- It’s a meaningful piece of news. For the first time in Korean history, a musician has entered the Billboard Singles Chart. That musician is none other than the violinist Kang Hyun. Previously, Kang Hyun made headlines when he became the music director for Hollywood director Jim Filmer’s next project, ‘Horror.’ This time, he has surprised everyone even more by entering the top 30 of the Billboard chart. Let’s hear the opinion of Kim Heung-gu, the president of the Korean Musicians Association, regarding this matter.
On the TV screen, the anchor and Kim Heung-gu, who had a mustache, were having an interview.
The anchor, who had previously announced Kang Hyun’s move to Hollywood, couldn’t hide his excitement.
But the most excited person was none other than Kim Heung-gu, the president of the Korean Musicians Association.
Wow, this is truly great news! This is arguably even more surprising than Kang Hyun becoming a music director in Hollywood. Until now, all Koreans who had their names on the Billboard charts were either Korean Americans or Korean Japanese. Many people even denied that they were truly Korean. The more interesting thing is that Kang Hyun entered the Billboard Singles Chart, not the Classical Chart!
Is there a big difference between the Classical Chart and the Singles Chart?
Of course, it’s a huge difference. The Classical Chart is mostly a league of its own, while the Singles Chart requires a completed commercial appeal to the masses. It’s not just about album sales; it’s also about how much it gets played on radio and other mass media across the U.S. Moreover, it’s classical music, not pop or hip-hop, which are currently trending in the U.S.
Kim Heung-gu’s unique excited gestures and voice made Yoo Hyun-ja, who was watching the news, clench her fists.
Who would have thought she’d hear news about her son abroad on the nine o’clock news?
Yoo Hyun-ja was overwhelmed with phone calls these days.
“Honey, are you still getting a lot of calls these days?”
“Don’t even get me started. It’s even more than when Hyun won the competition. A publisher asked if I wanted to write a book on gifted education methods. I turned them down like last time, but they’re so persistent. It’s not just calls; I ran into a publisher’s employee at the market, and it was so embarrassing…”
“Why? What did they say?”
“In front of everyone, they said that as a modern-day Shin Saimdang who raised a genius, writing a book on gifted education would be a service to all Korean parents. I was so embarrassed I ran out of the market.”
Having a famous son had its downsides.
Of course, she had never heard so many compliments about raising her child so well as she did these days. She wondered if the parents of sports stars Park Chan-ho and Park Se-ri felt the same way.
It wasn’t just publishers; TV stations and newspapers were continuously requesting interviews.
If it weren’t for Im Hyera, the head of the Jeil Group, blocking them, the front of their house in Ichon-dong would have been swarming with reporters by now.
She couldn’t even imagine how it would be if he became more famous. But what parent would dislike their child’s success?
Kang Hyun’s entry into the Billboard top 30 is causing a huge sensation in the U.S. Honestly, it might not feel real to those of you in Korea, but it is truly amazing.
Are you kidding me? No one has ever climbed the Billboard Singles Chart this quickly with classical music. Look at Kang Hyun’s popularity. His excElnont performance skills and handsome appearance are making him popular even in the U.S. This is something even Seo Taiji couldn’t achieve!
Mr. Kim Heung-gu, as the president of the Korean Musicians Association, how difficult is it to enter the Billboard Singles Chart as a classical performer?
Yoo Hyun-ja couldn’t hide her smile at her son’s appearance on the screen.
At that moment, Kim Heung-gu, the president of the Korean Musicians Association, emphasized with an excited voice.
- Classical music, even Mozart couldn’t guarantee this!
“Cellos, please pay a bit more attention.”
The members of the New York Philharmonic were extremely tense. The concertmaster Antonio was no exception.
Antonio wondered if Kang Hyun was even human, as he watched him keenly observe the members.
Kang Hyun did not tolerate a single mistake. He would instantly identify even the slightest deviation in pitch as if he had measured it with a ruler.
“Sergey, loosen the pressure on your left index and ring fingers a bit more than usual!”
Antonio looked at Sergey, a pianist from Russia.
Isn’t he a renowned pianist from the Moscow Conservatory and a winner of the Chopin Competition?
Known for his high standards, Sergey was as tense as a beginner under Kang Hyun’s strict direction.
“Mind the tempo, Sergey. Don’t rush ahead on your own. Forte is not just forte. Your fingers are too tense!”
Of course, Sergey wasn’t this compliant from the beginning. Neither were the other members.
Kang Hyun’s strict conducting was different from other maestros. While many maestros would only give simple instructions to the concertmaster and principal players, Kang Hyun provided detailed guidance on every small part.
Of course, the limited time left before the symphony recording also played a role.
- I can’t do this anymore!
Initially, Sergey had angrily stood up from the piano bench.
