Heavy Double Bass... Double the Charm

Double Bassist Sung Mi-kyung's First Solo Recital After Returning Home on the 30th
"Rich in Low and High Tones... Breaking the Prejudice That It's a Male-Only Instrument"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] "The double bass is an instrument with a very attractive low register. However, the sound becomes even more captivating when transitioning from the low to the high register. It has a rich charm in both the low and high tones."

Double bassist Seong Mi-kyung (27, photo) said she wants to break the prejudice against the double bass. She will hold her first solo recital since returning to Korea at 2 p.m. on the 30th at the IBK Chamber Hall in the Seoul Arts Center.

The double bass is a heavy instrument weighing over 20 kg. It produces a deep, weighty sound and carries many stereotypes. "I want to break the prejudice that there are no fast pieces for the double bass and that the double bass is an uninteresting instrument played by men. I want to showcase the charm of the double bass so that many people can easily access it."

Seong Mi-kyung studied at Sunhwa Arts Middle School, Korea National University of Arts, and the Colburn School in the United States. In 2010, she gained attention by becoming the youngest winner of the Matthias Sperger International Double Bass Competition in Germany. At that time, she swept the Audience Award, Collaboration Award, and Special Prize. Over the past seven years, she has been active in Europe and China, including serving as principal double bassist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Last year, she got married and had a child, and is now preparing for full-scale domestic activities.

Seong Mi-kyung was born into a musical family. Her father, Seong Young-seok, was a double bassist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra before retiring, and her older brother, Seong Min-je, is also a double bassist. Her mother, Choi In-ja, is a pianist. Her husband, who is currently running a business, originally played the bassoon.

Naturally, she started learning instruments from a young age. She studied piano for four years and cello for one year before beginning to play the double bass seriously in the fifth grade of elementary school. Thanks to this, she has a more diverse repertoire compared to other double bassists. In this recital, she will also perform cello pieces on the double bass. She will present Schubert's "Serenade" from the "Schwanengesang," Mendelssohn's Cello Sonata, and Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata.

Regarding her choice of cello pieces, Seong Mi-kyung said, "Since this is my first activity in Korea, I wanted to show something different. The pieces I will perform have never been played in Korea before. There are many pieces that can be performed on the double bass when arranged." She added that she still feels the charm of the cello and would like to study it further whenever she has time.

This performance will be in collaboration with Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovsky. They connected when Rashkovsky contacted her via Facebook while she was studying in the United States. They have performed together twice in China, and this will be their third collaboration.

This concert is also her first solo recital after starting a family. "Since starting a family, I feel I have matured more in interpreting works and composers. I think I can present better music."