“The piano especially dominates in the Leggiero of the Mendelssohn, where the varying tones are strung together like a huge strung of pearls. Shi-Yeon Sung underpinned this with a barely-there, balanced orchestral sound; her interaction with the soloist is carefully matched. Especially beautiful is the middle movement, in which the orchestral parts and the piano intertwine like delicate creepers.”
Das Orchester, Antje Rößler
(Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin)

Since winning the 2006 Sir Georg Solti International Conductors Competition, Korean conductor Shi-Yeon Sung is becoming recognized as one of the most exciting young conductors on the international scene. Shi-Yeon continues as Associate Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra,  a post created especially for her in 2009.

2011/12 highlights include debuts with the Duisburger Philarmoniker, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Norrköpping Symphony Orchestra, to include a concert in Spain’s prestigious Palau de la Musica in Barcelona  as well as a return to Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Osnabrücker Symphony Orchestra amongst others.

Last season, Shi-Yeon made her successful debut at The Great Mountains Music Festival, in the first year with their new Music Directors Kyung-Wha Chung and Myung-Wha Chung and will return next season with concerts with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. 2010/11 also included successful debuts with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthaus Berlin Orchestra, Malmo Symphony, Stavanger Symphony as well as returning to Helsingborg Symphony and Uppsala Chamber Orchestra. In June 2010, Shi-Yeon led the high-profile re-opening of Buenos Aires’s legendary and newly refurbished Teatro Colon.  The inaugural performance drew widespread acclaim in the Argentinean press, with the Buenos Aires Herald declaring the concert was “conducted with virtuoso ability.” Recent seasons also included a successful debut with the Stockholm Opera Orchestra (2007/08) which led to an immediate re-invitation to conduct the revival of Gluck Orfeo (2009/10) as well as to make her debut with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (2008/09).   Also in the 2008/09 season, Shi-Yeon made her debut at the Tongyeong International Music Festival, Seoul conducting Martha Argerich and had a successful impromptu debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic after being invited to take over a last minute cancellation.

In Summer 2010, Shi-Yeon finished her three-year role as Assistant Conductor to James Levine at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  During this time, she made her very successful subscription debut with the orchestra and conducted them twice at Tanglewood, as well as stepping in on late notice for several concerts, including one of the season-opening performances in September 2009.
Shi-Yeon Sung made her formal conducting debut in 2002 – conducting Die Zauberflöte – in Berlin, followed by assisting posts in productions at the Theater Görlitz and Hans Otto Theater in Potsdam. She has since directed numerous opera projects. In her capacity as permanent guest conductor, Shi-Yeon regularly directs the opening concert of the Summer Festival Kapfenburg (supported by DaimlerChrysler) and from February 2003 to February 2006, Shi-Yeon was chief conductor of the Capella Academica, the symphony orchestra of the Humboldt University Berlin.

In August 2006, Sung began advanced conducting studies under Professor Jorma Panula at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden. From 2001 to 2006, she undertook Kapellmeister and orchestral conducting studies with Prof. Rolf Reuter at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where she concluded her studies in August 2006 with a diploma in Conducting.

Winner of Bamberg Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in 2007 and 2004 for the Conducting Forum of the German Music Council and the 2004 Female Conductors’ Competition in Solingen, Germany.

Born in Pusan, South Korea, Shi-Yeon Sung began playing the piano at the age of 4. She took part in numerous youth competitions, winning various prizes, and gave her first solo concert at the age of 13.

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