The Philadelphia Orchestra is playing Seoul, and the South Korean publication Chosun has taken the occasion to note the large number of Asian musicians in the ensemble.
You have to applaud the paper for asking why this is the case, but I think it's fair to say that the question still awaits anything approaching revelation.
C.J. Chang, the orchestra's principal violist, is quoted as saying that Asian children practice "far more" than Westerners. Doubtful.
Concertmaster David Kim apparently tells the paper that Asians in general "traditionally treat higher ranking or senior colleagues with deference, good manners and loyalty."
That doesn't explain how they got there in the first place.
Maybe it has something to do with casting the net as wide as possible for talent when children are very young? Or governments that build schools and concert halls? Or raising children in an environment that places a high value on culture and history?
Comments (1)
Well, the same could be said of Finland, in terms of governments and society that invest in music and the arts as a vital part of educating the young.
Going off topic, and linking back to the Radio Times discussion, here in St. Louis, the SLSO's position of VP of Artistic Administration, currently held by Peter Czornyj, has just opened up as of 2 weeks ago. Given that the same position with the Philadelphia Orchestra opened up earlier this year when Kathleen van Bergen moved to Minnesota and the Schubert Club, one wonders if one dare connect the dots.
Posted by Geo. | May 31, 2008 11:55 AM
Posted on May 31, 2008 11:55