Sound of the East – Asia the future of classical music?

By He Jianwei

It is easy to find master conductors and virtuosos from Asia, but the list of top classical orchestras today is still dominated by European and North American groups.

A decade ago, Korean-American conductor Myung-Whun Chung established the first orchestra composed of musicians from all over Asia.

Since its debut in Japan, the orchestra has been recognized as the continent’s best. The diverse cultures and ethnicities of its performers contribute to its beautiful music, and to a deeper harmony within the orchestra itself.

Today, Chung will lead the orchestra again on its return to Beijing’s stage after last year’s debut.

Chung’s orchestra, the Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, includes 97 musicians from 11 Asian countries who have played with more than 30 leading symphony orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

The group was first assembled to fulfill Chung’s dream: that relations between Asian nations could be strengthened through music.

“Musical ability and musical talent are not linked to whether you are Korean, Japanese or Chinese, or French or American. It is a language of feeling, of spirit, and no one can convince me that a Korean has a different spirit than a Japanese, Chinese or American person,” Chung says.

“We have different customs, and we have developed different ways of living, but basic human nature and human qualities – I don’t think those change across borders,” he says.

In 1995, when Chung conducted the opening ceremony of an international orchestral festival in Tokyo, he met many Asian musicians from top orchestras. His idea was to put them together.