Orchestra Series Ⅰ of the National Orchestra of Korea
‘2020 Masterpiece: Chung Chi-yong’

 

Conductor Chung Chi-yong, a great thinker of Korean original music,
collaborates with the National Orchestra of Korea which seeks a contemporary recreation of Korean traditional music!

 

The stage will feature Conductor Chung Chi-yong, a great thinker of Korean creative music, along with the pieces that were never played again since their premiere among the repertoire of the National Orchestra of Korea accumulated over 25 years. The first piece is “Gugak Gwanhyeon-AG ‘River, House of Emotion’ by Menaritori” composed by Choi Ji-hye. The piece, inspired by the flowing river, depicts the origin of the life of Korean people in the river, and will be played again in two years for the first time since its premiere. Next will be Flute Concerto “Long Arirang” composed by Rhee, Han-woo, a piece based on the northwestern and central region folk song “Long Arirang.” The piece features rich and dynamic changes in rhythm, with flutist Lee Ye-rin as a soloist. “Academic Ritual ? Up and Up Again” based on the Munmyojeryeak (ritual music in the Confucian shrine) by Kim Taek-su is a piece that reinterpreted ritual music with borderless imagination that also draws interest. During the premiere, the piece was praised as a strictly modern, yet traditional work that incorporated Western musical style to Munmyojeryeak. The last piece of the concert will be Kim Sung-gook’s “Tomorrow,” a triple concerto inspired by Namdo Sinawi. The piece radically breaks the traditional form of impromptu Sinawi to expand it into orchestral music. It will be performed by Kim Young-gil (Ajaeng), Won Wan-cheol (Daegeum), and Lee Jae-ha (Geomungo), who are all considered the best musicians of traditional music of the present.
Conductor Chung Chi-yong has opened up the possibilities of contemporary creative music based on his continuous passion for not only Western music, but also Korean traditional music. After graduating from Seoul National University Department of Composition Studies, he has studied conducting from the master of interpretation of contemporary music, Michael Gielen, at the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria. Chung has always contemplated over “Korean sentiment” and “creativity” during his national and international performances, and has been participating in composing Korean creative music. Chung states that he believes “discovering new work to become a bridge between the music and the public is another role of a conductor” and that he is “honored to rediscover the masterpieces of the National Orchestra of Korea that has been presenting creative works with Korean traditional sentiment.”

Conductor CHUNG Chi-yong has been presenting his in-depth music world encompassing the East and West with excellent interpretation and insight into contemporary music. For this season, he will join 2020 Masterpiece : CHUNG Chi-yong to recreate the hidden masterpieces of Korean traditional orchestra music. Since its foundation in 1995, the National Orchestra of Korea has steadily been presenting creative music, and the list will be selected from those songs created in the past 25 years. The list includes the songs with high-quality artistry and maturity but weren’t invited back to the stage after the premiere. This year’s masterpiece stage will be a time to appreciate those forgotten treasures. Also, there is an academic program for the audience available before the performance. It offers the chance to hear the original songs of the performance along with the composer’s commentary.