Latest news with #TongyeongInternationalMusicFestival
Korea Herald
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Tongyeong music festival sets eyes beyond Korea
TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- When the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) was first imagined, it was little more than a hopeful vision on the southern coast of Korea -- a dream of celebrating contemporary music in a city once home to late composer Isang Yun. Now, over two decades later, the festival has become a cultural landmark. This year's edition, held under the theme 'Journey Inwards,' wrapped up its 10-day run on Sunday, led by its artistic director, Chin Unsuk, and pianist Lim Yunchan and Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrandez, serving as artists-in-residence. According to the foundation that runs the festival and the Isangyun Compeition, the 2025 festival recorded an average seat occupancy rate of nearly 82 percent, with six out of 29 performances sold out. But the path hasn't always been smooth. 'In the beginning, there was nothing,' said Kim Il-tae, CEO of the Tongyeong International Music Foundation, in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. 'No infrastructure, no audience, no real budget — but we had a vision.' Kim was among the original members who helped launch the festival in 2002. At the core lies the legacy of composer Isang Yun -- a legacy that remains central, though not without controversy. His works continue to anchor the programming, albeit with careful balance. 'We're not trying to overwhelm the lineup—but we can't neglect him either,' Kim said. The early years of TIMF were marked by trial and error -- driven by ambition but limited by scarce resources. One of TIMF's most unique assets is Golden Wave, a civic support group made up of Tongyeong residents who contribute financially and help promote the festival through grassroots campaigns. 'They've been incredibly important. In the beginning, we needed to create a culture of civic support. People would approach us and say, 'We want to help. What can we do?' That became a movement,' he said. Over time, the festival has realized long-standing goals: the opening of the Isang Yun Memorial Hall, the construction of a dedicated concert hall and the launch of an international competition. He also acknowledged the role of composer Chin Unsuk, who has led the festival as artistic director since 2022. 'With the artistic director already doing such an outstanding job musically, I see it as my responsibility, as CEO, to fully support her behind the scenes.' 'Now we have the ideal infrastructure and we're finally doing what we dreamed of,' Kim said. Reflecting on the journey, Kim noted that early hardships put today's challenges into perspective. 'Now we have systems in place and experience on our side, we can finally begin playing the role that matches our international reputation,' Kim said, adding that international ambitions were secondary to simply sustaining the core festival. With new cultural city funding and the recent success of several grant proposals, the foundation foresees greater freedom to expand globally, Kim said. In addition, private sponsorship and a more sustainable partnership model have also seen encouraging growth, he said. The foundation established a partnership with Apple Music Classical last year and recently signed a three-year agreement with Shinsegae Co. to develop premium local content. Kim admitted that Tongyeong's geographical limitations are difficult to overcome. 'Tongyeong is geographically isolated. There's no KTX, so travel can be difficult,' he said, referring to the lack of high-speed train service. Still, with two decades of experience behind them -- and the confidence that comes with it -- Kim believes the city's remoteness can serve as a setting for deeper engagement. "That also makes it a city where people stay longer," he said. 'We're finally ready to take the next step." gypark@
Korea Herald
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Lim Yunchan innovates Bach's Goldberg Variations in Tongyeong
In a recital sold out in less than a minute, Lim, 21, gives bold yet intricately detailed interpretation of Bach's masterpiece TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province — On Sunday evening, piano sensation Lim Yunchan took the stage before an audience of about 1,300 to perform Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, as part of the Tongyeong International Music Festival. The much-anticipated performance — tickets sold out in just 58 seconds online — in the small coastal city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, was the last of the pianist's four concerts in South Korea featuring this repertoire. Outside Tongyeong Concert Hall, several fans who failed to get tickets were spotted in the lobby holding signs that read "Looking for a Lim Yunchan ticket" in a desperate attempt to snag a seat. Over a hundred people who couldn't secure a seat made do with watching the live broadcast in the concert hall lobby. Lim, who turned 21 earlier this month, had long expressed a desire to perform Bach's Goldberg Variations, saying it was a piece he hoped to take on after winning the Van Cliburn Competition in 2022. In an April 2024 interview following the release of his first Decca