Im Won-Sik

Im Won-sik (; June 24, 1919 – August 26, 2002) was a South Korean conductor, composer, and musical pedagogue. According to his obituary in the Asahi Shimbun, Im was the "father of the Korean classical music world"; he has also been referred to as "Korea's Toscanini."

Biography Im was born in Uiju County, Heianhoku Prefecture, Korea, Empire of Japan (today Uiju, North Pyongan Province, North Korea) to a family of devout Christians. Im's first exposures to music occurred in church, where he learned to play the organ. During his teenage years, Im supported his family by playing piano at movie theatres and hymns at church. Im graduated from a music school founded by White Russians in 1939. Im made his public debut there as a pianist in 1940. While living in Tokyo, Im earned a living arranging film music. Upon graduation in 1942, Im moved to Manchukuo where he worked with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra. It was there that Im met Asahina Takashi, whose conducting he admired. Im later became Asahina's only pupil as well as lifelong friend. After the end of the Pacific War, Im sheltered Asahina from Soviet soldiers in his home and helped to arrange his return to Japan.

Im Won-sik (at the podium) making his conducting debut with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra in November 1945.

After departing from Manchuria, Im returned to his homeland. In January 1948, Im led a performance of La traviata in Seoul, the first ever complete operatic production in Korea. In 1953, Im was a co-founder and later principal of the Seoul Arts High School. Later, he was also a dean and professor at Kyung Hee University and at the Chugye University for the Arts. Three years later Im was appointed the first music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1970.

When composer Yun Isang was arrested in the East Berlin Affair espionage scandal in 1967, Im testified on his behalf, petitioned for his release, and continued to perform his music. Im led the Korean premieres of Yun's Symphony No. 3 and Violin Concerto.