ARTISTS

CONDUCTOR SEUNG HYUN BAEK

Seung Hyun Baek studied violin at Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School before earning his bachelor's degree in composition and conducting from Seoul National University's College of Music. He later obtained master's degrees in orchestral conducting and choral conducting from the Nuremberg University of Music in Germany. He served as a member of the 'Conductors' Forum' (Dirigentenforum) under the German Music Council (Deutscher Musikrat) of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and co-won the 7th Ernst von Schuch Prize in 2021. He continued his artistic endeavors in Germany, conducting orchestras such as the Landestheater Detmold Orchestra, Württemberg Philharmonie Reutlingen, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Bad Reichenhall Philharmonie, Ensemble Musikfabrik, and West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he was invited to the 'Musikfesttage an der Oder' festival in Poland to collaborate with the Zielona Góra Philharmonic. In Korea, he has performed as a guest conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Pohang Philharmonic Orchestra, DITTO Orchestra, Korea Coop Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonie Korea, and Hankyung arte Philharmonic. Notably in 2022, he conducted the domestic tour of Wise Ballet Theater's <VITA>, winner of the Grand Prize at the Edaily Culture Awards. His interest in classical as well as contemporary music has led to frequent collaborations with contemporary music ensembles and composers; he has conducted works by composers such as Sukhi Kang and Byung-dong Paik with the TIMF Ensemble, Seoul Modern Ensemble, Ensemble Sori, and Ensemble Wiro, while participating as a conductor in concerts for composition groups such as Sorimok and the 21st Century Music Society. Since returning to Korea, he has broadened his scope beyond conducting by contributing program notes and articles for prominent festivals, ensembles, and artists—including the Going Home Project, Music in PyeongChang, Seoul Arts Center International Music Festival, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Estonian Festival Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Philharmonic String Quintet Berlin, Daniel Lozakovich, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Edward Gardner, Yunchan Lim, Songha Choi, Klaus Mäkelä, and Paavo Järvi—engaging with audiences off the stage. He has also committed to nurturing younger musicians by lecturing at Pusan National University, Duksung Women's University, Yewon School, Seoul Arts High School, and Deokwon Arts High School. Since 2023, he has served as Associate Conductor of the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Busan Metropolitan Youth Orchestra under the Busan Metropolitan Performing Arts Company.

CELLO LEE YOUBIEN

Cellist Lee Youbien, who became a two-time winner at the 2025 Isang Yun International Music Competition by receiving both a unanimous decision victory from the jury and the UNESCO Creative City of Music Special Prize, is a performer who persuasively unfolds her own musical world with an elegant, rich tone and creative expression.

While attending the Korea National University of Arts, she won the Grand Prize at the K-ARTS AUDITION co-hosted by NAVER and K-ARTS, was selected as a K-ARTS RISING STAR, and was awarded scholarships from KB Kookmin Bank and the Sungjung Cultural Foundation.

She has also won first prize at major domestic competitions including the JoongAng Music Competition, Sungjung, CBS, Yewon, and Music Journal competitions. Internationally, she won first prize and a special prize at the 2021 David Popper International Cello Competition in Hungary, and third prize at the 2024 Buchet International Cello Competition in Belgium. Additionally, she was awarded the Promising Young Artist Award presented by Noodle Lover Co., Ltd. and the Korea Mecenat Association.

After making her debut at the age of nine in a performance with the Chungbuk Provincial Symphony Orchestra, she has performed with the Cheongju Philharmonic Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, K-ARTS KNUA Symphony Orchestra, Hankyeong ARTE Philharmonic, and Hungary's Alba Regia Orchestra. She also performed with the Jeju Symphony Orchestra at the 2026 Orchestra Festival at the Seoul Arts Center.

She has performed at renowned European venues such as the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, and Flagey in Belgium. She has continued an extensive performing career at home and abroad, including invited performances at the Kirishima International Music Festival in Japan, Indiana University in the U.S., and the U.A.E. Peace and Music Festival, as well as the Yeosu Yeulmaru Chamber Music Festival, Kumho Young Artist Recital, and International Art Hall Recital.

Lee Youbien studied under Kyung-Eun Kim, Hee-Deok Lee, So-Jin Hwang, and Kyung-Ok Park. After graduating from Yewon School, she completed the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts studying under Professors Kang-Ho Lee and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and graduated early from the Korea National University of Arts. She then moved to Germany, where she earned her Master's degree with top marks at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin under Professor Troels Svane.

She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Barenboim-Said Akademie under Professor Frans Helmerson alongside a Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg under Professor Jean-Guihen Queyras. She plays a Paolo Antonio Testore cello made in Milan around 1750, generously sponsored by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.

Busan Philharmonic Orchestra BUSAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1962, the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra is a public orchestra directly under Busan Metropolitan City and the third oldest orchestra in South Korea. It established its foundation as a professional orchestra through the Busan Citizens' Hall in 1974 and the Busan Cultural Center in 1988, and is now established as Busan's flagship cultural and arts organization. Beginning with inaugural conductor Oh Tae-kyun, the orchestra has continued its musical growth alongside prominent Korean and international conductors including Mark Gorenstein, Alexander Anissimov, Li Xincao, Choi Soo-yeol, and Hong Seok-won. With a full quadruple-woodwind orchestra setup, the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra contributes to broadening the classical music audience and enriching citizens' cultural life through various programmed concerts, including regular subscription concerts, educational concerts, chamber music series, outreach concerts, and late-night performances. In Korea, it participates annually in the Seoul Arts Center Orchestra Festival and has successfully completed international tours in many countries, including the United States, Germany, China, Japan, and Singapore. In particular, it was the first Korean orchestra to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1997, and was recorded as the first Asian orchestra invited to give the closing concert at Musikfest Berlin in 2025. In addition, it was the first in Korea to complete full cycles of Richard Strauss's tone poems (2017–2019) and Maurice Ravel's complete orchestral works (2020–2022). Since 2024, it has been continuing a Mahler cycle, presenting world-class performances characterized by artistic perfection and innovative programming.

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