studio album, "Chopin Etudes," Lim revealed that his next major repertoire would be the Goldberg Variations. "I haven't had a chance to dig into the meaning behind the notes yet, but this is a work I've been nurturing internally for over 10 years. I'll start putting it together this summer,' he had said. Since performing it in San Francisco on Feb. 25, Goldberg Variations has been the centerpiece of Lim's current concert season. Sunday's recital opened with '...Round and velvety-smooth blend...,' a 5-minute piece he commissioned from Lee Hanurij, a 19-year-old rising composer. Lee has already garnered international recognition, winning first place at the Bartok World Competition last November. Lim said he commissioned the piece believing that "it would be meaningful to pair Goldberg Variations, a monumental piece by one of the greatest composers in human history, with a work by a promising contemporary composer — someone living in the present day." 'It's a beautiful piece,' composer Chin Unsuk said after the performance. 'They're good buddies, and musically, they connect well too,' she added. With Lee's piece serving as a thoughtful prelude, Lim proceeded with Bach's masterpiece, taking 78 minutes and 20 seconds. 'From beginning to end, the overall structure of that monumental piece is incredibly logical yet grand, and its intricate design is truly remarkable,' said pianist Kim Joo-young immediately after the concert. 'The attention to detail is outstanding, and the boldness is impressive too.' Kim explained that the harpsichord of Bach's time didn't have pedals, but the music is filled with embellishments, leaving ample room for the performer's personal interpretation. 'Every time Lim Yunchan plays this piece, he's likely to bring a different color to it, which makes it all the more exciting to anticipate — that's why I hope his performance of the Goldberg Variations is never recorded in a studio — only preserved as a live recording.' Park Moon-seon, general manager of the Daewon Cultural Foundation, highlighted the structural brilliance of the performance, calling attention to the architectural mastery of Lim's interpretation. What caught Park by surprise was the encore: the 32-bar bass line of the Aria from the Goldberg Variations. The Aria, along with its 30 variations and final reprise, all share this same harmonic structure — not the melody — which is both rare and ingenious. By revisiting this foundational 32-bar bass line in the encore, the pianist offered a powerful reminder of Bach's genius: a piece that evoked a wide range of emotions was built entirely on that simple structure. Music critic Chin Hoe-suk echoed the sentiment. 'Lim's performance reminded me once again of Bach's greatness as a composer who leaves room for interpretation by future generations,' she said. 'I especially appreciated how the slower variations were interpreted with a touch of romanticism.' Lim is set to present Bach's Goldberg Variations in Paris, Vienna, London, Abu Dhabi, Ann Arbor, New York and Washington DC in April and Verbier, Switzerland in July.
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Korea Herald
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
[Exclusive] Composer Chin Unsuk to continue as Tongyeong International Music Festival artistic director
Amid festival's success, Chin's tenure to be extended beyond her initial five-year term TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- Renowned composer Unsuk Chin's leadership at the Tongyeong International Music Festival is set to continue, as she and the foundation are close to signing an extension beyond her initial five-year term as the festival's artistic director, according to people familiar with the matter. Now in her fourth year at the helm, Chin presides over this year's festival, which opened Friday in the southern coastal city of Tongyeong under the theme 'Journey Inwards.' The festival opened Friday with a captivating performance by pianist Lim Yunchan, the festival's artist-in-residence, and the festival orchestra led by French conductor Fabien Gabel. The planned extension comes as the festival is enjoying broader popularity and setting its sights beyond Korea. 'The mid- to long-term goal is to expand our audience to other parts of Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,' Kim So-hyun, the foundation's Director of Artistic Administration, said during a press conference on Friday. The Tongyeong International Music Festival launched in 2002 as a tribute to the internationally acclaimed composer Yun I-sang (1917–1995), who, born in the city, had an active career in Germany. The festival's early journey was challenged by limited funding, a lack of infrastructure and its remote location -- more than a four-hour drive from Seoul. Opened in 2014, the Tongyeong Concert Hall and its renowned acoustics played a key role in propelling the festival's growth. Given that preparations for the festival must begin years in advance, the foundation was expected to start searching for a new artistic director. However, with Chin expressing her willingness to continue, the contract extension is expected to be finalized soon, according to sources. In 2022, then-CEO Lee Yong-min noted that Chin had signed an 'unusually long five-year contract.' At the time, Chin had taken nearly a year to decide