Pianist Paik Kun-woo urges young musicians to broaden their horizons
His autobiography, marking 70 years of his career, is due Nov. 20, and he is planning collaborative concerts in Daegu and Seoul.
South Korean pianist Paik Kun-woo urged young musicians on Tuesday to broaden their horizons and find their own artistic paths, South Korea's national news agency Yonhap reported.
Paik, who made his debut in 1956 at age 10 by performing a piano concerto with a local orchestra, said at a press conference in Seoul that young musicians remain within too narrow a sphere.
He said they should look beyond that narrow world and learn to choose the repertoire that suits them best.
"I hope they can see a wider world," he said.
Paik is set to publish an autobiography, roughly translated as "Paik Kun-woo: My Story," on Nov. 20 to mark the 70th anniversary of his career.
The book traces his childhood, his studies at New York's Juilliard School and his decades in Europe.
He said he wrote the book because his 65 years living abroad are, in a sense, both his personal history and Korea's history.
The book also examines the barriers artists must overcome and his persistent pursuit of new artistic expression.
Recalling the 1960s, Paik said it was hard to understand Western music in Europe when many people did not know Korea existed.
Instead of another solo recital, Paik chose collaborative concerts for the anniversary.
They are set for Nov. 29 at Suseong Artpia in Daegu and Dec. 2 at the Seoul Arts Center's Concert Hall.
The concerts will feature seven young pianists and two percussionists performing with him in an ensemble built around four pianos.
The program includes Simeon ten Holt's "Canto Ostinato" and George Crumb's "Music for a Summer Evening."
Paik said he had not paid much attention to younger musicians in the past, but watching them recently convinced him to give them closer lessons.
He also said teaching involves more than technique, since each student's family and social circumstances shape their music.
He called for greater engagement with contemporary music, saying pianists should not focus only on works written centuries ago.
At age 80, Paik rejects the idea of retirement.
"There is no such thing as retirement in art," he said.