishing interest in classical music.

Read my Next Generation Interview Series with Yundi Li or my recent
email interview with the pianist.
Read my Next Generation Interview Series with Sung Si-yeon.

Violist O’Neill Set to Dazzle Fans

This guy has an amazing stage presence. I've also noticed his exquisite taste in shoes.

Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill/Photo Courtesy of Credia

Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill is back to show off a different musical streak. The 30-year-old star musician begins a cross-country tour this weekend to play tracks from his fourth solo album ``Mysterioso’’ (Archiv Produktion/Universal), a Baroque project with the renowned period ensemble Alte Musik Koln.

``If I were to find a main concept to tie all of the tracks together, I would have to say it is the sound world within which the piece exists,’’ said O’Neill in a statement. The album features Baroque classics like Corelli’s Violin Sonata No. 12 ``La Folia’’ and Vitali’s Chaconne in G minor _ which, based on manuscripts, are a special treat for period music purists.

For the recording, the artist modified his viola, a rare Giovanni Tononi from 1699, with gut strings, which are not wound like today’s synthetic steel ones, and used a baroque bow. ``The timbre of the viola is even more mellow, rich and gentle, with gut strings. I am sure that any listener will be able to tell right away how different and mysterious the tone color is,’’ he said.

To capture the life and energy of the pieces, he paid heed to articulations of notes, tempi and hierarchy of beats. The style indeed contrasts sharply with the poeticism of O’Neill’s earlier albums, but his way of liberating a controlled gust of lush emotion and whirlwind colors remains unchanged.

``As classical musicians, we dedicate our whole lives to the pursuit of deepening our knowledge and understanding of the great masterpieces of the great composers of all time… Baroque period practice affects so much of what we do in later periods, including the work of Mozart and Brahms. Those composers had deep respect of the Baroque,’’ he said.

After entering the public spotlight through a TV documentary as the loving son of a Korean adoptee, the violist has been captivating fans with his music. In addition to his best-selling albums and sold-out performances, O’Neill’s stardom was manifested in appearances in the sensational TV soap ``Beethoven Virus’’ and a fashion-icon award ceremony alongside movie stars.

One of the few violists to receive the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Grammy nomination, O’Neill studied at the Juilliard School in New York. While appearing in various halls, he also teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Read my previous interview with Mr. O'Neill. He also published an essay on classical music.

Metropolitan Opera to Feature Korean Singer in Leading Role

Korean American soprano Kathleen Kim will play a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York during the 2009-2010 season.

Following in the footsteps of sopranos Hong Hei-kyung, Sumi Jo and Shin Young-ok, Kim is the fourth ethnic Korean diva to play a principal role in the world-renowned troupe. According to the Metropolitan Opera’s season announcement Tuesday, Kim will play the role of Olympia in ``Les Contes d’Hoffmann,’’ which will run from Dec. 3 to Jan. 2, 2010.

In the French opera by Jacques Offenbach, the protagonist falls in love with Olympia. Kim will sing the famous ``Doll Song’’ opposite tenor Rolando Villazon, who will star as Hoffmann, and star soprano Anna Netrebko will assume the part of the tragic Antonia.

Kim attended Seoul Arts High School and received her BA and MA at the Manhattan School of Music. She debuted with the Chicago Opera Theater in 2006 as Madame Mao Tse-tung in ``Nixon in China,’’ to rave reviews. The following season, she appeared with the Metropolitan Opera in ``Le Nozze di Figaro’’ and this year in ``The Magic Flute.’’ ``Les Contes d’Hoffmann’’ marks her third consecutive season with the opera

Pianist Kim Sun-wook Returns From London

Revisiting my series of interviews with "the next generation of classical musicians" that won me a little trophy from The Korea Times :) Mr. Kim is an old spirit possessing a boy's body, who seems to burn in his heart a steady, fiery love for music that leaves room for nothing (no one) else... He appears impossible to disturb like a rock, as he conquers the stage with unbelievable weight (spiced with dreamy head tilting a la Mr. Lang Lang). I look forward to his growth in the international music scene.


Young virtuoso pianist Kim Sun-wook, 20, returns from London to give a concert in Seoul, Saturday, with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (Radio Symphony Orchestra). /Photo courtesy of Vincero

South Korea’s hottest young pianist Kim Sun-wook has returned home after expanding his horizons in Europe.

Exactly a year has passed since my last interview with him as part of ``the next generation of classical musicians,’’ when he had just signed with international arts management company Askonas Holt. After spending six months in his new London home, the 20-year-old appeared slimmer and much more relaxed and confident.

But one thing remained unchanged, his undying diligence and ardent passion for the stage, which is ``like a drug addiction.’’ Just like last year, the Seollal (Lunar New Year’s) holiday meant practice time, especially before his concert with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (Radio Symphony Orchestra) Saturday in Seoul and Monday in Gyeonggi Province.

His secret to success remains quite simple, he said -- ``practice makes perfect.’’ This comes despite having already played Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, the featured piece in the upcoming performances, in 2007 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France led by maestro Chung Myung-whun.

Kim decided to revisit the piece in order to show fans his musical progress -- a strong affirmation to display a different level of pianism.

The pianist rose to stardom here as one of the youngest winners of the 2004 Leeds Piano Competition among other major international events. . ``Nobody recognizes me here either,’’ he said, laugh, that Korean fans barely recognize him offstage. Moving to London was a stepping-stone to a larger classical music scene. ``What did I see in London? I saw my place as a debutant. There were endless performances by artists my age.’’












