Yoon In-chon: "K-Classic with Outstanding Individual Talent Needs Industrial Approach"

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Classical Music Industry Field Meeting

"Korean classical music has many vocalists, instrumentalists, and individuals who have won awards and performed abroad at a considerable level, standing at the forefront globally. So why can't we bring them together? There is no world-class Korean orchestra, and is it really this difficult to produce a decent opera?"

Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is delivering a greeting at the on-site meeting of the classical music community held on the 18th at the Education Building of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 18th, at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon met with classical music stakeholders at the 'Classical Music Industry Field Meeting' and opened the meeting by raising these questions.

Minister Yoo said, "The classical field is a very important area in music and the most remarkable in terms of growth," adding, "I felt ashamed when I heard that out of the total budget, 30 billion won is used by national organizations, and the remaining 10 billion won is fought over fiercely by the private sector to receive support funds," as he attentively listened to the experts present at the meeting.

He continued, "Currently, individual performers and their parents make efforts, and overall, most work like cottage industries," and said, "I think it is time to change our mindset and approach the classical field industrially, not just as an artistic activity we enjoy, but also by starting ventures and so forth."

Attending the meeting were musicians including composers Lee Young-jo and Choi Woo-jung, opera directors Lee Kyung-jae and Jang Soo-dong, violinist Lee Ji-hye, vocalists Yoo Dong-jik and Jung Hee-kyung, as well as private experts and organizations such as Park Soon-seok, director of the Winner Opera Choir, Han Jeong-ho, CEO of Etoile Classic, Ha Sung-ho, principal conductor of the Seoul Pops Orchestra, Kim Hye-kyung, representative of the Korea Future Culture and Arts Forum, and representatives of national institutions and organizations including Kim Dae-jin, president of Korea National University of Arts, and Jang Hyung-jun, president of the Seoul Arts Center.

In response to Minister Yoo's question, composer Lee Young-jo, who was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit, spoke first. He pointed out, "The problem of why we cannot take our own works to the world largely lies with composers," adding, "But fundamentally, the problem is that we are number one in the world with music that lacks our own culture or soul (Western music), and not only composers but also performers and government departments lack that mindset or leisure."

Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is listening to the opinions of attendees at the classical music industry field meeting held on the 18th at the Education Building of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The participants emphasized that to enhance the overall capability of Korean classical music, the creation and performance of Korean works must be revitalized.

Jang Soo-dong, representative of the Seoul Opera Ensemble, said, "Even the National Opera Company only performs overseas repertoires, but operas written by our composers in our language need to be nurtured," and proposed, "The time has come to create operas that represent our country’s identity, so we must actively step forward and create 'national brand performances.'"

Kim Dae-jin, president of K-Arts, said, "Good works come out when they are performed repeatedly," and added, "There are opportunities to perform in schools such as practical exams and workshops, so I cautiously consider making a rule that at least one piece by a Korean composer must be performed."

Choi Sang-ho, director of the National Opera Company, also explained, "We are preparing opportunities to perform works that can convey the Korean spirit and sustain our own creations," and said, "When we tour overseas centered on the Paris Olympics next year, we plan to bring Korean works, and in 2025, we plan to commission works and hold regular performances with Korean compositions."

At the meeting, there was also time to explore support policy directions to enhance the self-sustainability of classical organizations and ways to involve more young artists on stage. Representatives from private organizations such as the Winner Opera Choir and Klim Orchestra, as well as the National Opera Company and National Symphony Orchestra, presented various opinions on the deepening dependence on star performers in the classical world and the lack of support for young artists.

Minister Yoo emphasized, "I want to clearly say that this time today is not in vain. Please look forward to 2024. Change is happening and inevitably will happen," adding, "There may be differences in speed, but we will actually do things that help."

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