Myung-whun Chung | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1953-01-22)22 January 1953 (age 72) |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, conductor |
| Relatives | SistersKyung-wha Chung andMyung-wha Chung |
| Awards | _ribbon.PNG) Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit (1996) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 정명훈 |
| Hanja | 鄭明勳 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeong Myeonghun |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chŏng Myŏnghun |
| IPA | tɕʌŋ.mjʌŋhun |
Myung-whun Chung (Korean: 정명훈; born 22 January 1953) is a South Korean conductor and pianist.
Chung studied piano withMaria Curcio[1] and won joint second-prize in the 1974International Tchaikovsky Competition. He performed in theChung Trio with his sisters, violinistKyung-wha Chung and cellistMyung-wha Chung.[2]
Chung studied conducting at theMannes College of Music and theJuilliard School. He has conducted virtually all the prominent European and American orchestras, including theMetropolitan Opera in New York, theLos Angeles Philharmonic, theChicago Philharmonic, theBerlin Philharmonic, and theVienna Philharmonic, among others.
Chung was chief conductor of theRundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken from 1984 to 1990, and principal guest conductor of theTeatro Comunale Florence from 1987 to 1992.[3] At the end of the 1987–88 season, he received the Premio Abbiati award from Italian critics, and the following year was awarded the Arturo Toscanini prize. Chung was theParis Opera's music director from 1989 to 1994, during which time he opened the inaugural season of the then-newOpéra Bastille. For the opening, he performed Berlioz's complete Les Troyens to high praise from critics. In 1991, the Association of French Theatres and Music Critics named him "Artist of the year" and in 1992 he received the Legion d'Honneur for his contribution to the Paris Opéra. An exclusive recording artist forDeutsche Grammophon since 1990, many of his numerous recordings have won international prizes and awards. These include Olivier Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie and Éclairs sur l'au-delà…, Verdi's Otello, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, and Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with the Bastille Opera Orchestra; he has also performed a series of Dvořák's symphonies and serenades with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, a series dedicated to great sacred music with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, including an award-winning recording of Duruflé's and Fauré's Requiems with Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel.In 1995 he was honoured three times at the French Victoires de la Musiques Classiques, and was also named Meilleur Chef d'Orchestre de l'Année. He directed the world premiere of Messiaen's last work: theConcert à quatre for four soloists and orchestra, which the composer had dedicated to Myung-whun Chung and the Orchestre de la Bastille. He took the role of artistic director at the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997 and at theOrchestre philharmonique de Radio France in 2000. TheTokyo Philharmonic Orchestra made Chung a Special Artistic Advisor in 2001, its Honorary Conductor Laureate in 2010, and its Honorary Music Director from 2016. Chung became the first principal guest conductor in the history of theStaatskapelle Dresden in 2012. He was theSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra's principal conductor between 2005[4][5] and 2015.[6] During this period the Seoul Philharmonic became the first Asian orchestra to sign a major-label record deal[7] and gave its first performance atThe Proms.[8]
In addition to being awarded numerous music prizes, Myung-whun Chung has also been honoured with Korea's most distinguished cultural award 'Kumkwan' for his contribution to Korean musical life and was named "Man of the year" by UNESCO. He served as the Ambassador for the Drug Control Program at the United Nations and was Korea's Honorary Cultural Ambassador, the first in the Korean government's history.
His recordings since 1990 include
Chung served as Ambassador for the Drug Control Program at the United Nations and was Korea's first Honorary Cultural Ambassador.
| Cultural offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Music Director, RSO Saarbrücken 1984–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Music Director, Opéra Bastille 1989–1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Conductor, KBS Symphony Orchestra 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Music Director, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France 2000–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Seung Gwak | Music Director, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra 2005–2015 | Succeeded by |
