The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Chung Myung-whun returns as pianist with chamber music ensemble

By Hwang Dong-hee

Published : July 19, 2022 - 17:48

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Chung Myung-whun (Universal Music) Chung Myung-whun (Universal Music)
Conductor Chung Myung-whun will return to the stage as a pianist with a chamber music ensemble as part of a nationwide tour this fall.

He will be joined by four other musicians: Violinist Kim Su-yoen, a concertmaster at Konzerthausorchester Berlin; violist Kim Sara, who joined the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra as a principal viola from the 2019-20 season, cellist Song Young-hoon and double bassist Sung Min-je.

Kim Su-yoen, Song and Sung have previously performed with Chung on the stage.

The piano quintet will perform Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 and Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, the “Trout Quintet.”

Chung has worked with many world-class symphony orchestras, including as music director at Opera Bastille (1989-1994), the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra (2000-2015) and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (2005-2015).

In August, Chung will lead the KBS Symphony Orchestra in a concert with pianist Lim yun-chan, winner of this year’s Van Cliburn Competition in Gwangju.

As a pianist, Chung has released “Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms: Late Piano Works” (2021) on Deutsche Grammophon. He held a round of piano recitals in April last year.

He was also a member of the Chung Trio, playing alongside his sisters -- cellist Chung Myung-hwa and violinist Chung Kyung-hwa -- in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2019, Chung played the piano in a chamber music performance with members from the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul.

The tour of seven cities will start Sept. 14 in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The ensemble will perform at the Seoul Arts Center the next day before traveling to Gangneung in Gangwon Province, Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province, Busan and Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.