Violinist Chung Kyung-wha celebrates 60 years in music with international tour
Published: 17 Jul. 2025, 13:18
Updated: 17 Jul. 2025, 13:29
![Violinist Chung Kyung-wha [CREDIA]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/17/5e44476c-eedf-4e55-9526-82d41c078447.jpg)
Violinist Chung Kyung-wha [CREDIA]
At 77, violinist Chung Kyung-wha refuses to slow down. Nearly six decades into a career, she is once again stepping onto the international stage — this time alongside longtime collaborator and pianist Kevin Kenner — for a tour that spans Korea, the United States and Canada.
The tour opens Sept. 24 at Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul, following domestic stops in Gyeonggi’s Pyeongtaek on Sept. 13, Goyang on Sept. 21, and Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang on Sept. 26, before crossing the Pacific in November. There, Chung will perform at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Nov. 2, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, on Nov. 5, Carnegie Hall in New York on Nov. 7 and Koerner Hall in Toronto on Nov. 9.
Of these, Carnegie Hall holds particular weight. Chung returns to the venue for the first time in eight years, after marking her 50th debut anniversary there in 2017. It was on that same stage, back in 1967, that she first captured global attention by winning the Leventritt Competition, a prestigious international competition for classical pianists and violinists.
Chung’s journey has been anything but smooth. In 2005, an injury forced her into a painful hiatus, but she returned in 2010 with undiminished charisma and deepened artistry, winning over audiences once again. Her 2016 recording of Bach’s “Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin” — her first album in 15 years — cemented her reputation as an artist of rare introspection and power. In 2023, she surprised fans by reuniting onstage with her brother, conductor and pianist Chung Myung-whun, for an intimate duo performance.
![A tour poster for violinist Chung Kyung-wha and pianist Kevin Kenner [CREDIA]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/17/1b3e3bf3-cce8-497d-8156-cbe05da717c5.jpg)
A tour poster for violinist Chung Kyung-wha and pianist Kevin Kenner [CREDIA]
“This tour will be a meaningful moment to reflect on nearly 60 years of Chung Kyung-wha’s singular journey in the classical music world,” said Credia, the tour’s organizer.
The program speaks to Chung’s range and restless spirit. It includes Debussy’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor,” “Schubert’s Fantasy in C Major,” Schoenberg’s “Fantasy for Violin and Piano,” and Franck’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major.”
At the piano is Kevin Kenner, whom Chung has called a “soulmate” in music — a partner whose rapport with her is built on years of artistic dialogue. Kenner, who rose to prominence as a mentor to pianist Cho Seong-jin at the 2015 Chopin Competition, will also serve as a judge at the prestigious event’s 19th edition in 2025.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HWANG JEE-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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