Germany-based Korean conductor Park June-sung is celebrating his multiple wins at this year’s 12th Aram Khachaturian International Competition, including a joint first place crown for conducting and three additional special prizes.
Along with sharing his first place win with Miran Vaupotic of Croatia, Park was also awarded the Orchestra Award, Best Interpretation of Aram Khachaturian and the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra Special Prizes during the international competition, which was held in Yerevan, Armenia from June 6-14.
Having won third prize at the 6th International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest last year, Park’s win in Armenia marks the biggest feat of the 34-year-old conductor’s young career.
“To be honest with you, because I felt as though I still have so many areas in which I could improve (as a conductor), I never expected to win first place,” said Park in an email interview with The Korea Herald.
“Personally, receiving the Orchestra Award was the biggest honor for me and I was so proud and happy. To me the award tells me that as a conductor I was successful in translating my words and the music onto the orchestra members and for that I am so honored,” said Park, who is the son the Daegu Opera House’s artistic director and baritone singer Park Myung-ki.
Germany-based Korean conductor Park June-sung wins the top prize for conducting at the 12th Aram Khachaturian International Competition held in Yerevan, Armenia, from June 6-14. (Aram Khachaturian International Competition)
The Aram Khachaturian competition was founded in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. Although the annual competition honors talented musicians in the categories of piano, cello, violin and composition, this year was the first time the events included conducting among the categories.
This year’s jury featured seven renowned judges, including Mark Hildrew, executive director of Askonas Holt, and Michalis Economou, principal guest conductor of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and music director of the Athens Symphony Orchestra.
As part of his win, Park will split a $10,000 cash prize and receive an invitation to conduct the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra once again in a concert performance this October as well as the conducting the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia over the next two years.
“Competitions are important because they offer a great opportunity for conductors like me to lead an orchestra and allow myself to grow through experience,” he added. “I entered (the competition) to gain more experience, but I must say that I am also very happy with the results.”
“I think one of the biggest benefits to me in winning this competition is the invitation to once again conduct the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra,” Park said. “I am both happy to be able to conduct the orchestra once again and happy it will open up future conducting opportunities for me.”
Park began playing the piano at the age of 4. He later studied piano at the State University for Music and the Performing Arts in Stuttgart, Germany before receiving his masters in orchestra conducting under Leopold Hager, Uros Lajovic and Mark Stringer at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in Austria.
In 2013 he was selected as one of only six young conductors to take part in maestro Chung Myung-Whun’s master class with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
By Julie Jackson (
juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)