>>More

Read a previous interview with Kim Sun-wook

Pianist Lim Dong-min Turns New Page in Career

Mr. Lim is very talented, of course.... but very taciturn... it makes it rather difficult to interview him, but a musician's music speaks louder than a thousand words trying to describe it.

Pianist Lim Dong-min is opening a new chapter in his career, with the release of his first solo album and appointment to a teaching position at Keimyung University. The 28-year-old is going from student to associate professor _ skipping the usual six-year route _ and has painted his first self-portrait ``Beethoven’’ packaged nicely by Sony BMG.

One would expect such an artist would have much to say. Some musicians are vocal about their art, while others allow their work to speak for itself _ and Lim seems to be the latter.

``I don’t have any particular thoughts,’’ Lim commented about completing his album in an interview with The Korea Times. He brings Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31, Op. 110, Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 ``Moonlight’’ and No. 23, Op. 56 ``Appassionata.’’

``I felt at ease while recording,’’ he said about recording in New York, where he currently resides. Max Wilcox, a Grammy Award-winning producer who has worked on Beethoven recording with piano greats like Artur Rubinstein and Richard Goode, took charge. Lim received lessons from Goode himself while studying at Mannes Music School in New York. ``(Wilcox) was quite resolute about what he wanted, but I agreed that it was best to be faithful to the composer’s intentions,’’ he said.

Lim’s rendition of No. 31 _ beautiful, rollicking phrasings flowing freely within an austere traditional cadre _ seems to be the voice for the taciturn pianist.

The pianist’s choice of Beethoven marks a turn away from his reputation as a Chopin specialist. ``I wanted to try something new and not be trapped in the Chopin repertoire,’’ he said. He selected every pianist’s childhood favorites ``Moonlight’’ and its usual counterpart ``Appassionata.’’ He added No. 31 because he wanted to play one of Beethoven’s later works that foreshadow the Romantic period. Moreover, he simply plays what he likes. His will be recording a couple more CDs with Sony, perhaps Schubert or Beethoven, but he has no intention to do a full cycle of Beethoven’s sonatas. ``We’ll have to see,’’ he said. ``But I would like to give Bach a try since I have never played his pieces,’’ he added after a slight pause.

This isn’t Lim’s first CD. He has recordings of his 15th International Chopin Competition-winning performances (Victor, 2006). Sharing the third prize at the prestigious Warsaw event with his younger brother Dong-hyek elevated them both to stardom, and accepting the position at Keimyung University, which houses the Chopin Academy of Music & Performing Arts, was a natural choice. ``I don’t think of it as a big burden or anything. I simply want to deliver what I learned,’’ he said.

Having started the piano at a relatively late age of nine, Lim’s rapid development took him abroad to Russia’s Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Germany’s Hanover Hochscule fur Music. ``I started playing the piano because everyone did at the time,’’ he said, and he didn’t dislike it. ``Music,’’ he said, ``is just one method of expressing yourself.’’

Lim in a way, almost demystifies the magical aura that often shrouds musicians and the creative process of music making. He doesn’t listen to classical music 24 hours a day _ in fact he doesn’t even have a stereo at his New York apartment. Having grown up as a fan of Michael Jackson, he spends his free time tuning into Korean drama soundtracks.

The media spotlight and attention of thousands of fans don’t bother him either. ``I don’t really pay attention to fans. I don’t mind the press, either,’’ he said, not with haughty or bemused indifference but unfaltering honesty _ perhaps a reflection of the instrumental clarity and clean, white sound of his ``Moonlight’’ sonata.

Lim celebrates the release of his first solo album with a recital at Seoul Arts Center, Sept. 28. He will play Sonatas No. 31 and 23 as well as Listz’s Sonata in B Minor, S. 178. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. Call (02) 599-5743.

Lang Lang, Less Than Stellar

I don't consider myself a harsh critic; but I felt strongly compelled to write this terrible review of Mr. Lang's performance in Seoul because fans like myself have been lured to big concerts with big names, only to be disappointed like recieving an empty gift box with a fancy wrapping. It angers me that poorly organized yet painfully expensive performances can sell like hotcakes. I personally think Mr. Lang is a fabulous artist and I how his whole Mozart-meets-MTV appeal attracts non-fans to classical music, but his chemistry -- or complete lack thereof -- with the La Scala Philharmonic was exasperating.




When a major concert hall, fully packed with some 2,500 people, rumbles with an explosive ovation complete with bravos, you may wonder if something is wrong with you for not wanting to do the same. The majority of the audience, in this reporter's humble opinion, heard what they wanted to hear ― that their $200 ticket was well worth it.


Three stars ― maestro conductor Chung Myung-whun; pianist Lang Lang, who became even more famous when he graced the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics; and La Filarmonica della Scala (La Scala Philharmonic) of the revered Italian opera house. Hearing these three giants together in concert was naturally expected to be stellar. Yet, Tuesday and Wednesday's performances in Seongnam and Seoul, respectively, were disappointing to say the least.


Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, one of the most frequently played works in Seoul, was disastrous. The structured playing and tempered whimsicality Lang demonstrated in his live recording with the Valery Gergiev-led Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater (Deutsche Grammophon) was nowhere to be found.

