The Inside Story: Hyewon Chang and FANTASIE REFLECTIONS

Internationally renowned and award-winning pianist Hyewon Chang makes her Navona Records debut on FANTASIE REFLECTIONS, a carefully crafted collection of fantasias from Mozart and Schumann effortlessly brought to peak form — a masterful recording to be long-lauded by dedicatees of both composers.

Today, Hyewon is our featured artist in the “Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about her love for art museums, and the one word her mentor says is essential to growth and creativity as an artist…

What have been your biggest inspirations on your musical journey?

My musical journey has always been inspired by daily life and nature, and experiencing various activities has driven me to seek new ideas. I believe that experiences, whether successes or failures, will help me find my own music because these experiences will inevitably be reflected and expressed through the language of music. I can say that any form of challenge can be an inspiration for my music.

What emotions do you hope listeners will experience after hearing your work?

The formal and stylistic features of the Fantasia are free and broad with improvisational elements and encouraged composers to write their own compositions based on personal inspiration and creativity. The contrasts in mood and style within each piece by Mozart simultaneously convey playfulness and darker characters. Schumann’s Fantasie reflects the turmoil of love, anguish, passion, and deep sorrow that were intertwined in his mind at the time. It might be interesting to listen to it with this context in mind.

Where and when are you at your most creative?

I am most creative in my practice space, which has a city view, during the twilight hours and in the morning. This tends to make me sleep-deprived when I prepare projects, so I catch up on sleep once in a while by sleeping all day.

What’s the greatest performance you’ve ever seen, and what made it special?

The most amazing recent concert was Bach’s Goldberg Variations performed by Víkingur Ólafsson at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in May. He began with a tender sound and heartfelt expression in the opening Aria. Then the canonic polyphony of each voice was expressed with great flourish. I remember when the Aria returned at the end, he played an even softer and quieter sound with a slightly slower tempo than at the beginning, which gave the audience the fabulous ending to the long 80-minute journey. He gave a short speech after, announcing he is coming back to Los Angeles next season, and I am so excited to go to his concert again.

What are your passions beyond music?

I love to go to art museums and galleries to see artwork. It offers multiple ways to appreciate creativity, and it’s amazing to see how artists express themselves through their work. One of my favorite moments while appreciating works is when I find myself thinking about why they expressed it that way, even though I might not fully understand. Besides that, I also enjoy finding cute cafes, watching movies, playing games, and watching football, especially the EPL. I follow Tottenham Hotspur because the Korean player Heung-min Son is on the team, and I am a big fan of his.

What musical mentor had the greatest impact on your artistic journey? Is there any wisdom they’ve imparted that still resonates today?

Jeffrey Kahane is my musical mentor and teacher; I studied under him for seven years, and I just graduated in May 2024. There is one word that he always says to me and my colleagues: “Curiosity.” He emphasizes that it is essential for growth and creativity in every way. By staying curious, we continually explore new ideas, techniques, interpretations, and experiences, which keeps our music and life lively and innovative.