Program

Gustav Mahler : Symphony No.8 in E♭ Major

Artists

Hun-Joung Lim | Conductor

Sang Hun Lee | Chorus Conductor

Soloists |

Hyun-Ju Park, Jihae Son, Hyon Lee | Soprano

A Kyeong Lee, Jung Mee Kim | Mezzo Soprano

Ho Youn Chung | Tenor

Dong Sub Kim | Baritone

Seung Hyun Chun | Bass

Korean Symphony Orchestra | Orchestra

Hun-Joung Lim | Conductor

Among the leading figures of the Korean classical music world, phrases like “the pioneering challenger” and “the very first” flow naturally when describing the promise embodied in Hun-Joung Lim.

During his student days at Seoul National University College of Music, he won acclaim as the first to take on the daunting challenge of conducting Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat.

This led him to conduct The Complete Mahler Symphonies concert series from 1999 to 2003, becoming the first in Korea to successfully conduct all ten symphonies by Gustav Mahler and lighting a spark that set off the explosive “Mahler Syndrome” that shook the Korean classical music world.

Demonstrating his excellent ability as a composer by winning the Grand Prize in the composition category at the 14th Dong-A Music Competition, Hun-Joung Lim graduated from Seoul National University College of Music before studying composition and conducting in the United States at the Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School. Returning to Korea in 1985, he has served as Professor of Conducting in the Department of Composition at Seoul National University for the past 29 years while also serving for 25 years as Chief Conductor of the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra from 1989 to 2013. He has also been named “best conductor in Korea” in a survey of musicians conducted by the Dong-A Ilbo daily newspaper and has been selected by the Hankyoreh daily newspaper from among the most innovative professionals in every field as one of the “100 people shaping Korea’s future.”

His musical accomplishments have won recognition in the form of various honors and awards including the “Korea Music Award” given by the Music Association of Korea, the “Today’s Young Artist Award - Music” designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the “Wookyeong Culture & Art Award,” the “Seoul Music Award,” the “Republic of Korea Culture & Art Award (Presidential Citation),” and the “Daewon Music Award - Special Contribution Prize.” He has also contributed significantly to the city of Bucheon’s development as a center for culture and the arts, including the honor of having the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra designated as the first music organization to receive the Ho-Am Prize (the “Nobel Prize of Korea”). In addition to serving as the fifth Artistic Director of Korean Symphony Orchestra, he remains active as a Professor of Conducting in the Department of Composition at Seoul National University College of Music

Korean Symphony Orchestra | Orchestra

Since its foundation on March 30th, 1985, Korean Symphony Orchestra has held more than 90 concerts over the last twenty-nine years, ultimately establishing itself as Korea's leading symphony orchestra.

Through an agreement reached with the National Theater of Korea in 1987, Korean Symphony Orchestra has cultivated its reputation as the country's only orchestra specializing in opera and ballet, staging performances with Korea National Opera, the Korean National Ballet, and the National Chorus of Korea. Incorporated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1989, the Korean Symphony was later converted to a foundation in March 2001. On the occasion of its 16th anniversary, it was thus reborn as the resident orchestra of the Seoul Arts Center.

Through performances at regular Seoul Arts Center programs like the "SAC 11am Concert" series, the Korean Symphony is bringing itself closer to today's audiences.

From its foundation in 1985 to the present day, it has played on many stages for various public performances, at the Korean classical music community's most prestigious concerts while also holding various special concerts in an effort to raise public awareness of Korean classical music. In 2013, it was the sole orchestra to perform on stage at the 18th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony. The Korean Symphony made news in 1989 and 1990 by holding at Jamsil Arena a special performance for the Grand Choir that featured a 5,000-member chorus. It has also performed for visiting world musicians such as Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Angela Gheorghiu, and Radu Lupu. In June 2010, in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, the Orchestra held concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York and Cerritos Hall in Los Angeles, drawing raves from local media including The New York Times. Korean Symphony Orchestra has reached out to audiences not just through classical music concerts, but also through soundtrack recordings for films such as Shiri and Tae Gug Gi: The Brotherhood of War and through popular music concerts with international pop stars such as Sting.

Along with its regular program of five annual concerts, since 2011 it has presented new specially planned series (Kids Concerts, Rising Stars, etc.) that have drawn much interest from music fans. Since 2010, the Korean Symphony has also worked with various arts organizations to foster greater cultural appreciation throughout Korea, including efforts to broaden the base for classical music in the country's culturally disadvantaged regions.

From our founding Music Director Yun-Taik Hong, to the second Music Director Kim Min, to the third Music Director Eunseong Park, and to the fourth Artistic Director Hee-Chuhn Choi, we have seen tremendous growth together. With the inauguration of conductor Hun-Joung Lim in January 2014 as the fifth Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, the Korean Symphony is set to continue its progress toward becoming a world-class orchestra.