Artistic Director & Principal Conductor

Jakyung YEAR

Jakyung YEAR is one of the most recognized conductors of her generation. She has developed a special reputation for her distinctive and highly sensitive baton technique, and authentic music interpretation. Acclaimed as ‘a conductor wish to work with’ by the Austrian and French press, she is actively appearing in Europe and Asia.

A conductor beloved by musicians, YEAR deeply believes the most important value in making music is to communicate with musicians. She has received the 'Conductor Award Chosen by the Orchestra' several times in International Conducting Competition including the Besancon International Conducting Competition in France.

In 2005, she received a Special Prize at the Suwon International Conducting Competition in Korea. She came to international attention by taking the third prize at the 5th Prokofiev International Conducting Competition, becoming the very first woman conductor on the list of winners in the history of Russian competitions.

Since her debut with Wien Radio Symphony Orchestra, she has made guest appearances with prestige orchestras in Europe including Orchestre National de France, Paris Lyon National Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. In Korea, she has worked frequently with such orchestras as the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Korean National Symphony Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, Daegu Philharmonic Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra, Gangneung Philharmonic Orchestra, Gunsan Philharmonic Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, Jinju Symphony Orchestra, Jeonju Symphony Orchestra, Pohang Philharmonic Orchestra, Chungman Philharmonic Orchestra, Chungbuk Philharmonic Orchestra, and Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has featured regularly at concerts hosted by Seoul Arts Center and presses. She also participated in several national events such as the New Year’s Concert, May 18th Memorial Concert, Memorial Day Concert, and National Liberation Day Concert with the KBS Symphony Orchestra hosted by the Ministry of Culture. In 2017, she conducted a special concert to commemorate the U.S. President’s visit to the Korean presidential residence.

Keen to promote classical music as something for everyone, and where everyone is welcome, YEAR introduces the secret entryway to classical music in her first book ⌈Behind the Classic⌉. She also meets audiences in various forms such as acting as a commentator in one of the Seoul Arts Center’s representative concerts, ⌈Saturday Concert⌉. After studying composition at Hanyang University and conducting at the same graduate school, she went to Austria and studied there at the renowned university, Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien(University of Arts Vienna) under Leopold HAGER, who served as the Music Director of Wien Volks Oper. During her study, she earned bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees with excellent grades, receiving a scholarship every semester from Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien and a Janacek Scholarship which was given only to the top student each year.

YEAR served as an Artistic Director&Principal Conductor of Gangnam Symphony Orchestra and was appointed Artistic Director&Principal Conductor of Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra in May 2023.