Lang's vulgar expressivity was baffling, particularly the self-indulgent manner in which he walked ― or tickled, rather ― the melodic lines of the second movement. This reporter does not criticize the pianist's dreamy head tilting and full body demonstrations of each note. Though some people dismiss him as a ``hammy actor'' for it (The New York Times), how can one not feel like waltzing to the ringing bells and whispering winds of the concerto? Some of the pianissimos were finely crafted ― subtle, sweeping and balletic, but Lang's touches throughout the first two movements were far too light, completely disregarding the weighty color of the Russian piece.

In the third movement, the crowd-pleasing pianist went completely solo ― caring very little to harmonize with the orchestra, and the rhythm faltered throughout. When pianist Lim Dong-hyek recently performed Tchaikovsky's First Concerto with Vladimir Ashkenezay's EU Youth Orchestra, a mismatched tempo in the third movement was immediately corrected. Such spirit of mutual music making was completely absent in both of Lang's performances.

In Tuesday's program, La Scala continued with a dispirited rendition of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The orchestra seemed better fit for sensuous Puccini or Verdi tunes, and lacked the capacity to paint the full, bursting colors of the Russian piece. The tempo was tortuously slow throughout the first half of the work, and the orchestra members seemed more preoccupied with catching up and playing it safe.


Mahler's ``Titan'' the following evening, which required even more voluminous sounds, was enervating to hear. Maestro Chung, who is much loved in France and Korea for his masterful rendition of Mahler's entire symphony repertoire, seemed very lonely up on the stage, fighting a failing battle with all his might with an unprepared troupe.

A concert in which the audience, conductor, orchestra and soloist respire together, at times taking long, meditative breaths and other times taking one's breath away, seems to have become a rarity. The audience appeared pleased nevertheless, and Lang's CDs and the newly published Korean translation of his memoir were selling furiously in the concert hall lobbies. A personal autograph from the world media's favorite pianist apparently serviced the star-struck audience.
(The Korea Times)

Read the interview with Mr. Lang

Rising 'Maestra' Sung Returns

A generation after maestri Marin Alsop and Simone Young took the baton to the glass ceiling there is still no consensus on how to properly address a female master conductor. While ``maestra'' may sound like a logical female form of maestro, it really denotes schoolteacher in Italian.

This issue may become more relevant in the years to come, with promising young assistant conductors like the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Sung Shi-yeon and the New York Philharmonic's Xian Zhang.

This points to a more general question: Does gender still matter?

``I do not think of my gender when I conduct, because it is my idea that colors my music,'' Sung told The Korea Times in a telephone interview. The statement seemed more like pensive introspection than an aggressive objection. The 33-year-old, tall, charismatic and almost fiercely energetic onstage, had a delicate, feminine voice bouncing with laughter throughout the conversation.

After winning first prize at the 2006 International Conductors' Competition for Sir Georg Solti, she was invited by James Levine to join the American ensemble. Her success was followed by another top award at the Bamberg Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition last year. '

``I've just started my career, so I haven't been everywhere'' ― she said humbly but not without confidence ― ``but I did feel each country has a different mood. I just got back from Sweden, and my gender didn't seem to matter at all. But I do feel a bit pressured when I perform in musically conservative countries like Germany and Austria, where the legacies of great conductors live on.''

The Busan native made her conducting debut in her homeland by opening the 2007 season for the Seoul Philharmonic. She will return for her second concert Sept. 19. ``In Korea, where age and gender matter, both the audience and musicians do seem to be amazed,'' said Sung. ``But I think that odd factor will disappear, just like how discrimination against female instrumentalists have. Today, women make up half, and in many cases more than half, of orchestras,'' she said.

Born in 1975, Sung started playing the piano at age four. She was an accomplished young player who won several competitions. After making her solo concert debut when she was 13, she studied abroad in Germany. Local reports said Sung turned to conducting after an injury terminated her piano career, but she said this was a misunderstanding.

``It is true I got injured. But I wanted to explore other areas of music, and conducting happened to be one of them,'' she said. She undertook conductor and orchestral conducting studies with Prof. Rolf Reuter at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. Her teacher, she said, was essential for her growth as a musician and individual. When asked if she ever misses the piano, she said she plays from time to time. She enjoys the immediacy and intimacy of piano playing, but exploring the vast ocean of musical literature as a conductor consumes her artistry in the meantime.

What is the beauty of conducting? ``A group of musicians can play any given piece. Of course a conductor can help them harmonize and bring about a sense of unity. But I love how a single person's personality and interpretation ― I suppose what you could call charisma ― can change the sound of an orchestra,'' she said. While continuing to split her time between Boston and Germany, Sung wishes to challenge herself with the opera genre. She already has some experience under her belt, having led ``The Magic Flute'' in the Mozart in Berlin Festival and other projects with German theaters.

Sung returns to conduct the Seoul Philharmonic for the second of its serial ``Classical Concerto'' series, Sept. 19 at Seoul Arts Center. Versatile pianist Dejan Lazic, known for his beautiful phrasing and dynamism, will join the ensemble for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58. ``I believe No. 4 is the most beautiful of Beethoven's piano concertos,'' she said.

Also included in the program are Sibelius's ``Lemminkainen's Homeward Journey'' and Mussorgsky's ``Pictures at an Exhibition.'' The conductor said she prepared for the pieces by studying the paintings that accompany the music. For inquiries about the concert, call (02) 3700-6300.

The concert is expected to be a picturesque musical feast. But it is hoped that the visual stimulation, if any, would be within the realms of the imagination inspired by the vivid music, rather than the unfamiliar presence of a woman gracing center stage with a baton.

