PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR, AUCKLAND PHILHARMONIA
PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR, REAL ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DE SEVILLA
South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung is a true pioneer in her profession. She is the first female conductor from South Korea to step onto the podium of internationally renowned orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since 2023, she has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia, and from the 2025/26 season, she will also hold the position of Principal Guest Conductor with the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville.
Read more
Both orchestras and artistic partners highly value her extensive experience across continents, her strong international network, and her wide-ranging repertoire that also embraces contemporary music. Artistically, she stands out for her meticulous working methods, her attention to detail and clarity of musical vision, and a conducting technique that is firm, passionate, and assured. Shiyeon Sung has the ability to lead and inspire, conducting “with an elusive elegance, a sense of lightness, clarity, and warmth” (Abendzeitung, 2023).
By the time she was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2007, her reputation as one of the most exciting emerging talents on the international music scene was already well established: shortly before, she had won both the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition and the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Bamberg. During her three years in Boston, she began a close collaboration with the Seoul Philharmonic, which in 2009 created a new position especially for her: Associate Conductor, a post she held until 2013. From 2014 to 2017, she served as Chief Conductor of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, leading the ensemble to international success. She later moved to Berlin.
The list of orchestras she has since worked with is impressive, including leading European ensembles such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. She has also appeared as guest conductor at Teatro Colón and the Royal Swedish Opera, and at major festivals such as Salzburg and Bregenz.
Shiyeon Sung’s 2025/26 season includes engagements with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Rheinische Philharmonie, Tucson Symphony, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Born in Busan, South Korea, Shiyeon Sung won several prizes as a pianist in her youth. From 2001 to 2006 she studied conducting with Rolf Reuter at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, and subsequently completed her training with advanced conducting studies under Jorma Panula at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
Read less
