Korean named La Scala director

[Anchor]

Master conductor Myung-Whun Chung has been appointed as the next music director of La Scala, one of the world's top three opera houses located in Italy.

In the nearly 250-year history of the theater, Chung is the first Asian music director.

Reporter Hyun-Soo Kim has the story.

[Report]

The piano soloist dominating the keyboard, Myung-Whun Chung leads the orchestra on the La Scala stage.

La Scala, one of the world's top three opera houses in Italy, has confirmed Myung-Whun Chung as its next music director.

His term will begin in 2027 and last for three years, making him the first music director of Asian descent in the theater's 247-year history.

Opened in 1778, La Scala has produced great figures in classical music history, including composers Verdi and Puccini, as well as conductor Herbert von Karajan.

Chung has maintained a relationship with the theater for over 30 years, having conducted nine operas and 141 concerts since he first took the podium there in 1989.

[Myung-Whun Chung/Conductor/2016: "There is an amazing inner richness in it (music), but it must appear very, very simple on the outside."]

Soprano Sumi Jo evaluated Chung's entry into La Scala as a natural result of his deep musical knowledge.

[Sumi Jo/Vocalist: "(Myung-Whun Chung) really seems to be someone who was born for music. I hope he continues to lead as a spiritual pillar of our country's music scene."]

Myung-Whun Chung, who is also the principal conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, will meet with Korean audiences from next month until December with the KBS Symphony Orchestra.

This is KBS News, Hyun-Soo Kim.