Chung Myung-whun extends tenure at Classic Busan, linking city to La Scala

Classic Busan's inaugural artistic director will oversee both Busan Concert Hall and the upcoming Busan Opera House for two additional years.

Classic Busan said Friday that Busan city has signed a contract extension with artistic director Chung Myung-whun, under which he will help shape the long-term operational direction and opening festival of the Busan Opera House, set to open in 2027. His term now runs through June 2028.

Chung demonstrated his leadership last year by steering the successful opening and early establishment of Busan Concert Hall.

The extension is expected to build on Chung's growing global profile, which comes into sharper focus later this year when he officially takes up the post of music director of the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Milan — making him the first Asian conductor to lead the storied Italian institution. That milestone is expected to raise the Busan Opera House's international standing.

A preview of that connection arrives this weekend, when Chung and key principal singers from La Scala take the stage in Busan for a large-scale outdoor opera performance ahead of his formal investiture at the Milan theater.

A "La Scala guest opera" project, which Chung and the city have been discussing as a centerpiece of the opening festival, is also expected to take more concrete shape through the extended term. The city said it would continue gathering public opinion and holding thorough discussions to refine the plan.

"What matters just as much as building a world-class performance venue is making sure that space becomes part of citizens' everyday lives," Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We will make every preparation so that the Busan Opera House is not the exclusive domain of a privileged few, but an open space where all citizens can enjoy culture — a new landmark of Busan as a maritime capital that residents can be proud of."

The classical music world is watching closely to see whether Chung's leadership — bridging the heart of world opera in Milan, the national capital Seoul and an emerging cultural maritime city in Busan — can transform the Busan Opera House from a mere architectural landmark into a globally recognized center for artistic creation.