Guest Conncert in Incheon

Since the 2012/2013 season, Myung-Whun Chung has been the first artist in the history of the Staatskapelle to hold the title of Principal Guest Conductor, confirming the close relationship between the South Korean maestro and the Staatskapelle. Since November 2001 he has conducted many symphony concerts in the Semperoper as well as a new production of Verdi’s »Don Carlo«. In addition, he has accompanied the orchestra on tours through Europe, to the USA and Asia.

Alongside his work on the conductor’s rostrum, Myung-Whun Chung frequently performs as a chamber musician with Kapelle players, for example most recently in September 2020 in Schubert’s »Trout Quintet« at the Semperoper. In previous seasons in Dresden, Chung has explored the oeuvre of Gustav Mahler, conducting performances of the Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 4 to 6 and 9 in the Semperoper. He has also conducted works by Gioachino Rossini, Gabriel Fauré, Olivier Messiaen, Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák at Staatskapelle concerts.

Born in Seoul, Myung-Whun Chung began his career as a pianist, in 1974 taking 2nd prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He launched his conducting activities as an assistant to Carlo Maria Giulini in Los Angeles, and later directed the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa

Cecilia in Rome. For 15 years he was Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Over the years he has contributed greatly to the musical life of his home country in various functions. For example, he was Artistic Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble which brings together Asian musicians from leading orchestras for special concert projects. Furthermore, he is Conductor Laureate of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. During his career Myung-Whun Chung has collaborated with all the world’s great orchestras. His catalogue of CDs with Deutsche Grammophon features many prize-winning recordings. In spring 2023 Myung-Whun Chung will be celebrating his 70th birthday with an extended tour through South Korea, together with the Staatskapelle.

In addition to his musical activities, he is highly committed to various humanitarian and ecological causes. He was an Ambassador of the UN Drug Control Programme and in 1995 was honoured as UNESCO’s »Man of the Year«. In 1996 he received the Kumkuan, the highest cultural award of South Korea. He has been appointed the first Cultural Ambassador of his country, and in 2008 became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the first conductor to hold this position.

Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s attention in 2015 when he won the First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In January 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. An artist high in demand, Cho works with the world's most prestigious orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre de Paris, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductors he regularly works with include Myung-Whun Chung, Iván Fischer, Jakub Hrůša, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Antonio Pappano and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Highlights of Seong-Jin Cho’s 2021/22 season include debuts with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig with Alain Altinoglu, Bamberger Symphoniker with Andrew Manze and Mozarteumorchester Salzburg with Jörg Widmann. He returns to the LA Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic, each under their respective Music Directors as well as Orchestre National de France with Cristian Măcelaru and Konzerthausorchester Berlin with Christoph Eschenbach. A highly sought-after touring soloist, Cho embarks on several international tours, including those with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Semyon Bychkov as well as Philharmonia and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

An active recitalist very much in demand, Seong-Jin Cho performs in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls including the main stage of Carnegie Hall as part of the Keyboard Virtuoso series, Concertgebouw Amsterdam in the Master Pianists series, Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, Konzerthaus Vienna,

Prinzregententheater Munich, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Walt Disney Hall Los Angeles, Festival International de piano de la Roque d'Anthéron, Verbier Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival. During the coming season he gives debut solo recitals at Wigmore Hall London, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Auditorium Rainier Monte-Carlo and Konserthuset Stockholm.

The first recording with Deutsche Grammophon was released in November 2016 featuring Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as well as the Four Ballades with the London Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda. A solo Debussy recital was released in November 2017, followed in 2018 by a Mozart album with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Cho’s latest album on the Yellow Label, titled The Wanderer and released in May 2020, features Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy, Berg’s Piano Sonata op. 1 and Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor. All albums won impressive critical acclaim worldwide. His most recent CD release is Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and the Scherzi in August 2021.

Born in 1994 in Seoul, Seong-Jin Cho started learning the piano at the age of six and gave his first public recital aged 11. In 2009, he became the youngest-ever winner of Japan’s Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. In 2011, he won Third Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the age of 17. From 2012-2015 he studied with Michel Béroff at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. SeongJin Cho is now based in Berlin.