[On Stage] Conductor Chung Myung-whun Leads Korea-Japan Joint Performance 'United Through Music'

After the performance, conductor Myung-Whun Chung clasped the hand of Akihiro Miura, concertmaster of the Tokyo Philharmonic, with his left hand, and the hand of Byung-Ho Choi, associate concertmaster of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, with his right hand, and lifted them high. Cheers erupted from the audience. Moving around the stage, conductor Chung held hands with the principal players of the second violins, cellos, violas, and double basses from both Korea and Japan, lifting them up repeatedly to draw continuous applause from the audience.

The joint concert of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra held on the 3rd at the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, Seoul, concluded with the principal players of the two orchestras holding hands. The stage commemorated the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. The 56 members of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the 55 members of the Tokyo Philharmonic created a stage that, true to the Lotte Concert Hall’s slogan, was 'united through music.'

Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon (left) and Igarashi Kaoruko are greeting the audience after their joint performance at the KBS Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra joint concert held at Lotte Concert Hall on the 3rd.
[Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra]

The first piece performed was Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos No. 10. It is believed to have been composed in 1779 for Mozart to perform with his sister Nannerl. Korean pianist Yekwon Sunwoo and Japanese pianist Kaoruko Igarashi, who won the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, delivered a beautiful collaborative performance. For the encore, the two sat side by side at one piano and performed Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 in a four-hand arrangement, drawing applause from the audience. In the second half, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 'Titan' was performed.

Classical music critics praised conductor Myung-Whun Chung for delivering a deeper performance than his rendition of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection' at the KBS Symphony Orchestra’s regular concert at Seoul Arts Center on the 21st of last month. They noted that the synergy created through the joint performance with the Tokyo Philharmonic was remarkable. The wind instruments, especially the woodwinds, were highlighted for their outstanding playing.

Critic Tae-Hyung Ryu said, "Performing with the Tokyo Philharmonic compensated for the shortcomings when performing with only the KBS Symphony Orchestra," and added, "The two orchestras showed a rich ensemble, making it a very good performance." He further noted, "The KBS Symphony Orchestra originally has a strong string section, but in this performance, the wind section also delivered very sharp and delicate playing."

Critic Myung-Hyun Heo also commented, "The principal woodwind players played a very significant role," and added, "Thanks to the excellent woodwind performance, the string section was able to produce much clearer sound."

Critic Ryu also praised the choice of Mahler’s 'Titan' to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. He said, "Mahler’s 'Titan' is a piece where various conflicts are resolved in the end, and the finale suggests a very hopeful and bright future. It was an appropriate selection for the music commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations."

Critic Heo gave high marks to conductor Myung-Whun Chung’s unique interpretation of Mahler. Although the ensemble was not as tight and dense as usual due to combining two orchestras, the performance was still excellent thanks to Chung’s capabilities. "Conductor Chung showed Mahler’s music in a way that other conductors have not," he said, "Now, he can truly be called a Mahler expert, as his unique interpretation of Mahler stood out."

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung is greeting the audience after finishing a joint performance with the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at Lotte Concert Hall on the 3rd.
[Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra]

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung is not only the principal conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra this year but has also had a long-standing deep relationship with the Tokyo Philharmonic. In 2000, Chung was appointed artistic advisor to the Tokyo Philharmonic. At that time, Sony Chairman Norio Oga, who had just taken office as the new chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic, initially wanted to recruit Chung as music director. However, since Chung was serving as music director of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Radio France Philharmonic, he accepted the artistic advisor position instead. In 2016, the Tokyo Philharmonic honored Chung by appointing him as their first foreign honorary music director.

Critic Heo said the rapport between conductor Chung and the Tokyo Philharmonic, built over many years, was impressive. He explained, "It felt like conductor Chung and the Tokyo Philharmonic members trust each other deeply," and added, "The principal players of the Tokyo Philharmonic gave their all in the performance, which was another reason why the concert was so successful."

Meanwhile, many prominent figures from the Korean and Japanese political and business circles attended the concert, adding prestige to the event. Among the attendees were Shin Dong-bin, chairman of Lotte Group, which sponsored the concert; Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly; lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties; Ryu Jin, chairman of the Korea Economic Association; Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; Koichi Mizushima, Japanese Ambassador to Korea; and Joseph Yun, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Korea.