18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Chung Kyung-wha to launch Korea and US recital tour with Kevin Kenner, her 'soulmate in music'
The duo will perform in eight cities in Korea, US and Canada
Korean violin legend Chung Kyung-wha, now 77 and in the 58th year of her illustrious career, will embark on a recital tour this fall, joined by longtime musical partner pianist Kevin Kenner.
The tour includes four performances across Korea in September as well as four concerts in North America in November. The Korean leg of the tour kicks off in Pyeongtaek on Sept. 13, followed by stops in Goyang on Sept. 21, Seoul on Sept. 24 and Tongyeong on Sept. 26.
The US tour marks Chung's return to New York's Carnegie Hall on Nov. 7 — her first performance at the iconic venue since her 50th debut anniversary concert in 2017. Other North American stops include Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Nov. 2; McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, on Nov. 5 and Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 9.
Chung has described Kenner as her 'soulmate in music.' A laureate of the 1990 International Chopin Piano Competition — where he received second prize (no first prize was awarded) and the Polonaise Prize — Kenner will accompany her throughout the tour and will also serve as a juror at the 2025 Chopin Competition.
Chung first rose to global prominence in 1967 after winning the prestigious Leventritt Competition. She went on to perform with major US orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony, and was featured at a White House gala concert. Her groundbreaking success as an East Asian soloist in the Western classical world earned widespread acclaim.
Over her decadeslong career, Chung has recorded most of the core violin repertoire with major labels such as Decca, RCA, Deutsche Grammophon and EMI, building a widely respected discography. After briefly stepping away from performing due to injury in 2005, she made a celebrated return in 2010. In 2023, she reunited on stage with her brother, conductor Chung Myung-whun, for a rare duo performance.
