Korea appoints its first woman chief conductor
mainWe are receiving reports that Shi-Yeon Sung, associate conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, has been named chief conductor of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic. Shi-Yeon, 38, won the 2006 Sir Georg Solti International Conductors Competition and was assistant conductor to James Levine at the Boston Symphony.
She is the first woman to take charge of a Korean orchestra, a small but not insignificant step in the world’s keenest market for classical music.
This is good news, Brava to Sung!
Also, interesting to note that Korea is so keen on classical music (western); here’s a factoid that I wouldn’t have guessed to be true.
I saw Sung conduct a Wagner-Sibelius-Copland-Stravinsky program at Tanglewood in 2010. She is absolutely first rate. Congratulations to her and may this be the first of many significant appointments.
Mr.Lebrecht, thank you for sharing the good news. But it is not Suwon Philharmonic, but Gyeonggi Philharmonic:D