whether to accept the role, telling The Korea Herald in a 2022 interview that she had not expected to return to work in Korea after stepping down as composer-in-residence with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018, a position she held for 11 years. TIMF's previous artistic directors include German conductor Alexander Liebreich, who became the festival's inaugural artistic director while serving as principal conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and German cultural manager Florian Riem, who held the role from 2014 to 2020 while also serving as CEO of the foundation. Born in Gimpo in 1961, Chin is one of the most prominent composers of contemporary classical music. She studied composition under Kang Suk-hi at Seoul National University and later with Gyorgy Ligeti in Hamburg, Germany. Her innovative works have earned international acclaim and numerous honors, including the 2004 Grawemeyer Award for her Violin Concerto No. 1, the 2005 Arnold Schönberg Prize and the 2024 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, widely regarded as the 'Nobel Prize of Music.' In addition, "The Unsuk Chin Edition," a comprehensive recording of her works performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, recently won the 2025 International Classical Music Award in the contemporary music category. Her compositions, including the operas "Alice in Wonderland" and "Frontispiece," have been performed worldwide, cementing her reputation as a leading figure in modern classical music. Her upcoming opera — based on the intellectual exchange between physicist Wolfgang Pauli and psychoanalyst Carl Jung — is scheduled to premiere this May in Hamburg.
Korea Herald
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Chin Unsuk-led musical festival begins on high note with Lim Yunchan's performance
Tongyeong International Music Festival continues until April 6, closing with Britten's 'War Requiem.' TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province — The Tongyeong International Music Festival, founded in 2002 to commemorate the late composer Isang Yun, opened Friday in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, along the southern coast, as wildfires rage on near the city and political turmoil continues to grip the country. The annual classical music festival typically includes a slate of fringe performances in smaller and alternative venues across Tongyeong ahead of the main nine-day program. However, the weekend's events were postponed due to a major wildfire in neighboring Sancheong-gun — the birthplace of Isang Yun. The wildfires, which began March 21, caused extensive damage across the region before forestry authorities announced Sunday that the main blaze in Sancheong-gun had been fully brought under control as of 1 p.m., 213 hours after it first broke out. Composer Chin Unsuk, now in her fourth year as the festival's artistic director, emphasized that "Many people are suffering due to the wildfires and both domestic and international affairs remain highly complex. With a sense of humility, we plan to carry out the festival." Explaining the theme 'Journey Inwards,' Chin — recipient of the 2024 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize and the 2025 International Classical Music Award for Contemporary Music — said, 'In a time when political and economic conflicts are erupting around the world, and everyone is having to endure so much, perhaps listening to music — even if only for a moment — can be a chance to take an inner journey and rediscover something within ourselves.' The festival opened with a performance by its festival orchestra, comprising both domestic and international musicians, under the baton of French conductor Fabien Gabel. The concert began with Isang Yun's Overture (1973/74). The orchestra took the stage twice with the same opening program Friday — once in front of about 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students in Tongyeong in the morning and again for the official opening at 7 p.m. With performers in casual attire, the school concert aimed to expose students to performances by world-class musicians, nurturing the cultural and artistic sensibilities of local youth. Attending the official opening performance at 7 p.m. were former President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, who reside in Yangsan, about 80 kilometers from Tongyeong. They returned to the festival after a year's absence, having last attended in 2023. Following Yun's overture, pianist Lim Yunchan, one of the festival's two artists-in-residence, took the stage to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Lim's involvement significantly raised the profile of the festival in the remote coastal city. This year's festival features only two performances by Lim — the opening concert and his recital Sunday — both of which quickly sold out. As the concert began, around 130 ticketless attendees gathered in the hall's lobby, where the performance was broadcast. The Tongyeong International Music Foundation stopped accepting new members for its sponsorship program as early as October, due to overwhelming interest following the announcement that Lim would be the next artist-in-residence. In the second half, Gabel returned to lead Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, which