Hyun-Sang Park: The Vision of the Dry Bones — Platinum-Winning String Quartet at the European Classical Music Awards 2025
- WOMCO
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Composer Hyun-Sang Park, from Seoul, was awarded the Platinum Prize for his composition String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones at the Golden European Composition, Conducting & Video Competition 2025, part of the 4th Quarter of the European Classical Music Awards 2025. He also received the Region Representative Special Prize as the musician who achieved the highest score to represent Seoul, South Korea. The competition season ran from 24 July to 24 October 2025, with the results announced on 13 November.
To gain deeper insight into the artistic vision, spiritual philosophy, and compositional process behind this award-winning work, we invited Hyun-Sang Park to share his reflections on String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones, his creative journey, and his perspectives on the role of music and composers in today’s world.
Could you please introduce your award-winning composition String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones? When and under what circumstances was it composed? Could you share the inspiration behind the composition and the message you hope to convey through it?
Hyun-Sang Park:
"My String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones was composed in October 2010, when I was 23 years old. At that time, I was preparing to graduate from the College of Music at Seoul National University, and this piece earned me the honor of graduating at the top of my class in the Composition Department. It served as a pivotal stepping stone for my professional debut as a composer, with performances at prestigious venues including the 74th Chosun Ilbo Debut Concert in 2011 and the 40th Pan Music Festival (ISCM) in 2012.
This work draws its primary inspiration from Ezekiel 37:1–14, where dry bones scattered in a valley are brought back to life through prophecy and the breath (Spirit), forming a vast army. This vision offered me powerful musical imagery. However, I did not intend for this piece to be confined to religious dogma. To me, the "dry bones" symbolize the imperfect, paralyzed aspects of our inner selves—a soul disconnected from truth.
Tracing this journey is the Thema von Geliebte(-). While it initially appears as a source of earthly desire and anguish, it gradually undergoes a process of purification as the piece progresses, eventually sublimating into a symbol of transcendent and supreme love.
Through this composition, I hoped to convey the dissolution of the old self through inner reflection and the rebirth of a new being. I sought to express through musical drama the belief that even in a state of utter despair, humanity can reclaim hope and life by confronting truth directly and embracing divine love."
What was your creative process like while composing String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
Hyun-Sang Park:
"Two core principles guided the creation of this work: structural narrative and numerological order. Spanning ten movements, the piece employs numbers not as mere structural devices but as conduits to cosmic order and symbols of spiritual transformation. A vivid example appears in the second movement, where the 'theme of bones'—struck col legno by the violins—embodies numerical symbols of imperfection and sin drawn from biblical tradition. This was my first work to fully integrate the numerological traditions championed by J. S. Bach.
The work unfolds across four parts:
· Part 1 (Movement 1)—The Divine: Majestic power and vitality of the Spirit
· Part 2 (Movements 2–4)—Death: Human finitude, suffering, and dissolution of the old self
· Part 3 (Movements 5–7)—Prophecy and Breath: Bones reuniting and receiving new life
· Part 4 (Movements 8–10)—Resurrection and Eternal Life: Timeless realization and fulfillment of divine love
The final movement is set in E major—a tonality used by Liszt, Bruckner, Mahler, and Messiaen to represent Heaven. The preceding nine movements are rigorously organized through equal division of the octave around this central E, establishing both structural unity and inevitable progression toward transcendence."
We experienced your award-winning composition through a recording. Could you share how the piece was brought to life in its recorded form? Were there any memorable moments during the creation or recording process?
Hyun-Sang Park:
"The recording you experienced is from a live performance of profound personal significance. This piece earned me the honor of graduating at the top of my class from the Composition Department at Seoul National University, which led to its presentation at the 74th Chosun Ilbo Debut Concert.
· Date and Venue: March 12, 2011, Sejong Chamber Hall at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul
· Performers: YuEun Gemma Kim (1st Violin), Garam Park (2nd Violin), Yejin Han (Viola), Se-Eun Hyun (Cello)
The performers were my fellow students and exceptionally gifted musicians. I vividly remember the intensive rehearsals we shared, working together to realize both the numerological precision and the profound emotional arc embedded in the score.
A particularly memorable moment was when the ethereal harmonics of the final movement faded into profound silence. I can still feel the atmosphere of that evening when my first major work came to life as a tangible expression of eternal peace. This recording is more than a sound document—it is a precious testament to the beginning of my professional journey."
Could you talk to us about yourself, your journey in music, and your future goals? Could you also share your perspective on what defines a great composer in today’s digital age, and what you consider to be the most significant artistic or professional challenges facing musicians today and in the coming years?
Hyun-Sang Park:
"My musical journey began with defining composition not merely as creative expression, but as a practice of metaphysical discipline and contemplation in pursuit of truth. Through works such as String Quartet The Vision of the Dry Bones (2010), A Faust Fantasy for Piano (2012), Violin Fantasy Neul-Poom (2014), 2 Meditative Poems based on Poems of Haein Lee (2016), Piano Trio No. 1 Angelic Poem (2018), Piano Trio No. 2 In Memory of Sihyun Chun (2018–2019), and Fantasy on Dies irae for Violin Solo (2023), and the music video compilation Hyun-Sang Park & The Hopeful People: Bringing Light & Water to Cambodia (2023–2024), which features my original musical compositions and arrangements created for my streetlight installation and well construction projects in the Cambodian jungle, I have explored how inner human anguish can be transformed and united with divine love. To me, a composer is a medium who captures the pure energy omnipresent in the universe and delivers it to the world through the language of music.
My musical philosophy draws from diverse spiritual and philosophical traditions—Christian scripture, Buddhist sutras, the Upanishads, and Western classical philosophy—each offering timeless wisdom on existential insight and inner purification. These teachings, woven together with numerological order, serve as catalysts for inner transformation and expanded consciousness in my music. I believe these spiritual insights must be completed through practical love. Since 2018, I have donated performance proceeds to support children with cancer and leukemia, and to establish clean water facilities and energy welfare projects in remote Cambodian villages. This practice embodies the values of symbiosis and compassion that lie at the heart of my music.
In the digital age, a great composer is not merely a master of technique but an ethical practitioner who embodies musical values in lived practice. The greatest challenge facing musicians today is preserving humanity and spirituality amid the fragmentation of community and the increasing commodification of art. I believe our most vital task as artists is to restore genuine solidarity through music—to demonstrate that art can serve as an ethical response to society, offering not just aesthetic experience but pathways to deeper human connection and collective renewal."
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank?
Hyun-Sang Park:
"Participating in this competition has been a precious opportunity to reflect on my musical journey and to share with a global audience the values of spiritual discipline and ethical practice that guide my work. I am deeply honored that this piece, composed at age 23 with the pure passion of youth, has been recognized by such a prestigious award.
I am deeply grateful to many people. First, my heartfelt thanks to YuEun Gemma Kim, Garam Park, Yejin Han, and Se-Eun Hyun, who brought this challenging work to life at the 74th Chosun Ilbo Debut Concert at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in 2011. I am equally grateful to my family and fellow musicians, whose steadfast support has enabled me to pursue not only artistic creation but also meaningful social engagement through music.
I am deeply grateful for the guidance that has allowed my music to touch lives and serve a greater purpose, and to the competition jury for their thoughtful recognition of this work. Encouraged by this honor, I will continue to be a musician who seeks truth and practices love."
