IGNACE JANG
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster
Recognized for his ability to forge personal connections with audiences, Korean French-American violinist Ignace Jang has performed throughout the United States, South America, Asia and Europe in venues such as the Tokyo Bunkamura Hall, the Seoul Arts Center and Paris Théatre des Champs-Elysées. Solo and chamber music appearances include the Hawaii Symphony, Colorado Symphony, the Versailles Chamber Orchestra, l’Orchestre Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Berlioz, Trièves, Chirens and Jeju Isle Music Festivals. A featured artist of the Music Teachers National Association, Jang recently released a CD of new music with Ebb & Flow Arts and recently collaborated with pianists Jon Nakamatsu, Jon Kimura Parker, violinists Chee-Yun, Hilary Hahn, cellist Franz Helmerson and ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro. He is currently the concertmaster of the Hawaiʻi Symphony and Britt Festival Orchestras, and a faculty member of the Music Department at the University of Hawaii Mānoa and the Punahou School.
Jang is a featured artist in filmmaker Jinyoung Won’s Songs of Love, a critically acclaimed musical documentary series that tell stories of sacrifice, love, and unbreakable bonds of the first Korean immigrants in Hawaii.
An equally dedicated educator, Jang spends much of his time ensuring the success of future generations through his various endeavors. “It is the time you have lost for your flower that makes her so important,” says St. Exupéry’s Little Prince. Jang tries to honor those words in his teachings year-round, to students from all walks of life. The former director of the String Program at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Jang is currently overseeing the Solo & String Program of the Pacific Music Institute, a summer camp founded by the Hawaii Youth Symphony.
Jang was a grand prize winner at the Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, Italy, where he was also the recipient of the Jury’s Special Prize for outstanding musical personality. He received the early part of his training from Professor Flora Elphege, before entering the Premier Prix as the youngest laureate of that year. Various grants from the Franco-American Commission and the French Ministry of the Culture allowed him to further his studies under the tutelage of Franco Gulli at Indiana University.
Born to Korean parents in Grenoble France, Jang met the violin at the age of five. He grew up listening to the legendary violin virtuosos of the past, nurturing respect for the individuality of their artistry and mastery of their instrument. He later discovered musical genres outside the classical realm and became appreciative of the array of emotions they conveyed. The music of the Americas, ranging from the sixties pop tunes of Detroit to the Argentinean tangos of Piazzolla is of special interest to him. In his playing, he strives to express a similar spectrum of feelings while unfolding a unique color and depth of sound for which he has seen praise in the American, European and Asian Press.