Flutist Yu Chaeyeon Appointed Principal of Hamburg Philharmonic

Flutist Yu Chaeyeon (23), a former Kumho Young Artist, has been appointed principal flute of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Kumho Cultural Foundation announced on the 15th.

Yu Chaeyeon passed the principal selection audition held on March 18-19 local time in Germany and will join the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra starting in April. After a one-year training period, her final appointment will be decided through a vote by the orchestra members.

Flutist Yu Chaeyeon [Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation]

The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1828, is the oldest and most prestigious orchestra in Hamburg. It has regularly collaborated with composers such as Clara Wieck Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Johannes Brahms.

It is one of the resident ensembles of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie (NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony, Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Resonanz), performing over 35 symphonic and chamber music concerts annually, as well as providing music for more than 250 opera and ballet performances each year at the Staatsoper Hamburg (Hamburg State Opera).

Horst Stein, Hans Zender, Gerd Albrecht, and Simone Young have served as past conductors of this orchestra. Since 2015, Kent Nagano has been leading the orchestra as its chief conductor.

Current Korean members include Daniel Cho (concertmaster), Kumho Young Talent alumni Choi Jung-yoon (second violin), Kumho Young Talent alumni Lee Myung-eun (second violin), Lee Sang-yoon (associate principal viola), Kumho Young Artist alumni Kim Min-joo (principal bassoon), and Kumho Young Artist alumni Lee Hyun-jun (principal trumpet).

Yu Chaeyeon debuted in 2018 with the Kumho Young Artist Concert. In 2019, she became the youngest winner at the Prague Spring International Music Competition and won first place in the woodwind category at the Vienna New Year's Concert International Music Competition.

After completing the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts, Yu entered Korea National University of Arts early while attending Seoul Arts High School and graduated in 2022 receiving the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award. She studied under Lee Ye-rin and Oh Shin-jung in Korea and is currently studying under Christina Fassbender while enrolled in the master's program at the Berlin University of the Arts. She has been a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and the Bayerisches Staatsorchester's Hermann Levi Academy.