[YeitSuda] Genius Performers Excelling as Conductors 'Myeongbulheojeon'

Conductor Jang Hanna. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Jang Hanna, remembered as a ‘cello prodigy,’ has recently been making remarkable strides as a conductor on the global stage. She first gained recognition by winning the Rostropovich Competition at the age of 11. Following her appointment in 2017 as the first female principal conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra in Norway, she has recently expanded her role as a maestra by being selected as the principal guest conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra in Germany. In May, she stepped in as a substitute on the podium just three days before a scheduled concert in Korea when Austrian Vienna Symphony conductor Philippe Jordan tested positive for COVID-19, delivering a moving performance that earned enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Pianist Kim Sunwook is also preparing to transform into a conductor. He made history in 2006 by becoming the youngest winner and the first Asian to win the Leeds International Piano Competition in the UK. In 2021, he debuted as a conductor by leading the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. He expressed his aspiration to conduct whenever the opportunity arises, saying, “While piano performance is intuitive, conducting is like painting a picture with various instruments.”

Domestic performers who have shone on the world stage as musical prodigies are increasingly challenging themselves as conductors. It is not an unfamiliar sight in the classical music world for outstanding performers to become conductors. Johannes Brahms, a composer and pianist, was also active as a conductor. Arturo Toscanini, a conductor known for his strong charisma in leading orchestras, was a cellist. His friend, the beloved conductor Carlo Maria Giulini, was a violist.

Jung Myung-hoon, a renowned Korean conductor, was a skilled pianist who placed second in the 1974 Tchaikovsky Competition but began serious conducting studies the following year by enrolling in the conducting department at the Juilliard School. Leonard Bernstein, a world-renowned maestro, was a promising pianist in his youth but shifted his major to literature and philosophy upon entering Harvard University, only to return to music and take up the baton. Georg Solti and Bruno Walter were also distinguished pianists who dominated the music scene in their time.

The reasons performers transform into conductors vary, but physical injury is often cited first. Herbert von Karajan, considered one of the most famous conductors in classical history, was a pianist active in Salzburg. Although he majored in mechanical engineering at university, he devoted himself to piano practice for over eight hours a day but eventually had to give up his dream due to tendonitis. He then turned his interest to conducting, teaching himself by watching performances of the era’s top conductors. Maxim Vengerov, a world-class violinist known for his exceptional technique, also made a musical turning point by putting down his bow and taking up the baton due to neck disc and shoulder injuries.

Another reason is that conducting an orchestra, which covers a wide range of tones, allows musicians to build a broader musical world beyond the limitations of a single instrument. When declaring her intention to conduct, Jang Hanna stated, “The music I can express with the cello is limited, so I challenged myself to conduct symphony orchestras.”

Performers who have devoted themselves to practice and research for solo performances are required, from the moment they decide to conduct, to possess strong abilities to persuade a seasoned ensemble of about 100 members and an audience numbering in the hundreds. For some, it is charisma; for others, warm eyes; and for yet others, trust. Korean master performers continue their unique training today for their own ‘something’ that embodies these qualities.

Editor's NoteYeitsuda (藝It Suda) is a column that discusses issues and trends across the arts, including music, fine arts, and performances.

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