컨텐츠
ASSOCIATE & ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Min Gyu SONG (2025~)
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Min Gyu Song gained international recognition in October 2024 as the first Korean to win the prestigious Guido Cantelli International Conducting Competition in Italy—an honour previously awarded to maestros such as Riccardo Muti, Eliahu Inbal, and Adam Fischer. In addition to winning first prize, he also received the Orchestra Prize and the Management Award from representatives of IMG Artists and Askonas Holt, marking him as one of the most promising conductors of his generation.
Maestro Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, praised Song’s artistry, noting: “He is highly musical, clearly knows what he wants, and can convey his ideas on the podium with great clarity. I was impressed by his deep understanding of the score and imaginative musicality.”
Song also won Second Prize at the 2024 Hiroshima International Conducting Competition and was awarded the Orchestra Prize at the 2022 Erich Bergel Competition. He is a former recipient of the Deutsche Musikrat scholarship: Neustart Kultur, further solidifying his status as a conductor of international calibre.
In June 2025, Song was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, working under the music directorship of Jaap van Zweden, and further strengthening his collaboration with one of Asia’s leading orchestras.
He has conducted over 20 major orchestras across Europe, including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, WDR Funkhausorchester Köln, Komische Oper Berlin, Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt (Oder), Cottbus State Theatre, Magdeburg Theatre, and Neubrandenburg Philharmonic. He has also worked closely with distinguished conductors such as Sir Roger Norrington, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Jaap van Zweden, and Manfred Honeck through masterclasses and assistantships.
In Korea, Song has led performances with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Korean National Opera, and the Korean National Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor of the Korea National Opera Studio, he served as assistant for major productions including Wagner’s Tannhäuser and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. He was also a finalist in the Seoul Philharmonic Fellowship program, where he conducted the orchestra in concert at the Lotte Concert Hall.
Born in Korea, Song moved to Germany after middle school and entered the Detmold University of Music while still in high school, studying under Florian Ludwig, former Generalmusikdirektor of Hagen Theatre. He later completed his master's degree at the Berlin University of the Arts as the first Korean student of Steven Sloane.
In 2025, Song led the Korean National Symphony Orchestra and the Korean National Choir in a National New Year’s Concert at Seoul Arts Center, followed by conducting the orchestra’s season-opening concert, both of which received wide acclaim.
For the 2025/26 season, Song is scheduled to appear with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra della Toscana, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, thereby continuing to maintain an active presence on both the Korean and international stages.