Violinist Chen Xi Leads Classical Music

This is the 20th and last in a series of interviews with the next-generation of classical musicians. ― ED.

The 1981 Academy Award-winning film ``From Mao to Mozart'' documented the Western classical music scene in China as it emerged from the Cultural Revolution. The last 15 minutes of the movie showed an earnest 10-year-old playing the cello before Isaac Stern. This was none other than esteemed cellist Jian Wang.

Now a generation later, China is becoming a major market for almost everything, and it seems classical musicians are one of its hottest exports. If Wang represented a changing China, here are the faces of ``new'' China, pianist Lang Lang and violinist Chen Xi.

>>Read about Mr. Lang Lang here.

Chen Xi's Ongoing Musical Journey

It came as a small surprise when the soft-spoken, unassuming professor Hyo Kang personally recommended a young man for the ``next generation'' series. But it seemed only natural the artistic director of the Great Mountains Music Festival and School would bring attention to Chen Xi. Kang is teaching the 23-year-old violinist at Yale beginning this fall, but Chen was already introduced in Korea last yedar as a ``genius with gorgeous tones and colors.''

The Korea Times spotted Chen conversing animatedly with Jian Wang and other musicians at the music festival. Chen looks up to Wang and Lang Lang like older brothers, but he is fast building his own reputation as one of the most promising artists of his generation.At 17, he became the youngest top prizewinner in the history of the International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition, finishing second where no first prize was awarded.

This was despite an unfortunate hand injury before the semi-finals. The Moscow event coincided with the 2002 World Cup, and hooligans who weren't happy with the match against Japan attacked Asians including Chen. He couldn't play for three days. While this handicap would have been enough to devastate anyone, Chen relaxed.

``I was here for the experience,'' he said. He was no stranger to injuries. When he was 10, he hurt his neck from excessive practicing. Fortunately, he was able to recuperate, and has been a firm believer in moderation ever since. It also reaffirmed his passion for music.

It's hard not to draw more similarities between Chen and his ``older brother'' Lang Lang. Like the pianist, the violinist fulfilled the musical ambitions of his father, who had to submit to the Cultural Revolution. ``When I was born, he checked to see I had all 10 fingers. Then he checked my face to see how I looked,'' he said laughing.

Growing up in Shenyang, he was already naming Mozart and Beethoven pieces at age two and was fiddling the violin for fun as a five-year-old with his neighbor, pianist Lang. When he was 12, he became the youngest student at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Following the advise of Lang, he moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute.

Chen and Lang would later tour together in Taiwan with the China Youth Symphony Orchestra.There weren't many quality concerts where he was growing up, he said. He admitted being a rather ``snobby'' soloist who got ``bored'' during rehearsals with orchestras. Moving to the U.S. and meeting passionate musicians changed his life. He discovered his love for chamber and orchestral music.In Beijing alone, there are some 300,000 violin players and 1 million pianists, including professionals and amateurs, said Chen.

Does he have any advice for those who want to follow a similar path? ``It's important to know what you want before studying abroad,'' he said. No matter how far from home, he always remembers what his teacher back in China told him. ``There are three things to keep in mind: history, the composer and nature,'' he said. Man is part of nature and music is a means of expressing human emotions, he explained.

The violinist looked surprisingly young offstage, wearing a T-shirt and boyish grin. But his gaze remained steady and the confidence in his voice was unwavering as he spoke about music. Winning a prize, let alone the top prize, at a tough competition was a big surprise. He had tried his best and was happy, but always keeps looking ahead: ``the competition was not my final goal. It's not my final destination,'' he said.

His journey has just begun.

Lang Lang: Mozart Meets MTV

Mr. Lang wearing the Adidas sneakers bearing his name

This is the 20th and last in a series of interviews with the next-generation of classical musicians. ― ED.

The 1981 Academy Award-winning film ``From Mao to Mozart'' documented the Western classical music scene in China as it emerged from the Cultural Revolution. The last 15 minutes of the movie showed an earnest 10-year-old playing the cello before Isaac Stern. This was none other than esteemed cellist Jian Wang.

Now a generation later, China is becoming a major market for almost everything, and it seems classical musicians are one of its hottest exports. If Wang represented a changing China, here are the faces of ``new'' China, pianist Lang Lang and violinist Chen Xi.

Lang Lang: Mozart Meets MTV

At 26, Lang Lang already has a ``best of'' album, and recently performed before 5 billion viewers at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

It was ``unbelievable,'' he said about the opening ceremony in an email interview with The Korea Times. ``My heart is still pumping fast when I think about it. It was a miracle opening night, and representing the new generation of China this way was a really big honor.''

But Lang is more than just a Chinese star pianist. He's been like the big bang of the international classical music scene ― the Mozart of the MTV generation ― with maestros giving him the highest praise, Netizens not getting enough of him on YouTube and Adidas naming a sneaker after him.

``I can't describe him as a pianist, because you will only hear in my sentence the jealousy that I and all his colleagues feel,'' Daniel Barenboim said once. ``I'm sure he didn't show you, but you know, he has 11 fingers. He plays the piano like a cat with 11 fingers.''

