Conductor Chung Myung-whun (72) has been appointed as the new music director of the La Scala theater in Italy, regarded as the most prestigious opera house in the world. He is the first Asian music director in the 247-year history of La Scala.
La Scala announced on the 12th (local time) that it has appointed Chung Myung-whun as music director, succeeding Riccardo Chailly. Chung's term is scheduled to run from 2027 to February 2030.
Chung Myung-whun has a particularly deep connection with La Scala. Since 1989, he has conducted nine opera productions, with a total of 84 performances and 141 concerts.
La Scala stated, "Chung Myung-whun is a figure who has conducted some of the world's leading orchestras and is regarded as a cultural symbol in Korea," adding, "He has maintained a close and productive relationship with the La Scala Orchestra, choir, and philharmonic orchestra, and is the person among non-music directors who has most significantly enhanced La Scala's international stature."
Chung Myung-whun gained recognition as a pianist by placing second jointly in the Tchaikovsky International Competition in 1974. He later embarked on a conducting career, being appointed associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1978. In the 1980s, he expanded into Europe, serving as music director of the Saarland Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany and music director of the French National Bastille Opera.
Chung Myung-whun is currently the chief guest conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle in Germany, the honorary music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Paris, and a laureate conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra.