Jang Han-na, a 44-year-old cellist and conductor, has been named the new president of Seoul Arts Center, South Korea's premier performing arts complex. It marks the first time since the center's opening in 1987 that a professional musician and a woman has been appointed to lead the institution.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Jang is expected to receive her letter of appointment as early as the 24th of this month and officially begin her three-year term.
Jang is one of South Korea's most prominent musicians, with decades of experience on the international stage. She emerged as a prodigy at a young age, winning the Rostropovich International Cello Competition in 1994 at the age of 11. She has since performed with the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, steadily expanding her career.
She later transitioned into conducting. Since 2007, she has led various orchestras primarily across Europe and North America, building a broad repertoire and an extensive international network.
In South Korea, she established herself as an arts festival director. Through the "Jang Han-na Absolute Classic Festival" held at Seongnam Arts Center, she sought to bring classical music to wider audiences. More recently, she has led the "Jang Han-na Daejeon Grand Festival," expanding region-based music projects. Last year, she was also appointed as a visiting special professor at the Graduate School of Culture Technology at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
The ministry said Jang's extensive stage experience, international exchange network and deep understanding of the arts scene were the key factors behind her appointment.