Conductor Lim Hun Joung graduated from the Department of Composition, in the College of Music at Seoul National University, and also majored in composition and conducting at Mannes College of Music and the Julliard School of Music. He is currently the head of the Department of Composition in the College of Music at Seoul National University, and has been the senior conductor of Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra since 1989, leading the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra now for 20 years.
Conductor Lim Hun Joung received the Grand Prize for composition at the 14th Donga Concours, was selected as the 1st Recipient of ‘Today’s Young Artist Award-Music’ by the Ministry of Culture & Tourism in 1993, and was awarded the Korea Music Award from the Music Association of Korea, along with the 9th Wookyeong Culture & Art Award (music) in 2001 and the Republic of Korea Culture & Art Award (Presidential Citation) in 2008. In addition, he has named the ‘Best Domestic Conductor’ by DongaIlbo, and one of ‘100 People to Lead Korea’s Future’ by Hankyoreh Newspaper.
Lim Hun Joung has been the central figure in the sharp rise of the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, an organization that struck a line through the history of symphonic music in Korea.
20 years is the longest period of time that a conductor has spent with an orchestra in Korea. Looking back at the trail that has been blazed by the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra over its 20-year history, you can get a glimpse of the musical world of the conductor Lim Hun Joung.
Under his direction, the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra has performed the entire series of Mozart’s Piano Concertos (1991), Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies (1999-2003, 2005-), Brahms’ Symphonies (2000), Beethoven’s Symphonies (2003), Schumann’s Symphonies (2006), and Anton Bruckner’s Symphonies (2007-2009). In particular, the orchestra’s performances of Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies started an unprecedented Gustav Mahler craze in Korea. Lim Hun Joung is actively promoting performances of 20th century pieces such as Bartok and Webern, while actively seeking new contemporary work for the orchestra to perform.
The artistic spirit that leads to perfect and successful performance series, the pioneering spirit that shows incomparable interest in new pieces, and the challenging spirit that creates variety amongst consistency ? all of these is part of the musical idealism of the conductor Lim Hun Joung.
The passion and the tireless efforts of conductor Lim Hun Joung helped the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra to achieve the ‘Hoam Prize,’ the Korean version of the Nobel Prize. Lim Hun Joung has made the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra the best domestic orchestra.
Despite his achievements, Lim Hun Joung is always ready to share the glory with his orchestra members. He is a warm-hearted conductor who always appreciates his members, and often says that the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra would not have come so far if it were not for the trials and tribulations of the orchestra members who were there in the early days, when the orchestra didn’t even have a good practice room.
Now, conductor Lim Hun Joung is a leading figure and a symbol of hope for classical music in Korea. His musical path shall continue, with his plans for the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s birth in 2010, and of the 100th anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s death in 2011.
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