Biography
Hyun-Sang Park (b. 1987)
Education:
· Seoul Arts High School
· College of Music, Seoul National University, Department of Composition (summa cum laude, scholarship recipient of SNU Development Fund - Donggok Lee Yong-hee Scholarship)
· Seoul National University Graduate School, Department of Conducting, Master's program completed with honors (merit-based scholarship recipient)
· Currently: Graduate Research Student, Department of Conducting, Seoul National University Graduate School
Awards:
· 2nd Prize, 49th Dong-A Music Competition, Composition Category (2009)
· The Best Young Conductor, selected by the Korean Conductors Association (2016)
· Platinum Prize, World Grand Prix International Music Contest, Conducting Category (2025)
· Platinum Prize and Region Representative Special Prize, European Classical Music Awards, Composition Category (2025)
Major Premieres and Performances as Composer:
· Violin Fantasy "Neul-Poom" (2014): European premiere (2023, Kartäuserkirche, Cologne, Germany)
· Fantasy on "Dies irae" for Violin Solo (2023): World premiere (2023, Kumho Art Hall Yonsei)
· String Quartet "The Vision of the Dry Bones" (2010): Performed at 74th Chosun Ilbo Debut Concert (2011, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts), 40th Pan Music Festival/ISCM (2012, Seoul Arts Center), M.Classic Orchestra concert supported by Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Seoul Mecenate Support Program (2023, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts)
· Piano Trio No. 1 "Angelic Poem" (2018), Piano Trio No. 2 "In Memory of Sihyun Chun" (2018–2019), 2 Meditative Poems based on Poems of Haein Lee (2016), Violin Fantasy "Neul-Poom" (2014): Premieres and repeat performances at Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall Gwanghwamun, Perigee Hall, Dream Forest Art Center, Seoul Arts High School, Stradium, and other venues (2015–2025)
· Winner, 5th Korean Catholic Laity Apostolate Council Hymn Composition Competition (2011, Myeongdong Cathedral)
· Music for Chamber Ensemble I (2009): Official premiere at 2nd Festival Accento, co-hosted by Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra and College of Music, Seoul National University (2010, Seoul Arts Center)
· Musical "Momo": Composer and Music Director (2009, Seoul National University)
Major Conducting Engagements:
· Apprentice Conductor, Wonju Philharmonic Orchestra (2017); Guest Conductor, 80th Concert (2018)
· Completed and conducted world premiere of Mahler's unfinished Scherzo (2025, DOAM Hall)
· Asian re-premiere and Korean premiere conductor of Atterberg Symphony No. 8; Outside-Europe premiere conductor of van Bree Concert Overture (2025, DOAM Hall)
· Conductor, Mahler's "Totenfeier" and Symphony No. 1 (A poco Orchestra 6th Concert), Symphony No. 4 (A poco Orchestra 4th Concert) (2024–2025, Aram Concert Hall, Goyang Aram Nuri / DOAM Hall)
· Music Director, Tenor Minwoong Cho Memorial Concert with Seoul Arts High School Alumni (2025, Seoul Arts High School)
· Conductor, Schoenberg Chamber Symphony No. 1 and complete "Pierrot Lunaire" (M.Classic Orchestra, Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Arts Creation Support Program, 2024, Seoul Arts Center)
· Orchestrated and conducted premiere of Vitali's Chaconne for Violin Solo and String Orchestra (2024, Sky Art Hall)
· Revised Klaus Simon's chamber orchestra arrangements and conducted Korean premieres of Mahler Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 (2023, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Dream Forest Art Center)
· Conductor, KMSA Smile Medical Orchestra, donating all performance proceeds to children with cancer and leukemia (2018–2019, beneficiary: Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation)
· Conductor, Scriabin Piano Concerto and Symphony No. 2 (ESAOS 50th Regular Concert, 2018, Ewha Womans University)
· Principal Conductor, Ensemble HEIM (2017–2018)
· Conductor, ESAOS, Ewha Womans University (2015–2018), Korea United College Orchestra (2017–2018)
· Conductor, complete Schoenberg "Pierrot Lunaire" (Perigee Hall concert series, 2016)
· Conductor, various contemporary music festivals including 15th Eastern Origins Korea-China Exchange Contemporary Music Festival (2016, Seoul Arts Center), Kang Suk-hi Contemporary Music Festival (2016, Ilshin Hall), 46th Seoul Contemporary Music Festival (2014), and others
· Conductor, Beethoven Symphony No. 4 (SNU Symphony Orchestra Beethoven Series III, 2015)
· Selected conductor, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra "Conductor Dream Sharing Project" (2014)
Current Positions:
· Faculty, Seoul Arts High School (Composition major instruction, Solfège and Ear Training, Orchestra conducting, Performance Practice, 2015–present)
· Artistic Director and Resident Composer, Decus Ensemble
· Resident Composer, Arz Ensemble
· Conductor, M.Classic Orchestra, A poco Orchestra, Eurhythmia Orchestra, Gwanghwamun Philharmonic Orchestra
· Since 2023, donates ticket proceeds from all performances through partnership with nonprofit organization The Hopeful People to support streetlight installation and drinking water well construction projects in rural Cambodia
· Active in composition in Korea; operates three YouTube channels featuring complete works, conducting videos, extensive music analysis resources, and analyses of Eastern and Western scriptures and classics (@composerpark, @parkmusic3, @parkbooks)
