Violinist Lee Ji-yoon made youngest lifetime-tenure concertmaster at Staatskapelle Berlin

Korean violinist Lee Ji-yoon has been granted lifetime tenure as concertmaster of Staatskapelle Berlin, officials of a local cultural foundation said Wednesday. 

Founded in 1570, Staatskapelle Berlin has been led by numerous internationally acclaimed conductors including Wilhelm Furtwangler and Herbert von Karajan, who was succeeded by Daniel Barenboim in 1992.

Officials from the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation confirmed Wednesday that the Berlin-based orchestra had voted to officially grant lifetime tenure to the 26-year-old violinist. Lee is the youngest and the first Asian to fill the post. She became the concertmaster in September last year.

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