Latest news with #IsangYun
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
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.
