[On Stage] "Carlos Kleiber, the Conductor Who Created Music with His Hands"

Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony
to Conduct Closing Concert of Seoul International Music Festival on the 26th

Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado….

Manfred Honeck, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, mentioned the names of legendary conductors one after another in an interview with Asia Economy on the 22nd. Thanks to his experience as a performer with the Vienna Philharmonic, he was able to observe and learn conducting from several great maestros.

"Karajan pursued a very refined sound, Bernstein valued creating an atmosphere where musicians could enjoy playing, and Ozawa Seiji was a conductor who was technically perfect."

Honeck's favorite conductor was Carlos Kleiber. "With just a gesture, he clearly showed the entire music he wanted to express. I felt like he was creating music with his hands."

Honeck emphasized, "I think music is about speaking from the heart and transforming the score into emotions. It is important to convey the meaning contained in the music, and technical performance comes after that."

Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Han Kim, Principal Clarinet of the Paris National Opera Orchestra
[Photo provided by Seoul International Music Festival]

Honeck will conduct the closing concert of the Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF) held at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 26th. The program includes 'Concerto for Clarinet' composed by SIMF artistic director Ryu Jaejun and Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No. 7.'

Honeck learned violin as a child under the influence of his music-loving father. In 1983, he joined the Vienna Philharmonic as a viola player. The Vienna Philharmonic is considered one of the world's best orchestras alongside the Berlin Philharmonic. Since it operates without a permanent conductor and invites world-renowned conductors as guests, the members have the opportunity to meet many great maestros.

"I saw that every conductor had a distinct personality. It was wonderful how the music changed according to each conductor's different style."

While playing viola in the Vienna Philharmonic, Honeck developed a desire to continue conducting and eventually left the orchestra in 1991. Although it was a difficult decision at the time, he now regards it as a very important and grateful choice in his life.

"I had no certainty about success as a conductor. At that time, I had three children and a stable income as a Vienna Philharmonic player, so leaving the orchestra was a very risky decision. I followed my heart."

His younger brother, Rainer Honeck, who joined the Vienna Philharmonic three years after him, is still active there as a violinist. Rainer became concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic in 1993 and has served in that role for over 30 years.

For the SIMF closing concert, clarinetist Kim Han, principal clarinet of the Paris National Opera Orchestra, will perform as a soloist in Ryu Jaejun's 'Concerto for Clarinet.'

Kim Han mentioned his past experience performing Ryu Jaejun's clarinet sonata and clarinet quintet, explaining, "Ryu Jaejun seems to compose music from the audience's perspective. He tries to create music that the audience can easily understand and enjoy listening to." Regarding the piece to be performed this time, he said, "In the second movement, I imagine a young and innocent child running around the Alpine meadows. The melody feels pure and gradually develops into a romantic melody."

Honeck said, "I really enjoy performing newly composed works. When I looked at the score, I could clearly see the thoughts the composer wanted to convey, and the piece has many characters to explore."

Honeck has been the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony since January 2007. He emphasized the importance of a period during which the conductor and orchestra work together.

"The conductor's instrument is the orchestra. When you spend a long time together, you get to know each other, understand what each can do, and what is intended. Playing together in such a state of mutual understanding can create music on another level."

He said he considered leaving the Pittsburgh Symphony six years ago but ultimately chose to stay longer. "When I was considering it six years ago, the members requested a meeting and we talked together. They said they hoped I would not leave. I realized that investing time is important."

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