Jisanghee Appointed Deputy Second Violin Concertmaster of Berlin Staatskapelle, Germany

Violinist Jisanghee (33) has been appointed as the Deputy Concertmaster of the Second Violin section of the Berlin Staatskapelle.

Violinist Jisanghee.
Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation

On the 18th, the Kumho Cultural Foundation announced that Jisanghee passed the audition for the Deputy Concertmaster of the Second Violin section of the Berlin Staatskapelle and will begin activities starting this November. After a one-year probation period, the decision on lifetime appointment will be made through a vote by the orchestra members.

The Berlin Staatskapelle, founded in 1570, is the resident orchestra of the Berlin Staatsoper (National Opera Theater) with a history spanning 450 years. Legendary musicians such as Mendelssohn, Wagner, and R. Strauss served as music directors, and renowned conductors like Furtw?ngler and Karajan have been active in this prestigious Berlin orchestra. From 1992 until January this year, the world-renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim led the orchestra for over 30 years, and in September, Christian Thielemann was appointed as music director, set to begin activities in the 2024 season.

Currently, Korean members of the orchestra include violinist Jiyoon Lee as the lifetime concertmaster of the First Violin section, Sojung Lee as the principal cellist, and Minji Kang as a lifetime member of the cello section.

The audition took place over two days, May 3rd and 4th, local German time. All orchestra members participated in the voting, and the final successful candidate was selected through three rounds of auditions.

Jisanghee will assist the concertmasters of the Second Violin section (a four-member system), lead the Second Violin group, and serve as a liaison with other instrument sections.

He expressed his thoughts, saying, "I am very pleased to work in a traditional orchestra in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Unlike the Bamberg Symphony where I am currently based, the Berlin Staatskapelle mainly performs opera, and I am excited to play with a new orchestra and new repertoire."

Jisanghee debuted in 2006 through the Kumho Young Artist Concert and studied under Yang Goun and Lee Kyung-sun, graduating from Yewon School, Seoul Arts High School, and Seoul National University. He then completed his master's degree under Herwig Zack at the W?rzburg University of Music in Germany and completed the highest artist diploma under Caroline Witman at the Leipzig University of Music. He also studied chamber music under the "chamber music master" Eberhard Feltz at the Berlin University of the Arts Hans Eisler.

He won the Hamburg Laeiszhalle International Concert Competition and placed in several chamber music competitions including the Bordeaux International Competition and the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition. He served as a member of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons and the Hamburg Staatsoper, and is currently a lifetime member of the Bamberg Symphony as well as a member of the Wald Ensemble.

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