A renowned composer, Korean-born and Berlin-based Unsuk Chin’s compositions have been performed regularly by leading orchestras, ensembles and musicians at numerous festivals and concert series in Europe, the Far East and North America, ranging from avant-garde venues such as IRCAM in Paris to more traditional programmes presented by major symphony orchestras. Her music is modern in language, but non-doctrinaire in communicative power.

Chin has been composer-in-residence with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2001/02), Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006 (where she also serves as Artistic Director of the Contemporary Music Series 'Ars Nova'), Suntory Hall in Tokyo and the Philharmonie in Essen. Chin has been awarded many prizes for her compositions such as the Grawemeyer Award and the Arnold Schoenberg prize. Her opera Alice in Wonderland received its world première as the opening performance of the 2007 Munich Opera Festival. In April 2011 Chin’s compositions will be the feature of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Total Immersion’; a day dedicated to the works of one composer alongside talks about the pieces and discussions with the composer.

Esa-Pekka Salonen commented:
“Julian Anderson’s outstanding leadership of the Philharmonia Orchestra Music of Today Series has cemented its very special place in the UK cultural landscape. I am absolutely delighted that Unsuk Chin has agreed to be his successor as Artistic Director: she is a unique, and uniquely powerful, musical voice, and we are looking forward immensely to working with her to take this series into its 20th season and beyond.”

Unsuk Chin commented:
“I am very grateful and excited to be chosen to direct this wonderful series and to work closely with the excellent musicians of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The programmes will present a glimpse of the wide range of international contemporary music, from the readily communicative to the challenging. They will include lesser-known masterworks by luminaries of contemporary music as well as fascinating new music by rising young composers. Expert conductors and soloists will join the brilliant forces of the Philharmonia.”

The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Music of Today series is now in its tenth year under the artistic direction of Julian Anderson and is committed to performing and championing new works from a range of leading composers. The 2009/10 season saw UK and world premières from Helen Grime and a UK première of Richard Baker’s Gaming. The 2010/11 season will showcase portraits of HK Gruber who will be conducting two of his works (Exposed Throat and Zeitfluren) joined by trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger for whom the piece Exposed Throat was composed; Richard Causton, with the London première of his Chamber Symphony; and György Kurtág with his Messages of the Late Miss R.V. Troussova conducted by Baldur Brönnimann with soprano Claire Booth.

For full details of all of the Music of Today concerts this season please visit www.philharmonia.co.uk/mot. Music of Today concerts are held at the Royal Festival Hall at 6pm before the main evening concerts. Admission is free and un-ticketed.