[Jeon Chan-il's Cultural Talk] Han Su-jin's Skill is ‘Myeongcheong Heojeon·Myeongbul Heojeon’

During middle school, there was a time when I wanted to become a conductor of the (National Symphony Orchestra). If it weren’t for my impoverished family situation, where not even tuition fees could be properly paid and six teachers secretly gathered money to help me graduate, and if it weren’t for the advice of my music teacher, whom I deeply respected, saying, “Isn’t it better to keep music as a hobby?”, that dream would surely have lasted even longer. During one vacation, I was a so-called ‘classical music enthusiast’ who listened to ‘classical music’ all day long and memorized almost every piece played on the radio.

My love for classical music has continued for nearly 50 years. It has accompanied me for as long as watching movies or reading books. So, what was the decisive moment that sparked this love? Looking back, it was probably the day in middle school when I happened to see a young violinist in his mid-20s, Kim Nam-yoon, performing Sarasate’s famous Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) on a black-and-white television. That experience was undoubtedly a life-changing, blessed event that plunged a future film critic into the world of classical music.

I still vividly remember the exquisite performance by Kim Nam-yoon, “a priceless gem of our music world and the undisputed grande dame of Korean music,” who “never ceased efforts to popularize and expand the base of classical music.” At her peak, she was “the pinnacle of the domestic music scene with scholarly and substantial interpretations and dynamic performances of outstanding skill, and since starting her academic career, the best teacher.” She served as a professor at Seoul National University and, from 1993, at the Korea National University of Arts’ School of Music, nurturing proud Korean violinists like Clara Jumi Kang. The transformative resonance and lingering impression of Kim Nam-yoon’s masterpiece performance remain unforgettable.

Since then, Kim Nam-yoon has embodied classical music itself for me, especially the violin. Her presence was absolute. Even among Korea’s representative violinists such as Jung Kyung-hwa, Kim Min, Kim Young-wook, and Kang Dong-seok, who surpass her in international recognition, and among the world’s greatest 20th-century violinists like Niccol? Paganini, Jascha Heifetz, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, none have replaced the impact I felt as a child. That was true until June 10, 2020, when I encountered Han Su-jin performing Beethoven’s only violin concerto at the ‘20th Anniversary of Geumjeong Cultural Center & Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Dear Beethoven! Fate’ concert in Busan.

Han Su-jin, in collaboration with the Busan Symphony Orchestra conducted by artistic director Oh Chung-geun, gave me a turning-point impression comparable to Kim Nam-yoon’s performance back then. She was unmistakably the ‘post-Kim Nam-yoon.’ The taste and style of that performance were reprised at the opening concert of the 1st Busan Classical Music Festival (BCMF), held from March 2 to 17, 2021, at Geumjeong Cultural Center (Director Kang Chang-il) in Geumjeong-gu (Mayor Jung Mi-young).

Born in 1986, the Year of the Tiger, Han Su-jin is a star violinist who, at the young age of 15 in 2001, became the youngest participant and the first Korean to win 2nd place at the Wieniawski Competition, established to honor the famous 19th-century Polish violinist Henryk Wieniawski, alongside Sarasate, Paganini, and Joachim. Han Su-jin premiered Astor Piazzolla’s ‘The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires,’ composed by the famous Argentinian composer and bandoneon player. As I expressed in a previous article, she “showcased virtuoso skills and gave the audience the essence of classical music not only in concerts but also in classical performances, as if publicly declaring the success of BCMF...”

In that article, I summarized my thoughts. Comparing and appreciating her performance with others on YouTube, except for Gidon Kremer, who popularized the piece worldwide, no one matches the intensity and depth of Han Su-jin’s collaboration. Kim Dong-eon, a performance expert and professor at Kyung Hee University, gave an even more refined review than I did: “The performer’s posture, ability to breathe life into the space, energy surpassing Jung Kyung-hwa, yet refined, a grand narrative turned into drama with a magnificent style, delicate sensitivity and expressiveness that captures microtones, perfect breathing and ensemble with the orchestra, demonstrating deep understanding and insight into music, and exuding human maturity.”

I fully agree with Professor Kim’s view. Since our first meeting in 2020, Han Su-jin has been Korea’s strongest violinist to me. Even knowing my subjective bias, I speak sincerely. I won’t compare her with other outstanding 30-something violinists like Clara Jumi Kang, Kim Da-mi, Kim Bom-sori, or Yoon So-young. Even judging by the limited YouTube video of her Zigeunerweisen performance, I honestly feel she can be compared to the greatest like Jascha Heifetz or Itzhak Perlman.

I am currently seeking opportunities to enjoy her performances, whether in Busan, Seoul (Seoul Arts Center), or Incheon (Art Center Incheon). On the evening of the 15th, I plan to attend the ‘2022 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Han Su-jin Invitation Concert’ at Art Center Incheon, an encore of the concert with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra scheduled for April 14 during the ‘2022 Seoul Arts Center Symphony Festival.’ The concerto will be Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Han Su-jin’s life piece, “a precious piece that has always been with her during joyful moments and the toughest times, her first love that gave her chills when she first heard music, and a long-time friend.”

I am confident. Han Su-jin’s skill is truly outstanding, and as always, she will deliver the highest level of perfection and satisfaction. I can say without hesitation that it will be ‘myeongcheongheojeon’ and ‘myeongbulheojeon’ (undeniably excellent). Why not see for yourself? The conductor will be Maroko Letonya, the principal conductor of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra in France.

Jeon Chan-il, Film Critic

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.