National Symphony "Securing National Identity and Promoting Korean Composition Schools Worldwide"

Davitt Ryland's 1st Anniversary as National Symphony Artistic Director
Efforts to Expand Orchestra Repertoire and Strengthen Identity
Plans for Albums Highlighting Korea's Contributions and Status in World Music History
High Praise for Korean Composers' Talent and Creativity in Europe and America

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "The capabilities and creativity of Korean composers are being recognized worldwide. In particular, I want to organize how Korea has contributed to the history of world music through recordings and promote the status of Korean music in the West. I believe this task is a mission that the National Symphony Orchestra must undertake."

David Rylander, Artistic Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, is giving a greeting at the press conference held on the morning of the 13th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, regarding the name change of the National Symphony Orchestra and the first anniversary of his appointment as Artistic Director.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Davide Reiland (44), Artistic Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, said at a press conference marking his first anniversary in office held on the 13th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, "As an orchestra bearing the name 'National,' my main duty as artistic director is to further solidify the identity of the National Symphony."

The Korean Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1985 as a private symphony orchestra, has been exclusively accompanying performances of the National Opera, Ballet, and Choir since 1987. Since then, with increased government funding, the orchestra became a national arts organization, and last year changed its name to the National Symphony while welcoming Reiland as its seventh artistic director and first foreign conductor, marking a year of significant transformation.

Director Reiland emphasized, "(To establish identity) the priority is to create a tradition and balance of sound unique to the National Symphony, and even if it takes considerable time, we intend to proceed steadily. The strength of the National Symphony lies in its string section, which maintains the orchestra's identity with solid performance skills."

He added, "In line with the competitiveness of the strings, we aim to raise the level of the wind section as well to secure overall flexibility of the orchestra."

Regarding repertoire diversification, Director Reiland explained, "It is first important to handle classical works by Haydn, Mozart, and others well, and we plan to challenge large-scale Romantic works or other large-scale pieces that have not been frequently performed in Korea. We will also continue to pay attention to various traditional music from Germany, France, Russia, and contemporary works."

Choi Jeong-sook, CEO of the National Symphony, Davit Rylandt, Artistic Director.
[Photo by National Symphony]

To expand the repertoire and strengthen the orchestra's identity, the National Symphony is also undergoing organizational restructuring. CEO Choi Jeongsook stated, "Currently, the orchestra operates with 78 members out of a 100-person quota. By June, we plan to increase and replenish 16 members, including principals and regular members, to finely tune the balance and tone of the sound. This will also reduce the fatigue of members who performed 113 concerts last year and allow more time to enhance individual capabilities, aiming to present the best music."

The National Symphony also revealed plans to release an album by the end of next year. Regarding the album, which will select and showcase major works in the history and development of Korean music, Director Reiland explained, "From the world-renowned composer Isang Yun to the currently prominent composer Unsuk Chin, we plan to chronologically connect and highlight Korean composers and works that need to be discovered or spotlighted, imprinting the 'Korean compositional school' on the global music scene."

He continued, "The capabilities and creativity of Korean composers are highly recognized in the West, including Europe and the United States, the classical heartlands. Highlighting this is the mission of the National Symphony. It will be a project to organize how Korea has contributed to world music history and simultaneously promote the status of Korean music internationally."

Artistic Director Davit Ryland conducting the Scheherazade performance held last year.
[Photo by National Symphony Orchestra]

Born in Belgium, Director Reiland studied conducting and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, the ?cole Normale de Musique de Paris in France, and the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria. Since 2018, he has also served as music director of the National Orchestra of Metz in France and the Lausanne Sinfonietta in Switzerland. He self-assesses his strength as "having good adaptability and flexibility because I have worked in a cultural sphere where German and French musical cultures overlap."

Also active as a conductor and contemporary music composer, Director Reiland said, "Korean music remains in a pure state like a vein of gold whose cultural roots are undamaged. I believe that the achievements of Korean culture currently bursting out worldwide can also be sufficiently realized in composition."

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