“I’ve been performing all around the world, especially across Europe, but this time, I am so happy and thrilled to present my music to my fans here in Korea throughout the year.”

Violinist Park Hye-yoon has put her overseas activities on the back burner for a while and is now gearing herself up for a one-year series of concerts in her homeland, Korea.


The Kumho Art Hall, affiliated with the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, has selected Park as this year’s “Artist in Residence.” The “Artist in Residence” program is designed to sponsor up-and-coming classical musicians for a year. Last year’s lucky artist was pianist Kim Da-sol.

The 22-year-old violinist has been dying to come and perform across Korea. That’s why she is here now, she said during a press conference earlier this month. “I occasionally received offers to perform in Korea before, but at the time I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to do that,” she said. “But when I heard that I had been chosen as the 2014 Artist in Residence, I was so thrilled and excited because now I can perform my own repertoire, choosing it all myself, not once, but throughout the whole year.”


During the one-year fellowship, she will present five concerts, collaborating with other world-class musicians. Her first Seoul concert took place on January 9. She put on a striking performance together with German pianist Florian Uhlig. The duo played violin sonatas by Schumann, Franck and Johann Strauss and also Sarasate’s “The Carmen Fantasy.”

It was at the early age of 4 when Park had her eyes opened to the four-stringed instrument. Her parents gave her a small violin after seeing their daughter watch in total awe as her cousin played the violin.

At fourteen-years-old, Park went to Germany to further improve her playing skills. In 2009, the young violinist won the 58th ARD International Music Competition held in Munich, becoming the youngest-ever winner in the competition’s history.

She studied under famous violinist Antje Weithaas at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, who she calls “the mother of her music.”

“Weithaas was the first teacher I met in Germany. She taught me how to see through music, open-minded,” she said.
 
Since 2010, Park has continued her studies under violinist Christian Tetzlaff at the Kronberg Academy. “Tetzlaff is my musical father. I’ve learned from him what attitude I should have toward music, how to express music and how I have devoted my life to music,” Park said.

Park is scheduled to play another four concerts set to be held at the same venue on March 27, July 24, September 18 and, lastly, December 4. In particular, at the September performance, she will appear on stage along with her “musical mother” and teacher Antje Weithaas.



By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr