Born: 1961, Seoul, South Korea

“My music is a reflection of my dreams.”

As a child born and raised during a time of immense difficulty in the history of South Korea, Unsuk Chin was almost exclusively self-taught, learning the basics in music theory and piano from her father. She began her formal training at Seoul National University, where she was introduced to post-war, avant-garde Western compositional techniques and electronic music. In 1985, she relocated to Hamburg, where she studied composition with György Ligeti until 1988. Since then, she has worked in the electronic music studio of the Technical University of Berlin. In 2004, her Violin Concerto earned the Grawemeyer Award. Chin’s compositions are known for their virtuosity and playfulness, meshing a musical language steeped in non-European influences with modern techniques that push the boundaries of Western structure.

Further Listening:

Violin Concerto (2001)
Viviane Hagner; Montreal Symphony
Orchestra, Kent Nagano (Analekta)

Fantasie mécanique for trumpet, trombone,
percussion, and piano (1994/1997)
Ensemble Intercontemporain
(Deutsche Grammophon)