Hanna Jang Inaugurated as President: "A Great Responsibility... Making Seoul Arts Center a More Open Space"

by Park Pyunghee

Published 24 Apr.2026 11:33(KST)

Hanna Jang was officially inaugurated as president of the Seoul Arts Center on April 24.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Hwee Young Choi appointed conductor Hanna Jang as the new president of the Seoul Arts Center and presented her with the appointment certificate on this day. Hanna Jang’s term as president is three years.

Hannah Jang, the newly appointed President of the Seoul Arts Center, is taking a commemorative photo with Hwee Young Choi, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, after receiving the appointment letter on the 24th. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The new president, Hanna Jang, stated, "It is an honor and a tremendous responsibility to be able to contribute the experience I have gained as a musician on stages around the world to the future of the Seoul Arts Center. I will faithfully and diligently fulfill the role entrusted to me so that the Seoul Arts Center becomes a cultural and artistic hub of our time, open and welcoming to more people."

Minister Hwee Young Choi said, "There is significant interest and expectation from the public and the arts community regarding the new president, Hanna Jang. I hope she will present a vision for a new leap forward as the Seoul Arts Center approaches its 40th anniversary in 2028 and inject new vitality into its overall management by leveraging her experience and leadership. The Ministry will also provide active support for the Seoul Arts Center’s second leap forward."

The new president, Hanna Jang, is a world-renowned musician who has excelled as both a cellist and conductor.

In 1994, at the age of 11, she became the youngest winner of the 5th Rostropovich International Cello Competition, making her debut on the global stage. She has performed with leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra, greatly contributing to raising the profile of Korean classical music.

Since 2007, she has embarked on a new path as a conductor, expressing her desire to explore a broader musical world. She has built an international reputation by conducting various orchestras primarily in Europe and North America. Recently, she has drawn attention as the conductor for the opening concert of the 2026-2027 season of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO), one of the world’s most prestigious ensembles, scheduled for September 11, 2026.

In Korea, she has served as the artistic director for "Hanna Jang’s Absolute Classic Festival" (Seongnam Arts Center, 2009-2014) and "Hanna Jang’s Daejeon Grand Festival" (Daejeon Arts Center, 2024-2025). In November of last year, she was also appointed as a distinguished visiting professor at the Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST, actively contributing to the field of education.

Opened in 1988, the Seoul Arts Center operates performance and exhibition venues including the Concert Hall, Opera House, Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, and Hangaram Art Museum. As one of Korea’s leading cultural and artistic spaces, it has expanded public access to culture and contributed to the promotion of foundational performing arts such as classical music, opera, ballet, and dance.