Lang said music was the most natural thing for him: ``The piano happened to be the instrument I loved the most from the beginning. I think this is what you call instinct.'' The Shenyang native began playing at age three and moved to Beijing to enter the country's most prestigious conservatory ― bidding farewell to his mother to live in an unheated apartment. He had to hit the piano keys to keep warm and endure his austere father who would tell him to kill himself when he didn't measure up to expectations. This story, of course, is already familiar, and has inspired his two memoirs in English, ``Journey of a Thousand Miles: My Story'' and ``Lang Lang: Playing With Flying Keys.''

He said he wanted to inspire people through his books. ``I think that there are many things in the world you can dream of, but you are always afraid that it's a dream. I try to inspire people that everything is possible, and if you believe, you will eventually get it.''But the pianist's ultimate method of communication is, naturally, music. ``It's like you are talking to people or to yourself,'' he said. ``The amazing thing is, it is through that conversation between you and the music, between the composers' creation and your recreation, that you learn a new life… All of those things connect to your soul and help you to cross the barriers. Music is a very powerful art.''

He said he wants to paint different ``music colors'' and moods in each piece. ``Sometimes I like to start with lighter colors and go really light or go in the opposite direction,'' he said. He will be showcasing one of his favorites, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2, with the La Scala Philharmonic led by maestro Chung Myung-whun in Seoul, Sept. 10.

Read about violinist Chen Xi, Mr. Lang's childhood friend.

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.

Young Maestros Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Li Yundi to Take Center Stage

Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin /Photo courtesy of CMI

This is the 14th in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians ― ED

Youthful musicians are making their way to Korea. Thirty three-year-old conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin and Chinese ``superstar'' Li Yundi, 26, will perform in Seoul June 25.

``I am 33. Working with the best orchestras and going to all the great countries, including Korea, I mean, I am living my own dream,'' said Nezet-Seguin in an e-mail interview. He knew he wanted to become a conductor at age 10, and he is visiting Seoul as the new principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

``This is my first big tour. Rotterdam Philharmonic is an orchestra that is very, very special in the European landscape. (It possesses an) extraordinary energy and you don't find this always in other orchestras. It's important to show the world what we are able to do,'' he said.

The concert will be a rare treat for local concertgoers, as it features Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2. Li recently recorded a deeply affecting, lyrical rendition of the concerto with the Seiji Ozawa-led Berlin Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammophon).


Pianist Yundi Li/Photo courtesy of CMI

``(Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2) is different and special. Not so many people play it, unlike Prokofiev 3rd,'' said Li in an email. ``Yet, it is a wonderful work. The technique side especially is challenging and different, with two cadenzas in the first and last movements.''

Maestro Ozawa hailed the pianist for his technical brilliance and rare display of poeticism. Nezet-Seguin, a concert pianist himself, also gave his compliments. ``The concerto is known for its difficulty. Prokofiev composed this piece when his friend committed suicide. Yundi made it easy to listen to, exhibiting a great sense of energy throughout. He is able to sustain the energy and transmit it to the audience,'' he said, adding how he's happy to have a new friend as well.

``I performed with (Nezet-Seguin) in Canada and he surely is a special conductor,'' said Li. ``Both being young artists, I want to try some special project with him in the future.''

At 18, Li became the world's youngest and China's first winner of the 14th Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition. But that would be his last competition. ``Competition is a challenge for a young artist to start as a musician. After (Chopin) I was able to start my professional career, such as recording,'' he said. Li went on to make critically acclaimed Chopin and Liszt albums (Decca and Deutsche Grammophon). He has a solid fan base here and gave two Romantic concerts. The Prokofiev signals a new repertoire.

Also included in the program is Ravel's ``La Valse.'' The French music reflects a new direction for the Rotterdam Philharmonic under Nezet-Seguin, a French-Canadian. Called a ``young Simon Rattle'' (the maestro also conducted the Rotterdam Philharmonic in his youth), he succeeds Valery Gergiev.

About succeeding ``the master and genius Gergiev,'' he said, ``I am now responsible but I try to keep the great tradition of this fantastic orchestra. But I will also try to broaden the repertoire.'' >>More

Ensemble Ditto Storms Across Korea

The ultimate boy band of the classical music world.

Members of the ensemble Ditto from left: pianist Lim Dong-hyek, 24; violinists Stefan Jackiw, 23, and Johnny Lee, 29; cellist Patrick Jee, 30; double bassist DaXun Zhang, 28; and violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, 29. This photo is also part of their modeling campaign for Theory Korea. / Courtesy of Credia

Last year, a group of young men took the local music scene by storm. At chamber group Ditto’s Seoul concerts, die hard fans darted for the door before the last song came to an end so they could line up for autographs. They’re like the Shinhwa of the classical music scene.

Ditto is back for their second season, which is expected to be ``bigger and better,’’ said violinist Johnny Lee, 29, at the opening night performance Wednesday in Seoul’s hip Hongdae area.

The chamber group has certainly gotten bigger, with pianist Lim Dong-hyek, 24, violinist Stefan Jackiw, 23, and double bassist Daxun Zhang, 28, joining Lee, violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, 29, and cellist Patrick Jee, 30.

Mozart’s Duo for Violin & Viola K.423 and Beethoven’s ``Razumovsky’’ String Quartet No. 9 filled the small hall where indie rock bands usually perform. Dressed comfortably in jeans, the young musicians conversed afterward with their mostly female fans. When asked if they had girlfriends, Jackiw exposed his single status and the crowd shrieked with excitement.

