Kyung Wha Chung: Con Amore
Violinist Kyung Wha Chung was born in Seoul, Korea on March 26, 1948. She grew up in a family with eight siblings, all of whom had early training in music. They all began with piano lessons. Ms. Chung says that “Both my parents were music lovers… Music was part of our education, and there was always music-making at home.”
A friend of her father gave her a violin to play at the young age of six. She immediately found she could express herself with the instrument. “The violin,” she noted “is very close to the human voice.” Soon she was playing in a trio with her sister Myung Wha, who was getting proficient on cello, and her brother Myung Whun, who stuck with the piano.
Her older sister, Myung So, was very skilled on the flute and went to America to study at Juilliard in New York City. In 1961, Chung followed and shared an apartment with her sister. Chung also began studying at Juilliard with the well-known violin teacher Ivan Galamian.
Living in New York City, struggling to learn a new language and to live away from home and family in Korea, was difficult. “To put it mildly, I started a whole new life”, said Ms. Chung.
Now we have this recording which documents the long way that Ms. Chung has travelled since those early days. Fifty years of experience, study, dedication and sacrifice have gone into the creation of this musician. On this CD one can hear the results…
Tracks on this CD are:
Brahms:
- Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor
Chaminade:
- Sérénade espagnole, Op. 150
Chopin:
- Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. post.
Debussy:
- Beau Soir
Elgar:
- Salut d’amour, Op. 12
- La Capricieuse, Op. 17
Gossec:
- Gavotte
Kreisler:
- La Gitana
- Liebesleid
- Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani)
- Liebesfreud
Novácek, O:
- Perpetuum mobile – Concert Caprice Op. 5 No. 4
Poldini:
- Poupée valsante
Saint-Saëns:
- Etude en forme de valse Op. 52 No. 6
Tchaikovsky:
- Valse sentimentale, Op. 51 No. 6
Wieniawski:
- Scherzo-Tarantelle in G minor, Op. 16
- Caprice in A minor Op. 18 No. 4
Here is Kyung-Wha Chung playing the Bruch violin concerto No. 1 with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by her brother Myung-Whun Chung. This concert took place on 22nd July 2002 as a part of BBC Prom concerts
Tags: Kyung-Wha Chung, Con Amore, Violinist