drew a standing ovation. Gabel is a French conductor known for his expressive style and broad repertoire. Born in Paris in 1975 to a musical family, he started as a trumpeter and trained at top conservatories in France and Germany. He gained attention after winning the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2004 and became assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. He later led the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec from 2012 to 2021 and the Orchestre Francais des Jeunes. He is the newly appointed music director designate of the Tonkunstler-Orchester Niederosterreich. On Saturday, Gabel returned to the Tongyeong Concert Hall to lead the festival orchestra's second performance, featuring Ravel's "Une Barque sur l'Ocean" from Miroirs; Henri Dutilleux's "Tout Un Monde Lointain…" for cello and orchestra (1967–70), with cellist and artist-in-residence Pablo Ferrandez; and Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben," Op. 40. Isang Yun, who passed away 30 years ago, was honored in a subsequent concert titled "Hommage a Isang Yun." The Weiwuying Contemporary Music Ensemble, conducted by Yang Su-han, featured two of Yun's works — "Piece Concertante" for ensemble and "Teile Dich Nacht" for soprano and ensemble (1980) — alongside compositions by his former students: Toshio Hosokawa, Pan Hwang-long and Paik Byung-dong. The concert offered a chance to reflect on Yun's enduring influence on contemporary music. At 9:30 p.m., pansori performer Lee Ja-ram opened the concert with the question: "You knew this was a pansori performance when you came, right?" The hall was full despite the late hour, and the audience was soon mesmerized by her powerful rendition of traditional Korean storytelling. The Tongyeong International Music Festival continues through April 6, closing with Britten's War Requiem.
Korea Herald
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
TMIF begins on high note with Lim Yunchan's riveting performance
The festival continues until April 6, closing with Britten's 'War Requiem.' The Tongyeong International Music Festival opened with a performance by its Festival Orchestra, comprising both domestic and international musicians, under the baton of French conductor Fabien Gabel. The concert began with Overture (1973/74) by Isang Yun -- the composer in whose honor the festival was founded in 2002. Among the audience were former president Moon Jae-in and former first lady Kim Jung-sook, who reside in Yangsan, about 80 kilometers from Tongyeong. They returned to the festival after a two-year absence, having last attended in 2023. As the concert began, around 130 ticketless attendees gathered in the hall's lobby, where the performance was being broadcast. Following Yun's overture, pianist Lim Yunchan took the stage to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Lim's involvement was more limited than that of the previous artist-in-residence, yet it significantly raised the profile of the festival, which takes place in a remote coastal city. This year's festival features only two performances by Lim — the opening concert and his recital on Sunday — both of which quickly sold out. In fact, the Tongyeong International Music Foundation stopped accepting new members for its sponsorship program as early as October, due to the overwhelming interest following the announcement that Lim would be the next artist-in-residence. Annual membership fees range from 300,000 ($204) to 1 million won. Members receive benefits such as discounted tickets, invitations to the TIMF's opening reception and sponsor event, priority booking for the festival and foundation-produced performances and exclusive opportunities to meet performers. 'The number of current sponsors has exceeded the foundation's capacity,' the foundation had announced in October. For the encore, Lim performed F. Liszt's Sonetto 104 del Petrarca from Annees de pelerinage: Deuxieme Annee (Italie), S. 161 No. 5. In the second half, Gabel returned to lead Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, which drew a standing ovation. Gabel is a French conductor known for his expressive style and broad repertoire. Born in Paris in 1975 to a musical family, he started as a trumpeter and trained at top conservatories in France and Germany. He gained attention after winning the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2004 and became assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. He later led the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec (2012–2021) and Orchestre Francais des Jeunes. On Saturday, Gabel returned to the Tongyeong Concert Hall to lead the festival orchestra's second performance, featuring Ravel's Une Barque sur l'Océan from Miroirs, Henri Dutilleux's Tout un monde lointain… for cello and orchestra (1967–70), with cellist Pablo Ferrández, and Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40. The late composer Isang Yun, who passed away 30 years ago, was honored in a subsequent concert titled "Hommage à Isang Yun." Weiwuying Comtemporary Muisic Ensemble, conducted by Yang Su-han, featured two of Yun's works - Piece concertante for ensemble and Teile dich Nacht for soprano and ensemble (1980) - alongside compositions by his former students: Toshio Hosokawa, Pan Hwang-long, and Paik Byung-dong. gypark@
