Myung-Whun Chung

Myung-Whun Chung has been appointed (again) as Music Director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul. He will begin his new role from January, the orchestra announced today.

For the next three years, Chung will lead the radio orchestra, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2026.

The new appointment at KBS marks Chung’s return to the KBS Symphony Orchestra after he left his post as the principal conductor in 1998, only four months into his three-year tenure — a departure prompted by internal discord. In 2022, the orchestra appointed Chung as its first « honorary laureate » conductor, and he has since been collaborating with the orchestra on regular concerts.

Chung is also Music Director of Classic Busan which is operating the Busan Concert Hall, which opened in June, and the Busan Opera House, set to open in 2027.

In May, Teatro alla Scala in Milan announced that the 72-year-old conductor will become the next artistic director from 2027