Kyung-wha Chung secured her first major international breakthrough in 1970 when she substituted for Itzhak Perlman during a performance with the London Symphony Orchestra. This appearance initiated a series of engagements throughout the United Kingdom and launched a long-term recording contract with Decca, establishing her as a prominent figure in the global classical music landscape.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1948 in Seoul, South Korea, Kyung-wha Chung began her musical education with piano lessons at age four. By seven, she transitioned to the violin, displaying natural proficiency. She performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at age nine. Alongside her siblings, she performed throughout Korea before relocating to the United States at age thirteen. She enrolled at the Juilliard School in New York to study under Ivan Galamian.
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In 1967, Chung achieved joint victory at the Edgar Leventritt Competition alongside Pinchas Zukerman. This success led to performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Her debut album, featuring Tchaikovsky and Sibelius concertos with André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, earned critical recognition. Over the following decades, she recorded core repertoire works by Beethoven, Berg, Brahms, Franck, Debussy, Respighi, Strauss, and Vivaldi. Her recording of Respighi and Strauss sonatas with Krystian Zimerman received a Gramophone Award for Best Chamber Recording.
Pedagogy and Recognition
Beyond her performance schedule, Chung contributed to musical education by joining the faculty of the Juilliard School in 2007. Her professional contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the Kyung-Ahm Prize in 2005 and the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts in 2011, the latter honoring her four-decade career. She previously maintained a professional ensemble known as the Chung Trio, which included her siblings Myung-whun Chung and Myung-wha Chung.
Fast facts
- Born: 1948, Seoul
- Nationality: South Korea
- Primary Instrument: Violin
- Education: Juilliard School
- Notable Award: Ho-Am Prize in the Arts
- Languages: Korean
Questions readers ask
Where did Kyung-wha Chung receive her musical training?
She studied at the Juilliard School in New York under the instruction of Ivan Galamian.
Which major award did she receive in 2011?
She was awarded the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts for her long-standing career as a violinist and educator.
Achievements
- Ho-Am Prize in the Arts
- Instruments: violin
- Genres: classical music
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