Sergey, are you satisfied with your performance?
I think it’s decent, but if I had known I’d have to collaborate under such a tyrannical dictator, I wouldn’t have come here. I trusted the reputation of the New York Philharmonic, but to be swayed by such a young conductor, what’s wrong with everyone? Have you all lost your minds?
Sergey, retract that statement.
The hot-tempered Russian seemed ready to charge at Kang Hyun at any moment.
But the other members fully understood his feelings. They too had initially resisted Kang Hyun’s conducting and guidance. However,
- Let me show you myself.
Kang Hyun sat down at the piano where Sergey had stood up and demonstrated the performance he had requested.
It was such an impressive performance and emotional display that it astonished Sergey, who had dedicated his life to the piano.
It was as if a veteran actor was performing method acting the moment the cameras started rolling, captivating the entire audience.
After several such instances, even Sergey had to swallow his pride. He had already acknowledged Kang Hyun musically.
“Here, play more softly but intensely—!”
Though it was a paradoxical expression, Sergey couldn’t argue. It aligned perfectly with the musical flow the score demanded.
After the grueling rehearsal, neither Sergey nor the other members could immediately get up from their seats.
With a deep sense of fulfillment, sweat beads had formed on their backs.
Was it exhausting? Sergey could affirm it. Of all the performances he had collaborated on, this was the one that gave him the most catharsis. It felt like he was being drawn into an entirely new musical world.
“Alright, let’s take a thirty-minute break and then continue.”
Kang Hyun declared a short break and turned to leave the stage.
Now it was time for the concertmaster, principal players, and other members to gather and discuss. This process was undoubtedly necessary.
“Isn’t the conductor just amazing?”
At a female member’s words, all the members, regardless of age or gender, nodded. Sergey also found himself nodding unknowingly.
Not only was he gaining an unprecedented level of popularity as a classical performer in the U.S., but he had also entered the Billboard chart.
It wasn’t just his tall and attractive appearance for an Asian. His musical talent was so deep and vast that no one in the New York Philharmonic could measure it.
Moreover, Kang Hyun felt like a musician and an architect simultaneously. He was a musician who constructed his own world with the noble and beautiful melodies of orchestral instruments.
“Phew—!”
Kang Hyun exhaled the breath he had been holding and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
The rehearsal was as grueling as a Spartan training session.
If he had more time, he wouldn’t have been this strict. However, his time in the U.S. was limited, and as a composer and conductor, he had to intervene to complete the symphony within the deadline. But still,
“How long will these calls keep coming?”
These days, the number of people contacting Kang Hyun personally had significantly increased, somehow finding his number.
From broadcasting personnel to corporate CF proposals, and even some popular American singers and actors.
The most surprising was the advances from a famous American male actor. Being popular regardless of gender seemed to bring about such mishaps.
“Hyun, today is the first airing of the Elnon Show, right?”
At that moment, Antonio, the concertmaster, who had entered the conductor’s room, subtly asked Kang Hyun. Somehow, the date had come.
Although it hadn’t been a month since the recording, ABA Broadcasting Corporation had decided to air the program’s first episode earlier than planned. This meant they were satisfied with the recorded material.
“Do you think the broadcast will turn out well?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Honestly, I wonder if Americans will find it interesting to see me on a talk show…”
“Don’t say that. Do you know how popular you are in America right now? I’ve never seen my cousin buy a classical album before. Even though his uncle is the concertmaster of the New York Phil, he had no interest in classical music until he heard your performance and immediately went to buy your album.”
Kang Hyun wasn’t confident about how interesting the Elnon Show would be.
In his previous life, he had watched the Elnon Show without missing an episode, but appearing on the show was a different experience, and he couldn’t predict how it would turn out.
Moreover, the final result also depended on the power of editing.
“Hyun, how about staying in New York a bit longer? The maestro seems to want to see more of your conducting. Isn’t it too wasteful to just record film scores? How about holding a concert?”
“A concert?”
“This isn’t just my idea; the other members and the maestro also agreed. We wanted to ask you, but you’ve been so busy lately.”
“I’ll think about it in a positive direction.”
He wanted to accept immediately, but he couldn’t. The Royal Academy of Music’s vacation was ending soon.
Moreover, he had already had a hard time in New York due to the paparazzi. If it weren’t for Yooha and the New York Philharmonic, he would have left New York earlier.
“Thirty minutes are up; we should get back to it.”
“Already? Hyun, isn’t the Elnon Show starting soon?”
“Antonio, we can watch the rerun later. The rehearsal comes first.”
Antonio’s face was full of regret. But for Kang Hyun, getting in one more practice session was more important.
Besides, he wondered if anything would change if the Elnon Show aired.
Little did Kang Hyun know that with the Elnon Show’s first airing, his name would become even more famous.
