Kyung Wha Chung

A prodigy from the start, she performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic at the age of nine. Her extraordinary talent brought her into the orbit of legends like Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, and Ivan Galamian—each leaving an imprint on her artistry.

Her international breakthrough came in 1970, when she stepped in at the last minute for Itzhak Perlman with the London Philharmonic. With no rehearsal, she performed the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius violin concertos under the baton of André Previn. That concert—and its recording—are still hailed as definitive interpretations of both works. Chung’s other discography includes Elgar with Sir Georg Solti, Bruch with Rudolf Kempe, and Saint-Saëns with Charles Dutoit/

But artistry runs deep in the Chung family. Her elder sister, Myung-wha Chung, is an accomplished cellist, and her younger brother, Myung-whun Chung, is an internationally renowned conductor and pianist. The three have often collaborated, most notably in a series of acclaimed piano trios.

Let us now turn to the violinist virtuoso Kyung Wha Chung.