Violinist Chung Kyung-wha was all confidence, as bright and warm as the early summer afternoon when she met with a small group of reporters Wednesday at an old fashioned cafe near her home in Gugi-dong, Seoul, at the foot of Bukhansan National Park.

“Come and see how I perform if you are curious,” said Chung a few days ahead of her recital Sunday, dispelling concerns about the less than stellar reviews of her performances over the past few years.

The iconic violinist’s confidence is evident in her choice to return to Kubelik, Ferni the 1735 Guarneri del Gesu she had used during her heyday.

”I had difficulties performing on the Stradivarius last year. The Stradivarius is a very sensitive instrument. They would react even to a slight drop of your finger on the strings. The Guarneri has different finger positions -- ones that I am very familiar with. It really fits me. I feel like I have returned to the right place with Kubelik in my hand,” said Chung.

In 2005, Chung injured her left index finger and stopped performing until she made a comeback in 2010. Since the injury, Chung had rarely picked up her beloved Guarneri, performing on other violins, including the “King Joseph Maximilian” Stradivarius of 1702.

Known as a perfectionist, Chung reiterated that her major musical concern has never been about techniques.

“I was never interested in the stupendous techniques of Paganini or Wieniawski,” said Chung. ”Since when I was young, I have been always drawn to music by composers like Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart or Tchaikovsky, composers that I could immerse myself into,” said Chung.

Chung added that she is much more concerned about delivering her own music and showing her life experience in her performances, instead.

”To understand what one is doing, one needs to come to realize his or her own life. Music is not just about the form, it is also about what you learn from your life. The life lessons become part of one’s own music,” said Chung.

“I found commonalities that I share with Moosan, who passed away on May 26, while I was reading his writings. Over the last 10 years, I tried so hard to put things down or empty my mind,” Chung added. Moosan was a Buddhist monk and also an acclaimed poet.

Having learned how to let go, Chung said that she now feels truly free. “If previously I had done music for my country, my parents and my teachers, I now perform music for myself. I treasure every moment that allows me to have an audience listening to my music,” Chung added.

Chung debuted with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of nine and enrolled at The Juilliard School at 13, studying under renowned Ivan Galamian and Joseph Szigeti. Recognized as one of the finest violinists in the 1970s and onward, Chung has performed with numerous acclaimed conductors including Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, Andre Previn, Simon Rattle, Georg Solti and Klaus Tennstedt, among others.


Asked about her rubato-imbued encore performance of the Andante from Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor at the Tongyeong International Music Festival earlier this year, Chung said that it takes very long time to bring freedom into one‘s performance.

“Of all the movements of the Bach’s Sonata, the andante had been the most difficult one to perform. The word andante came from Latin word ‘andare,’ which translates into ‘walk.’ Bach‘s andante also has this heart rate. But imagine. Everyone has a different heart rate, and it can never be the same,” Chung said.

“Violinist Chung on Sunday held a duo recital with pianist Kevin Kenner at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, performing some of the works included in their album “Beau Soir.” Included in the program are Faure’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A major Op.13, Brahms‘ Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D minor Op. 108, Bach’s Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 and Franck‘s Sonata for Violin and Piano A major M. 8.

On Tuesday, Chung and Kenner will perform at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)