KSO International Conducting Competition to take place in November

The final rounds of the first KSO International Conducting Competition will take place in November with the 12 finalists confirmed on Monday.

The competition, launched this year by the Korean Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Arts Center, to find and support young conductors across the world, has rounded up the 12 finalists. The final rounds are slated to be held from Nov. 10 to 14 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul.

Some 166 contenders from 42 countries applied for the competition, and 12 finalists from six countries made the cut, according to the organizers.

The finals consist of two rounds, and the finalists will perform a wide range of repertoires, including works by Dvorak, Sibelius to Debussy, and contemporary music written by Texu Kim.

The jury members include conductor Chung Chi-yong, Florian Riem, the Secretary-General of the World Federation of International Music Competitions, professor Christian Ehwald at the Hochschule fur Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and more.

The winner will be given worth 50 million won ($42,520) in prize money, in addition to opportunities to perform with the Korean Symphony Orchestra and at performances arranged by Seoul Arts Center. The winner will also receive an invitation to perform with the Tongyeong International Music Foundation.

All performances will be livestreamed through the Korean Symphony Orchestra’s YouTube channel. Some will also be shared through Naver TV and Naver’s V Live.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)