Top S. Korean maestro emphasizes importance of listening in music, life in general

(ATTN: photos available)
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- Quite humbly, South Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun
says he doesn't have "extraordinary musical talent." What he can do well,
however, is "selective listening" -- a habit he recommends to young people the
world over looking to achieve their life's goals and find the right path.

"I have a very poor memory but something usually sticks out -- one word, one
sentence," Chung, head of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, said during the Seoul
Digital Forum Wednesday. "My job as a conductor is first to listen. The idea of
listening has a value not just for musicians, but for all young persons in
general."
"I have followed the advice of a lot of people in my life and feel as though I
was led by all that guidance."
Participating in the major conference of international opinion leaders,
policymakers and artists that opened here Wednesday, the
internationally-acclaimed pianist and conductor performed a Brahms Piano Quartet
with orchestra members.
In a speech delivered after his performance, Chung shared some of the important
advice he received that helped shape him into a talented musician who went on to
conduct prominent European and American orchestras.
A teacher once urged him to become a "musician, not a piano player," words that
inspired the budding talent to broaden his vision, while a key mentor, the late
Italian conductor Carlo Maria Giulini, taught him that "musicians must find their
own answers."
"I'm here first to convince you of the greatness of music, and also to listen and
find an inner voice that leads your life," he said. "The selective process is
very important in life."
The 56-year-old Korean-born maestro, who renewed his contract with the Seoul
Philharmonic for another three years earlier this year, also shared his affection
for and devotion to his orchestra.
"Koreans are talented musicians and there are hundreds of them all over the
world. My goal is to help the orchestra become a good one and to flow on beyond
my life time," he said.
Since his debut in 1986 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Chung has led many
prominent orchestras and has served as the music director with the Orchestre
Philharmonique de Radio France.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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