KOREAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA  

The Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra (KNUA) was founded in 1993 in conjunction with the establishment of the Korea National University of Arts. Since then it has become acclaimed for its performances, contributing significantly to the profile of classical music in Korea and holding annual concerts at venues including the Seoul Arts Centre and the Lotte Concert Hall. In addition to engagements in its home country, the orchestra has performed internationally in Germany, Russia, China and the United States.  

During the Korea-Russia summit in 1999 the orchestra collaborated with the Moscow State Conservatory and in 2001 collaborated on concerts with both the Moscow State Conservatory and the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, to widespread enthusiasm.

In April 2022 the KNUA Symphony Orchestra participated virtually in the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw and in 2023 the orchestra was honoured to be invited to give the opening concert of the Festival and was named as the guest nation of the event.  

To mark the 30th anniversary of the university in 2023 the KNUA Symphony Orchestra, together with the KNUA Grand Choir, performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 at the Lotte Concert Hall. This monumental performance, involving over 400 students and alumni, was praised for surpassing the perceived limits of university orchestras and for elevating the standard of classical music in Korea.

CHI-YONG CHUNG  

The conductor Chi-Yong Chung studied composition at the Seoul National University College of Music and then went to study conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, under the tutelage of Michael Gielen. He won the grand prize at an international competition hosted by Austria’s national broadcaster before graduating with honours and receiving the Austrian Ministry of Education Award.  

Early international engagements included serving as assistant conductor at the Salzburg Festival and guest conducting with orchestras including the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Michigan State Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra.  

Chung made his debut in Korea in 1993 with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently became its chief conductor and music director. He has become known as one of Korea’s leading conductors, renowned for his insightful interpretations. Other prominent positions he has held have been music advisor to the National Gugak Centre Orchestra and conductor of several major Korean orchestras including the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Busan Philharmonic, Daegu Symphony, Daejeon Symphony, Bucheon Philharmonic, Wonju Philharmonic and the National Orchestra of Korea.   

In addition to his role as artistic director and principal conductor of the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra, and Changwon Philharmonic Orchestra, Chung currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Conducting at the Korea National University of Arts, where he continues to nurture and mentor the next generation of musicians. 

Sanghyeok Park (Cello)

Sanghyeok Park was born in 2004 in Korea. He made his debut early at Kumho Art Center at 13, performing work by Bach, Brahms, Ligeti and Schubert. He also solo debut with the Gangneung Philhamonic Orchestra.

Sanghyeok has won the prizes in many competitions in Korea. He has won the First prize at Ewha & Kyunghyang Competition. And he also has won the First prize at Dong-A Junior Music Competition, The Strad Music Competition and Joongang Music Competition, Shinhan Music Award and Grand Prize of Seongjeong Music Competition.

Sanghyeok has won the Third Prize at the XVII Tchaikovsky International Competition. He performed at the Shostakovich St.Petersburg Academic Philhamonia Halll in St.Petersburg. And He successfully finished the Gala Concert at Mariinsky II Theater.

In the same year, he has won the Second Prize & Special Prize at the 4th Krzysztof Penderecki International Cello Competition. He is scheduled to perform with the Symphony Orchestra of the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, Concert with the Symphony Orchestra of the Józef Wiłkomirski Sudeten Philharmonic in Wałbrzych, Concert with the Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philhamonic in Rzeszów and Concert with Gorzów Philharmonic.

In 2021, Sanghyeok has awarded the GRAND PRIX at the David Popper International Cello Competition. As winner of the David Popper International Cello Competition, he played Konzertstück of E. Dohnanyi & Hungarian Rhapsody of D.Popper at the Liszt Academy Hall in Hungary.

He performed with Incheon Philhamonic Orchestra and Conductor Christopher Byung Uk Lee at the Incheon Art Center. He also performed with Seongnam Philhamonic Orchestra and Conductor Jonathan Mann. In addition, he performed with Gangneung Philhamonic orchestra, Suwon Philhamonic Orchestra, KNUA Symphony Orchestra and many others.

He has been sponsored as a scholarship student at Hyundai motors group Foundation. And he had masterclasses with many great musicians such as Frans Helmerson, Ivan Monighetti, Jens Peter Mainz, Daniel Müller-Schott, Miklós Perényi, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt, Arto Noras, Li-Wei Qin, Danjulo Ishizaka, Paul Katz, Alexander Ramm, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi.

Sanghyeok has been selected as the Active player by Kronberg Academy Masterclasses in Germany. There he had masterclasses with Frans Helmerson, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt and Jens Peter Mainz. At Kronberg, he performed a recital concert in recognition of his musicality. And he has been selected as. A full scholarship student in the Musikakademie in Liechtenstein. He had a masterclasses with Prof. Ivan monighetti who was the last student of Mstislav Rostropovich. He worked chamber music with many great musician in Musikakademie in Liechtenstein.

Sanghyeok after graduating from Yewon School as the top student, he entered the school early as a scholarship student at the Korea National University of Arts. He had studied with Prof. Kangho Lee, Prof. Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Prof. Hyoung won Chang.

Currently, after graduating from the Korea National University of Arts as the top student, he is studying with Prof. Ivan Monighetti at Musikakademie in Liechtenstein.

Jaewon Wee (Violin)

Violinist Jaewon has won the First Prize & three Special Prizes at the 2023 Mirecourt International Violin Competition. Also, as the First and the Audience Choice Prize winner at the Dallas International Violin Competition 2023, she played Mozart's fourth Violin Concerto with the Dallas Chamber Symphony in February 2024. Jaewon has been awarded the First Prizes & the Audience Prize at the YSAYE Senior 2022 International Violin Competition and the 2022 Washington International Competition. In May 2021, she won the Second Prize & the Special iPalpiti Prize at the George Enescu International Competition 2020-21 in Bucharest.

As a winner of the Juilliard Violin Concerto Competition 2019, she made her New York debut at Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, performing Prokofiev's second violin concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky. Jaewon has appeared as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Italy Palermo Festival Symphony Orchestra, Korean Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, and Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

As an academy soloist at the 2022 Verbier Festival, she played in numerous solo/chamber recitals, public masterclasses, and community performances. When she performed Saint-Saëns/Ysaÿe Caprice d´après l´Étude en forme de valse op. 52 No. 6 at the Cinéma de Verbier for her Spotlight Concert, she got rave reviews from numerous audiences about her mature technique and musicality. Jaewon was invited to the prestigious NUME Academy & Festival 2024 in Cortona, Italy, where she performed and participated in the masterclasses held by remarkable world-renowned artists, including Stella Chen, Mihaela Martin, Vlad Stanculeasa, Tabea Zimmermann, and many more. She was invited as an artist at the Palermo Classica Festival and the iPalpiti International Music Festival in 2021.

Graduate of Korea National University of Arts (BM/Nam Yun Kim, Koichiro Harada), The Juilliard School (MM/Ronald Copes), and New England Conservatory (Graduate Diploma/Donald Weilerstein) with full (Dean’s) scholarship, she currently pursues the Artist Diploma program at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University under Cho-Liang Lin with a full scholarship.

Jaewon plays the 1784 Lorenzo Storioni violin on a generous loan from the SooYoung Art Trade in South Korea.

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