Jackiw, who, apart from being an up and coming artist in the United States, is noted here for being the grandson of celebrated writer Pi Chun-duk. ``I’ve read both his essays and his poems and spent a lot of time with him in the summer. He was a fan of classical music and we talked a lot about literature and paintings… Spending time with him and talking about music influenced my music,’’ he said, adding that he learned about great musicians like Herbert von Karajan and Anne-Sophie Mutter through him.

Outside the hall, large posters and stationary featuring the youthful members were on sale _ rather than CDs. While there is sharp criticism about the overly commercial ``star’’ marketing tactics, the group’s public appeal is incontestable. Au contraire to stereotypes that chamber music is boring, the group secured a tour across nine cities, beginning with Daejeon on Sunday all the way down to Busan (June 20), then back in Seoul (June 28) and finally Inchoen (July 2).

Ditto is recognized for reaching out to a wider audience, and the tour includes stopovers at elementary schools in Busan and Daegu. Many non-classical music fans learned to appreciate the genre because of these Korean and Asian-American musicians, indicated by the group’s online fan community. Fans flocked to Hoam Art Center for Lee and Jee’s recitals Thursday and Friday, and concertgoers kept glancing back during breaks as other Ditto members were seated at the rear.

Chamber music seems to invigorate the members’ lives as well. ``I usually get really nervous about going onstage, but chamber music relieves me of that kind of stress. In addition to making great music, I’m just excited about working and hanging out with guys my age,’’ said Lim, who is receiving positive feedback on his newly released album (Bach’s ``Goldberg Variations,’’ EMI). ``Plus, I don’t have that many guy friends so this is very nice,’’ he laughed. The pianist cooked doenjang jjigae (bean curd stew) for the members in his New York apartment.

Lee, the only ethnic Korean member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said although June is vacation for him, playing with Ditto ``doesn’t feel like working.’’ Jee also expressed his excitement about collaborating with good friends.

The highlight of the group’s program this year is Schubert’s Piano Quintet ``The Trout.’’ The Austrian composer wrote it when he was 22, and classical music legends like pianist Daniel Barenboim, violinist Itzhak Perlman, violist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Jacqueline du Pre and double bassist Zubin Mehta jammed onstage together for the piece in their youth.

O’Neill said he thought long and hard about deciding on a piece that would be satisfying for a diverse audience, including both fans and people who don’t know much about classical music.

The Seoul performances will take place at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., June 28, at the Seoul Arts Center near Nambu Bus Terminal station on subway line 3. Call 1577-5266.

``Ditto'' is also the title of the book violist O'Neill wrote.

Yoo: Child Prodigy to Maestro

Mr. Yoo is very charming and, of course, extremely talented. He's one of those artists that remind you how physical the act of performing is. He metamorphosizes into different postures, taking on a new presence, depending on whether he's playing a whimsical Listz etude or a powerful Beethoven piece...

This is the 11th in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians

Ian Yung-wook Yoo
(Courtesy of Seoul Arts Management)

Some time ago, a 10-year-old boy surprised Korea with an original piano sonata, and the big media spotlight trailed this ``Mozart of Korea.’’ Now, after 20 years of studying abroad, championing several competitions and world tours, the 30-year-old is back.

Pianist Ian Yung-wook Yoo paved a special place for himself in the world of classical music. In 1998 the Juilliard graduate won First Prize by unanimous vote at the Paloma O’Shea Santander International Competition. After releasing his first Franz Liszt album under the Naxos label, he went to tour the world. Recently, he made headlines for winning the Second International Beethoven Piano Competition in Bonn, Germany as well as the second prize in the 16th Vianna de Motta (where now first prize was awarded).

Appearing onstage with renowned artists like Mischa Maisky and the world’s premier orchestras, he seems to be living the happy success story. But the transition from child prodigy to a mature musician, Yoo told The Korea Times, was far from easy. The growing pains hit hard.

``It was damaging to the psyche’’ he said about the special treatment he received as a boy. All the media attention and pressure stalled his musicality, and he stopped composing. ``Before (composing) was pure pleasure, but after my first showcase (at age 10), I felt so much pressure,’’ he said. But now, he said it’s all about going back to the beginning.

``I had to make a conscious decision to change from being a `child prodigy,’ ’’ he said. The past five years has been a time of great ``self-transformation.’’ ``I used to be shy, sensitive, easily hurt little boy with a fragile ego. I was that stereotypical image of a child prodigy stuck in his own little world and full of himself. Now people are shocked to see how open and easy-going I am,’’ he laughed.

A lonely world tour after winning the Paloma O’Shea Santander enabled him to reflect. What hinders the prematurely talented is that they have difficulty relating to the growth normal kids go through. They also have a lesser sense of awe and reverence for music than those who diligently devote themselves to music. ``It’s disillusioning. But now I realized it matters how much time I practice and how much sincerity I put in,’’ he said.

``Now I love performing onstage more than ever. It’s like dating. The audience is like a date _ if there’s no chemistry it won’t work. Music reveals the range of human emotion and experience one can encompass, and life is not black and white. It has dynamics and you reveal your soul in different ways,’’ he said.

``Music is not me. It’s hard to realize for many musicians, and thinking that you are your music distracts you from devoting yourself to music. It’s hard to take criticisms, too. You need to separate yourself from music. While (your playing) does reveal many aspects of your personality and background, it’s only a reflection of yourself,’’ emphasized Yoo.

Going further back in time, Yoo’s first steps with music wasn’t smooth _ not all child prodigies pick things up in a split second like Freddie Highmore in ``August Rush.’’ ``I was five years old when I first tried learning the piano. It was a disaster,’’ he said. He quit.

Unlike the typical idea of a pitch-perfect child prodigy playing a sonata after the first hearing, Yoo was different. In a sense, he mastered music theory _ a dreaded subject for many musicians _ first. He said his fondness with sheet music helps enormously, enabling him to learn music quickly.

``I was fascinated by the music’s musical score and not primarily because of the sound. I love symbols and really enjoy looking at mathematical equations and things even if I don’t understand all of it. I wanted to write down everything,’’ he said.

A year after the initial failure, Yoo was inspired by ``For Elise’’ and waltzed with the piano. ``Now I have so much fun with the piano, people tell me that as long as I have the piano I’d be OK if I’m stranded on an island,’’ said the pianist, who was constantly drumming his fingers on an invisible keyboard, to the background piano tunes in the rather noisy café.

``I try hard to achieve a sense of complete abandonment _ not let remorse or hesitation get in the way with music,’’ he said. The difference between a master and a student, he said, is that the latter just goes by the book while that the former has a sense of conviction that translates to the audience.

Teaching helped complete his spiritual facelift. While working on his doctorate degree during the past few years, he also gave lessons to young pianists.

``While teaching I learned many things, like the power of living in the moment,’’ he said. Finding the right direction for each student, like one who doesn’t wholeheartedly appreciate music. ``Sometimes many buttons aren’t on the keyboard,’’ he said.

But one thing Yoo stresses to all his students is body language. ``You posture dictates your attitude toward music. Music is a very physical activity,’’ he said, explaining how one cannot play flowing Chopin pieces with the force and rigor of weighty Beethoven.

``Sound is equivalent to the gesture I need to make, with all different energies, because every color in music has a corresponding sound,’’ he said.

``My flame was dying but it was rekindled by teaching and performing in Europe. Before I was more interested in teaching because I was disillusioned in my playing and thought I was (better) fit to help others. Now, I’m in transition _ playing has a bigger role in my life. Another adventure lies ahead _ I can’t see where the limit will be, but we’ll see. I’m very excited,’’ he smiled.

Yoo has achieved something of a miracle. The long gone glory of childhood celebrity is like a black hole, but he has escaped it. It was more than overcoming growing pains but remapping the human soul. Teaching and playing _ it doesn’t seem too hard to ask for both. As for composing, he said he hopes to get his back on it.

In his upcoming recital, Yoo will showcase his standard repertoire that brought him much luck in the competitions: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21 ``Waldstein’’ and Six Variations on a Theme, as well as Chabrier’s ``Bourree Fantasque’’ and Liszt’s Piano Sonata.

The Monday concert is at the Seoul Arts Center, located near exit 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal station on subway line 3. Tickets cost 30,000-70,000 won. Yoo will also appear as accompanist in soprano Im Sun-hae’s recital June 30. Call (02) 548-4480 for both concerts. He will be recording Beethoven’s piano variations in July under the Naxos label.

Violinist Choi Ye-eun's Blooming Musicality

This is the seventh in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians - Korea Times

``I couldn’t put it down,’’ Choi Ye-eun told The Korea Times about playing the violin for the first time at age seven. ``The violin felt alive. It was like a friend,’’ said the 19-year-old, a rising young star in Korea and Germany. /Courtesy of Choi Ye-eun

Violinist Choi Ye-eun is the very image of a flower. When the smiling, petite 19-year-old met with The Korea Times, she was pretty in pink and constantly fiddling the rose sitting before her on the table. But her powerful stage presence is far from dainty and frail _ she’s more like a strong and vibrant sunflower. Deeply rooted in fertile lands, she lets nature take its course, allowing her pure love and passion for music naturally guide her growth.

``I never consciously thought, `I am going to become someone,’ nor did I systematically participate in competitions. It all came quite naturally,’’ said Choi. One of the most promising talents to emerge from Korea and Germany in recent years, she was named one of the ``Emerging Artists of 2007’’ by the American Symphony Orchestra League.

After studying under Kim Nam-yun, Choi currently works with Ana Chumachenko in Munich with the support of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. The violinist is in town to appear as soloist for the Kent Nagano-helmed Montreal Symphony Orchestra this weekend.

This will be her second time performing with the Canadian orchestra. The first was when she was 15, as the youngest ever winner of the 2003 Montreal International Musical Competition. This was not long after winning second prizes at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians and the 2003 Leopold-Mozart concours.

``I love the stage, and thought of competitions as just another chance to be onstage,’’ said Choi, who debuted at the age of 10 with the Seoul Philharmonic. ``I chose to enter concours based on the repertoire. If I enter a competition, the preliminary rounds are like recitals where I can play beautiful concertos.’’

Born in Seoul, Choi grew up in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. She began playing the violin at the relatively late age of seven. She had been playing the piano since five, but instantly fell in love with the violin.

``I couldn’t put it down. It was playtime for me. I’d hurry finishing up my schoolwork so I could play with the violin,’’ she smiled. ``I never felt the piano ‘spoke’ to me, but the violin felt alive. It was like a friend,’’ said Choi, who never left her ``best friend’’ unguarded that day at the buffet lunch. The Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation’s Free Instrument Bank sponsors Choi’s Giuseppe Guadagnini.

Unlike many parents who zealously push talented children to practice on end, Choi’s family was, initially, not fully supportive. Her father, an engineer at Samsung Group, and mother, a former schoolteacher, were avid fans of classical music, but they thought the life of an artist would be too tough.

