Classical music will ring through a Catholic church nestled along the coast city of Forli, in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. The music will be created by the hands of three musicians flying in from Korea: conductor Lee Young-chil and flutists Yoon Hyun-im and Yun Ji-hae.

The trio is to fly to the beautiful coast city to perform as part of the Emilia Romagna Festival, one of Italy's biggest classical music festivals. These three have now become the first-ever musicians to be invited to perform in the prestigious Italian festival, as opposed to requesting to perform there.


“It was a totally unexpected thing,” said conductor Lee Young-chil. “We are the first Koreans to be invited to the festival and we will be on the same stage with world-class musicians,” Lee added.

The festival kicked off on July 17 and hosts a range of classical music concerts across many parts of Emilia-Romagna until September 16, spanning Bologna, Imola and Faenza, down to Forli, Cesena and Rimini.

The conductor will lead the Italian Chamber Orchestra for a show scheduled for August 1, at a Catholic church in Forli, San Merchriale.

The 44-year-old conductor has conducted across Europe, including in the U.K., Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. Rounding out his resume, he has led numerous prestigious orchestras, including the Plovdiv State Philharmonic Orchestra based in Bulgaria, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, both in Bulgaria, the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic, the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan.


“We will present compositions by two great composers, Mozart and Dvorak, and then wrap up with a version of 'Arirang’ as an encore,” said Lee. “If we take advantage of this opportunity to help enhance the image of Korean musicians, there will be more opportunities like this, I am sure.”

The orchestra, under Lee’s baton, will be accompanied by flutist Yoon Hyun-im. She will play Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1. “As a Korean, it’s such an honor to join in this big festival,” Yoon said.


Currently serving as a professor at the University of Suwon College of Music, Yoon moved to Geneva to study at the Conservatoire de musique de Genève while she was attending the Music College of Seoul National University. She studied under flute master Maxence Larrieu. She gained a Perfectionnement, or a proficiency diploma, at the Geneva music school and also a 1er de la Virtuosite diploma, or a first-class virtuosity diploma, attaining high scores. She moved on to the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart to take a Master’s course. While there, she also became the first Korean student of well-known flutist Jean Claude Gerarad.

Yoon started to stand out in 1992 when she won a flute competition sponsored by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. She continued to make her existence felt outside of Korea, too, as she won a series of awards at international competitions, such as the Riddes National Musical Performance Competition in Switzerland and the Biwako International Flute Competition in Japan. In 2001, she became the first Korean to come in second at the 47th Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona, Spain.

The flutist came out with her first album in the spring of 2009, a record featuring Mozart’s flute concertos, under a contract with the Czech record company Clarton. The album was released simultaneously in Korea and the Czech Republic.

Along with these two artists, another flutist will join them on stage in Italy this summer. “It’s quite a burden for me, as this is the first time for me to perform on such a big, global stage,” said flutist Yun Ji-hae. “I will do my best, though.” She will perform Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 at the upcoming Italian concert.


Yun is known to have a wide repertoire, from traditional to contemporary music. She plays the baroque flute, or “traverse” flute, as well as the modern flute, having both at her command. Yun graduated from the Bern University of the Arts and earned a proficiency diploma at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland. She then continued to take graduate courses at the Geneva University of Music and graduated with perfect scores.

Yun made her debut on the Swiss scene when she held a solo concert in Bern, Switzerland. She has since performed in a number of solo concerts, in which she plays her signature traverse flute. She covers a repertoire that consists of both modern pieces, including Korean composer Yun Isang’s “Flute Concerto” and “Garak for Flute and Piano,” as well as traditional ones. All of her European concerts have helped raise awareness of who she is and have given her many opportunities to shine in the modern world of classical music.

“The country that Mozart loved most was Italy, and that’s why many of his masterpieces embrace Italian colors, and are written in Italian, as well,” said conductor Lee. “I believe that this is such a significant milestone for us, to play Mozart’s works in the way that the Italians want them to be performed and in the composer’s favorite country.”


By Wi Tack-whan, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr