conductor

Myung-whun Chung

Myung-whun Chung began his musical career as a pianist, making his debut at the age of seven. In 1974 he won the second prize at the Tchaikovsky piano competition in Moscow.  

After his musical studies at the Mannes School and at the Juilliard School in New York, he became Carlo Maria Giulini’s assistant in 1979 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic; two years later he was named Associate Conductor.

In 1995, having fulfilled a number of positions at the helm of European orchestras, Myung-whun Chung founded the Asia Philharmonic, an orchestra made up of the best musicians from eight Asian countries.

He has held the post of principal conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006. In 2011 he was appointed principal guest conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Previously he was chief conductor of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (from 1997 to 2005) and of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Paris (from 2000 to 2015), where he is now Honorary Music Director. He is also Honorary Conductor of the Korean Broadcasting Symphony and in March 2023 he was named Direttore Emeritus at the Filarmonica della Scala.of Milan, first such nomination in the orchestra’s history.

In 2008, Myung-whun Chung was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as an acknowledgement of his commitment to children's issue. He was named Commandeur dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Honorary Cultural Ambassador for Korea. 

Myung-whun Chung has conducted virtually all the world’s leading orchestras. Since he conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra for the first time in 1984, he has been a very welcome and regular guest, most recently in January 2024, conducting works by Mozart and Bruckner. 

Myung-whun Chung - image: Riccardo Musacchio

Myung-whun Chung began his musical career as a pianist, making his debut at the age of seven. In 1974 he won the second prize at the Tchaikovsky piano competition in Moscow.  

After his musical studies at the Mannes School and at the Juilliard School in New York, he became Carlo Maria Giulini’s assistant in 1979 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic; two years later he was named Associate Conductor.

In 1995, having fulfilled a number of positions at the helm of European orchestras, Myung-whun Chung founded the Asia Philharmonic, an orchestra made up of the best musicians from eight Asian countries.

He has held the post of principal conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006. In 2011 he was appointed principal guest conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Previously he was chief conductor of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (from 1997 to 2005) and of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Paris (from 2000 to 2015), where he is now Honorary Music Director. He is also Honorary Conductor of the Korean Broadcasting Symphony and in March 2023 he was named Direttore Emeritus at the Filarmonica della Scala.of Milan, first such nomination in the orchestra’s history.

In 2008, Myung-whun Chung was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as an acknowledgement of his commitment to children's issue. He was named Commandeur dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Honorary Cultural Ambassador for Korea. 

Myung-whun Chung has conducted virtually all the world’s leading orchestras. Since he conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra for the first time in 1984, he has been a very welcome and regular guest, most recently in January 2024, conducting works by Mozart and Bruckner. 

Myung-whun Chung began his musical career as a pianist, making his debut at the age of seven. In 1974 he won the second prize at the Tchaikovsky piano competition in Moscow.  

After his musical studies at the Mannes School and at the Juilliard School in New York, he became Carlo Maria Giulini’s assistant in 1979 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic; two years later he was named Associate Conductor.

In 1995, having fulfilled a number of positions at the helm of European orchestras, Myung-whun Chung founded the Asia Philharmonic, an orchestra made up of the best musicians from eight Asian countries.

He has held the post of principal conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006. In 2011 he was appointed principal guest conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Previously he was chief conductor of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (from 1997 to 2005) and of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Paris (from 2000 to 2015), where he is now Honorary Music Director. He is also Honorary Conductor of the Korean Broadcasting Symphony and in March 2023 he was named Direttore Emeritus at the Filarmonica della Scala.of Milan, first such nomination in the orchestra’s history.

In 2008, Myung-whun Chung was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as an acknowledgement of his commitment to children's issue. He was named Commandeur dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Honorary Cultural Ambassador for Korea. 

Myung-whun Chung has conducted virtually all the world’s leading orchestras. Since he conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra for the first time in 1984, he has been a very welcome and regular guest, most recently in January 2024, conducting works by Mozart and Bruckner. 

Myung-whun Chung - image: Riccardo Musacchio
Myung-whun Chung - image: Riccardo Musacchio

Concerts