Conductor Jin Sol, 39, Becomes Youngest Woman to Complete a Mahler Cycle

Conductor Jin Sol will complete Mahler's entire symphonic cycle on October 9 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, leading Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" with her own Mahlerian Orchestra. She is 39 years old.

The International Gustav Mahler Society has informed her that this achievement makes her the youngest conductor in Asia and the youngest woman in the world to complete a Mahler cycle, she told The Chosun.

Jin Sol founded the Mahlerian Orchestra in 2017 after studying at the Korea National University of Arts and the Mannheim University of Music in Germany. She then set out to perform all of Mahler's symphonies with the ensemble.

Public orchestras in South Korea, including the Bucheon Philharmonic and the Seoul Philharmonic, had previously tackled Mahler's symphonies. The Mahlerian Orchestra, however, became the first private orchestra in the country to take on the complete cycle.

The nine-year road to the finish line was rarely smooth. "Initially, I couldn't even imagine completing the cycle due to venue bookings, budget constraints, injuries, or accidents," Jin Sol said. "Couples broke up, and some members quit, forcing me to find last-minute replacements." She made the remark with a laugh.

Reflecting on the completed cycle, she struck a paradoxical note about the scale of the achievement. "If I could do it, who can't?" she said. "I want to send a message to young musicians in their 20s and 30s not to lose heart and to persist in their dreams."

The conductor's schedule does not pause after the October 9 finale. She will reprise Mahler's Symphony No. 8 on October 24 at Goyang Aram Nuri, and she plans to release a recording of Symphony No. 4.

For a private orchestra without public funding, completing a full Mahler cycle — a repertoire demanding large forces, extended rehearsal time and substantial budgets — sets a benchmark for independent ensembles in Asia and beyond.