Five Minutes with Seoul Arts Center’s newly appointed President – Hyoung Joon Chang
Get to you know Seoul Arts Center’s newly appointed President – Hyoung Joon Chang!
Photo Credit: Seoul Arts Centre
Congratulations on your new appointment! Tell us what you are most excited about in taking on this new role.
Seoul Arts Center (SAC) is a gem that has led the arts and culture of Korea for the last three decades. I have witnessed its growth from a close distance as a concert pianist and arts educator.
In 2023, SAC celebrates the 35th anniversary of its foundation, after years of phenomenal growth that the centre has achieved for decades. I am very honoured to be able to contribute to the new vision that SAC dreams of entering in the post-corona era.
Your extensive career in music as a performer, arts educator, and recording artist is impressive! How do you think your experiences so far would influence the overall direction you will take with Seoul Arts Center in these next three years?
I often visit concerts both to perform on the stage as a concert pianist and also to appreciate others’ performances in the audience. As a person who have been watching SAC for a long time, I think it is essential to create and stage excellent programmes for the centre to become a beloved place for both artists and audiences.
Reflecting on my knowledge of arts and my life-long career in classical music, I will put a lot of effort into presenting highly-qualified performances that fit the legitimacy of SAC.
During my term as a president, I will invite world-renowned artists more than ever and throw prestigious concerts and performances so that audiences visit our centre more often.
Photo Credit: Seoul Arts Centre
Seoul Arts Center was founded in 1988 to “develop and promote art and culture, and to expand people’s opportunities for cultural enjoyment.” – what are some of the challenges the centre face in audience development and what do you think is needed to push forward your mission?
Audience development has always been an issue for every arts centre. Developing and promoting arts is one of the most challenging things to achieve.
Seoul Arts Center, as a cultural complex with nine theatres and three exhibition buildings, welcomes a variety of audiences from every genre of art. Imagine an exhibition audience may have a chance to buy concert tickets by hearing the live orchestral music from our concert hall, or an audience who came to see a play could book a ticket for an opera held in one of the other theatres in our Opera house. Wouldn’t it be amazing? I think this is why our centre is made of many different functions; concerts, theatre, exhibitions, education, etc.
As we all have been going through the pandemic, every cultural space worldwide has experienced both opportunities and crises. Even though it is tough these days, I haven’t lost hope and still see the opportunities. I believe audiences can appreciate and spot a quality performance and concert. With this belief, I am searching for a way of developing audiences to increase the loyal audience of our centre by providing outstanding quality and a great amount of SAC featured programmes.
Photo Credit: Seoul Arts Centre
You have collaborated with world renowned orchestras and performed at some of the best concert halls. Which performance was the most significant or memorable for you?
I would pick a concert in which I played Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3 as a prize winner of the Aldredge Piano Competition in my early twenties. I performed with the great conductor Walter Handl and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. My heart still flutters when I think of the performance that day.
Photo Credit: Seoul Arts Centre
Apart from music – what are some things in life you enjoy the most?
Besides music, what I enjoy the most in my life is spending time with my family, especially my two daughters. As they grow older and all my family members get busier and busier, I feel sorry that it is almost impossible for us to gather together without making plans. However, we get to talk and listen to each other a lot whenever we meet. I’m also proud as a father, to see my daughters find their ways in their lives.
Our AAPPAC conference theme this year is FUTURE FORWARD – could you share in one sentence what are some hopes you have for the arts community?
By understanding the essence of arts, you can overcome any hardships and make changes to the future through difficult times.