It was her violin teacher who insisted the eight-year-old Choi pursue music more seriously. ``She declared to my parents that she’d give up if I fail the junior audition for the Korea National University of Arts. But I made it,’’ she said.

Since then, she simply practiced for her own pure joy and also because she loved her teachers so much. Germany became her second home by chance, when a manager from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation noticed her in a local festival in 2005 and recommended her to Anne-Sophie herself.

``It was a perplexing audition. I was given one month to practice Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Schostakovich concertos as well as Ravel, Beethoven and Debussy sonatas. But at the session I was asked to play Bach,’’ she said. The Foundation awarded the young artist a scholarship and continues to support her.

``After I went to Germany, however, I began to think I should have more concrete plans. But my teacher (Ana Chumanchenko) said life doesn’t work out as planned. You just go with the flow, like a river, occasionally bumping into rocks and taking opportunities that come by.

``My love and passion for music, and pursuing that love and passion, are my energy source,’’ she said, emphasizing the importance of music being an end rather than a means to achieve other things. ``I don’t want to become a commercial artist.

``I want to capture my own character in my music. Art is an expression, and I want to express all that I wish in my music. But what’s more important is to move the audience. I just supply the tools and it’s up to the audience to make their own interpretation,’’ she said.

``Professor Chumanchenko not only teaches me knowledge but directs my emotional and philosophical growth as well. I learn professionalism from Anne-Sophie Mutter, who is perfect in every way, from her looks to her roles as a mother, teacher and fellow musician,’’ she said. ``I wish to become an internationallrs y influential performer who can help those in need and also support young artists like (Mutter).’’

Choi has about two more years left before earning her diploma at Munchen Musik Hochschule. She said she feels at home in Germany, motherland to maestros like Beethoven. ``I love learning German, too. I think the tone and rhythm of German composers’ music are somewhat related with the phrasing of the German language,’’ she said.

The violinist will play with the Montreal Symphony at the Seoul Arts Center on Friday and Saturday. Call (02) 6303-1919. At the end of the month, she will be recording an album with other artists from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. She will return to Korea at the end of May to play with the zestful Kumho Asiana Soloists before spending the summer on European stages with Gidon Kremer and Yuri Bashmet.

Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill’s Art of Giving

Violist Richard Yonjae O’Neill said the viola is a beautiful instrument with a wide range of colors and expression in a Korea Times interview in Seoul. In his new book “Enjoy the Classic, Ditto,” he writes how of the violin, viola and cello, the viola most closely resembles the human voice, particularly that of a loving mother. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill reminds you of the Energizer Bunny. He keeps going and going. For the 29-year-old violist, it would be typical to go on a cross-country tour with Schubert across Korea, and then fly to Los Angeles to teach for eight hours before heading to New York.

After a few days of playing chamber music at the Lincoln Center and fiddling contemporary pieces at the Guggenheim, he's on the move again. Following a quick stop to lecture at UCLA, he's in Milan with John Zorn, making modern music history. This is how 2007 zipped past for the musician.

One of the few violists to ever receive the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as a Grammy Award nomination (Best Soloist with Orchestra), Richard Yongjae O'Neill is rising to prominence as one of the leading artists of his generation. But it seems to be more than a deep passion for music that keeps him going. It is the power of sharing through music.

``An artist should give of oneself. It's important to give, to share, to reflect on the human condition, our finite existence, life, pain, death, all of these things,'' O'Neill told The Korea Times in January when he visited Seoul. He was celebrating New Year's with his New York-based chamber group Sejong Soloists at one of their sellout performances.

It was 7 p.m., and he looked like he was ready to drop after a full day of rehearsing, but he kept a smile on his face. For the photo shoot, I thought he'd just strike a pose with the viola, but he actually played segments of three pieces!

O'Neill is someone who, both on and offstage, is very willing to open up and reach out to others. He cannot walk past a homeless person without lending a helping hand ― though such eagerness has gotten him into trouble, like when one person attacked him in New York.

``It's sort of the same way when you're onstage. Of course you don't know everyone in the auditorium, but you have to have that same feeling of selflessness. You're on the stage for them; you have to open yourself up. Although they don't need help like the homeless, it's about sharing.

``We share the same conditions. Art is our way of being together in a society that is becoming increasingly fragmented and selfish. Music is a great way to relate with each other and it's just there to share,'' he said.

Perhaps this is what earns him rave reviews from the international press, who call him a ``ravishing,'' (London Times) and ``technically immaculate'' (Los Angeles Times) performer whose ``electric performance (holds) the audience in rapt attention'' (New York Times).

``Art is the best of humanity, our essence. It doesn't have anything to do with politics or money, and captures the best of the human condition, or more than the human condition. It transcends it because it doesn't die, it lives on,'' he said.

``A creative profession is an honor and a privilege. Adding something to the universe that's creating beauty is an amazing thing. I get the luxury of spending my days discussing details about phrase shapes, tempos, ideas and colors.

``It's funny how people see color when they hear music… If I were to describe myself in terms of a color, it'd be something dark. Maybe a darker, faded red… I gravitate toward that type of music, something darker, but live with energy,'' he said.

O'Neill said he couldn't imagine life without music. But "I could imagine going into social work helping people; I respect people that make it their life to help people. It's not only very noble but we need that. So much about our society is about money and making personal gain. We need people to be helping people," he said. >>More