Farewell & Goldberg 2023
2023 marked another milestone in my life. Once again, I left my home country — the place where I was born, grew up, and spent the last 24 years after returning from Germany and the U.S. This time, I set out to begin a new chapter in the United States.
On May 31st, the György Ligeti 100th Anniversary Concert at the SNU Ensemble Academy—held at the Powerplant of Seoul National University—became my farewell concert at SNU. My student Sunwha Lee performed Ligeti’s Horn Trio alongside Seoul Philharmonic players Sergei Lee (horn) and Haesung Choi (violin). I played two of Unsuk Chin’s Etudes and Schubert’s final piano sonata, a deeply personal and meaningful work both for Ligeti and for me. Another proud moment was seeing my student, Dr. Jung-Eun Yoon, give an insightful talk on Ligeti and close the evening with a beautiful performance of his Etude Arc-en-ciel, like a “promise” for unknown future.
I am endlessly grateful to all my students and colleagues at SNU who have supported and shaped me, both artistically and personally. You will always remain at the heart of my journey!
We landed in D.C. a day before Independence Day in July. While exploring Baltimore, I also traveled to Florida, Chicago, and San Francisco to teach at three summer music festivals: the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, the Chicago International Music Festival, and the Artcial International Piano Festival. It was an exciting opportunity to meet new colleagues, work with talented students, and learn more about American music schools.
“Aller Anfang ist heiter” (Goethe)
Later in the year, I was honored to receive two special invitations: one from the Seoul Arts Center for its 30th anniversary concert (December 27th), and the other from Peabody for its new concert series at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. (December 13th). I chose J.S. Bach’s timeless Goldberg Variations for both recitals.
On this occasion, I was interviewed by the Korean monthly magazine <Music Journal> and wrote a program note for Bloomberg series sharing my reflection on this master piece and my musical journey.
Below you can read my program note or click on 음악저널 to view my interview in Korean.
Although the authenticity of the well-known story involving Count Kaiserling and the cembalist Gottlieb Goldberg is unclear, one undeniable fact remains: this music uplifts the spirit. It seems almost fateful that I chose to perform this piece for this particular concert. Reflecting on my past experiences, I realized that I often played the “Goldberg” before or after significant milestones in my life. The music of Bach has always been an irreplaceable resource for my soul, providing alignment whenever I needed it.
I feel uplifted to present this rare musical collision of devotion and meditation during this special time of year, marking both JHU’s occasion and my own.
hyc
12/13/2023
