Han-Na Chang
Han-Na Chang made a stunning and unprecedented international debut at the age of 11, winning the Grand Prix (First Prize) at the 5th Rostropovich International Cello Competition in Paris in 1994. Since then, she has built a prestigious and uniquely multifaceted international career as a cellist, conductor, and Artistic Director.
Beginning in 2007, she has devoted her artistic work exclusively to conducting, leading many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Munich Philharmonic, RAI Italian National Symphony Torino, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Teatro di San Carlo, and the Sydney, Bamberg, Bern, Vienna, Toronto, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Singapore Symphony Orchestras, among others.
She has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Hamburg-Laeiszhalle Symphony Orchestra since 2022. Since 2024, she has also been the Founding Artistic Director of “Han-Na Chang’s Daejeon Grand Festival” at the Daejeon Arts Center in Korea, a festival dedicated to promoting MZ-generation artists and sharing the great joy of music as widely and deeply as possible through innovative programming. In Norway, she served as Artistic Leader and Chief Conductor of the Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera from 2017—having previously been its Principal Guest Conductor from 2013—successfully concluding her critically acclaimed 12-year tenure in 2025. As Music Director of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, she led its highly acclaimed debut at the BBC Proms in London in 2014. She also founded and served as Artistic Director of “Han-Na Chang’s Absolute Classic Festival” with the Seongnam Arts Center (2009– 2014), and conducted, recorded, and presented documentary features on the Beethoven Symphonies for MBC TV Korea (2007–2008).
Before turning to conducting, Han-Na Chang enjoyed an exceptional international career as a cellist, recording exclusively with EMI/Warner Classics for 14 years. Her albums remain global bestsellers and have received numerous honors, including two ECHO Klassik Awards, the Cäcilia Award, the Cannes Classical Award, and Gramophone’s “Concerto of the Year” Award. She performed regularly as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, the Boston, Chicago, London, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestras, Orchestre de Paris, and Filarmonica della Scala.
In November 2025, she was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), extending her artistic leadership into the frontier domain of AI technology. In this role, she collaborates on pioneering research at the intersection of AI and the performing arts, exploring new horizons in creative collaboration and arts–technology convergence. She also gives leadership lectures for undergraduate and graduate students and leads open orchestral masterclasses focusing on musical interpretation and collaborative processes.
Han-Na Chang studied philosophy at Harvard University. Her artistic leadership and influence reach far beyond the stage, grounded in her conviction that the joy of music should be available to and shared by all. She engages widely with the public on culture, the arts, and leadership through major speaking engagements, including delivering the Keynote Speech at the 2025 General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC) and giving an in-depth leadership lecture at NAVER, South Korea’s largest technology and internet platform company.
Drawing on her 31-year artistic journey, Han-Na Chang continues to forge a singular and distinctive artistic world—guided by profound musical insight, warm leadership, and a vision to share the joy of music with all—expanding the horizons of classical music with depth and individuality.
