The dancing conductor

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The dancing conductor

Published: 08 Apr. 2025, 00:03

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ryu Tae Hyung

The author is a senior specialist at Daewon Cultural Foundation.

Whenever classical musicians appear on TV variety shows, I pay close attention. I wonder if such moments might offer a rare point of connection between classical music and the general public. “You Quiz on the Block” (2018-), a popular program on tvN, is one such platform. This year, the show has featured a string of classical musicians, including 10-year-old violin prodigy Kim Yeon-ah and Baek Yoon-hak, the “dancing conductor” who studied engineering at Seoul National University.

Baek Yoon-hak, the “dancing conductor.” [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Baek Yoon-hak, 50, has an unconventional resume. After graduating from Seoul Science High School and the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, he made a dramatic career switch, studying music at Seoul National University’s College of Music and later at the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States. Though he came to music relatively late, he was soon recognized as one of the most promising young conductors. In 2013, he participated in a master class hosted by Chung Myung-whun, then music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside prominent conductors such as Seo Jin, Hong Seok-won and Choi Soo-yeol.

Baek conducts film scores and music from animations with a flourish, almost like dancing. His expressive gestures have made him the subject of numerous fan-shot videos, and a short-form clip featuring him has drawn over 1.2 million views.

Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), the legendary American conductor, was also known for his dancelike movements on the podium — he would often leap into the air in bursts of passion. His conducting was so animated it became known as the “Lenny Dance,” narrowing the gap between music and physical expression. While some critics dismissed it as frivolous, Bernstein ultimately won over the most prestigious European orchestras with his sheer musical prowess. Even the conservative Vienna Philharmonic admired him. Concertmaster Reiner Küchl once said, “He is not only a great conductor with immense musical knowledge but also a brilliant pianist and composer.”

Leonard Bernstein conducting Mahler’s "Symphony No. 2" at Tanglewood in Boston, 1970 — a defining moment that captures the intensity of the work. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Alondra de la Parra, a Mexican conductor now 45, is similarly renowned for her “podium dance.” In a rehearsal video of her conducting Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 with the Orchestre de Paris, she fluidly crosses the line between conducting and dancing. Her movements, full of passion, seem to melt seamlessly into the music.

I also recall Russian conductor Yuri Simonov, 84, and his performance in Korea with the Moscow Philharmonic. His animated style — especially the way he humorously swayed his hips while conducting Brahms’ Hungarian Dances — brought smiles to the audience.

Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan conductor, and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra’s first tour of Korea is also remembered for its uninhibited energy. The musicians stood and danced as they performed Bernstein’s Mambo and Ginastera’s Malambo, spinning and tossing their instruments in a whirlwind of movement. The spirit of freedom that blew from the stage into the audience remains a cherished memory.

The music that an orchestra produces is forged during rigorous rehearsals, where the skeletal structure and soul of the performance are shaped. The thunderous sounds we hear in a concert hall — summoned with the subtlest flick of a conductor’s wrist — are the result of painstaking trial, error and trust. The conductor we see on stage is not a mere marionette swaying to the rhythm. Beneath the surface lies a hidden world of preparation. As we listen, let us remember the silent labor behind the sound, and cheer on the conductors and musicians who devote themselves to yet another day of rehearsal in pursuit of a better performance.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.