World's Top 5 Conductor 'Jeong Myeonghun Appointed' ... First Artistic Director of Busan City Municipal Performance Hall

Busan Opera House and Busan International Art Center Overall Opening, Season Performances, and Festival Lineup

Appointment Ceremony at City Hall on July 25 at 11 AM, Announcement of Municipal Performance Venue Operation Directions and Plans

Busan City appoints world-renowned conductor and pianist Myung-Whun Chung as the inaugural artistic director to oversee the Busan Opera House and Busan International Art Center (hereinafter referred to as Busan Metropolitan City’s municipal performance venues).

Artistic Director Myung-Whun Chung.

Myung-Whun Chung is regarded as one of the world’s top five conductors alongside Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, and Riccardo Muti. In March of this year, he was appointed as the first-ever honorary conductor (music director) of the La Scala Philharmonic at La Scala Opera House in Italy, one of the world’s three major opera houses.

He has been internationally recognized for his musical achievements, receiving numerous honors including the Korean Geumgwan Cultural Merit Medal (1996), the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Commander (2011), the Lifetime Music Award from La Fenice Opera House in Venice, Italy (2013), the Italian Order of the Star of Italy Commendatore (2017), and the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2022).

Beginning his career in 1976 as the principal conductor of the New York State Youth Orchestra, he later served as assistant conductor to Carlo Maria Giulini, principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and held the position of chief conductor of the Saarbr?cken Symphony Orchestra in West Germany. In 1989, he also served as guest principal conductor of the Florence Opera House in Italy.

In 1990, he gained global attention upon his appointment as music director and conductor of the Paris Bastille Opera House. He continues to perform regularly with world-renowned orchestras such as the Radio France Philharmonic, Dresden Staatskapelle, La Scala Opera House, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic.

Myung-Whun Chung, born in Busan, will begin his term as artistic director on July 1. His role will include overseeing the inaugural performances of the Busan International Art Center and Busan Opera House, scheduled to open in the first half of 2025 and the second half of 2026 respectively, as well as managing seasonal performance programs and curating music festivals representing both venues. He plans to elevate the status and prestige of Busan’s municipal performance venues as world-class cultural landmarks.

Additionally, he aims to establish a performance venue system that not only enhances the status of Busan’s municipal performance venues but also supports the growth and expansion of professional activities for young domestic artists.

On June 3, Artistic Director Myung-Whun Chung received enthusiastic acclaim from Busan citizens during the “Preview of Busan International Art Center, Classic Park Concert” held at Hayaria Lawn Square in Busan Citizens Park, where he performed grand and beautiful opera arias with the KBS Symphony Orchestra and world-class vocalists, sparking a wave of classical music popularization.

He plans to continue fostering the popularization of K-Classic among Busan citizens through such outdoor performances. In particular, Artistic Director Chung expressed his affection and high expectations for Busan’s young audiences, emphasizing his commitment to developing classical programs and performances for children.

This appointment was made following recommendations from an artistic director candidate selection committee composed of distinguished figures in the domestic and international music community, as well as individuals reflecting Busan’s regional characteristics. The artistic director appointment ceremony is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. on July 25 in the 26th-floor conference room of Busan City Hall.

Following the appointment ceremony, a press conference will be held to announce Artistic Director Myung-Whun Chung’s operational direction and plans for Busan’s municipal performance venues.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, “I am very pleased to appoint Myung-Whun Chung, who is respected not only in Korea but worldwide, as the inaugural artistic director of the two performance venues that will become landmarks of Busan.” He added, “I hope this will serve as an opportunity to elevate Busan’s cultural capabilities to a new level.”

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