Conductor Chung Myung-whun on Monday laid out preconditions for his contract renewal as music director of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

Speaking at a press conference at the ensemble’s rehearsal room in Seoul, the conductor revealed that, contrary to media reports, he hadn’t agreed to stay on.

“I am currently without any contract,” said Chung, whose three-year contract expired at the end of last year.

Talks over a possible renewal had been delayed for weeks due to an internal dispute at the orchestra involving alleged inhumane treatment of staff by its former president.

Cornered by her own staff, Park Hyun-jung tried to pin the blame on Chung, accusing him of “privatizing” the orchestra, which is taxpayer-funded. She bowed out on Dec. 29.

Chung, 61, said he had only one precondition for contract extension, which was a renewed commitment and support from Seoul Metropolitan City. 

“As a music director to continue to bear that responsibility, I have to have the hope that this orchestra is going to be better under me,” he said.

Although Seoul Philharmonic’s musical growth over the past years is undisputable, the maestro has had to grapple with dwindling support, he claimed.

“Over the past three years, our yearly budget has been reduced by 20 percent. It has come to a point where we may have to cancel the scheduled U.S. tour in April because of the budget restraints,” he said.

Late last year, amid the ruckus surrounding Park, the municipal council cut off the entire budget for the tour, which was to take the ensemble and Chung to seven concert halls in the states, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Chicago Symphony Center.

Some city councilors have also taken issue with Chung’s salary, claiming that the city is spending too much of money on him.

Asked to comment on the pay controversy, the maestro said he felt uncomfortable speaking about the issue, but also felt obliged to explain himself, since it seemed to be an issue of interest to many.

“When I first played about 40 years ago, I was paid $50. For me, a performance was always like an audition. If you nail it, you pass the test and get invited once again. If you don’t, they don’t call you again. Anyway, the next time I was invited to play, I got paid $60. That’s how I got this far.”

Everywhere he goes to conduct ― Chung often appears with the world’s most renowned orchestras, such as the London Symphony, as a guest conductor ― he said he gets paid almost the same.

“Why in this country, do I get this question over and over again? I want to ask them back, ‘Did I, or didn’t I, deliver what I am paid for?’”

Seoul Philharmonic has grown to be Asia’s top orchestra, he claimed.

“But the next leap ― the leap from a good orchestra to a great one ― is going to be a lot harder to make. Without continued (financial) support, it is just not possible,” Chung said.

Under Chung’s stewardship, Seoul Philharmonic debuted on the prestigious BBC Proms stage last summer, becoming only the second Asian orchestra to do so. It received rave reviews from British media, including a five-star review from the Telegraph.

At home, ticket sales for its concerts rose to 92.1 percent in 2014 from 38.9 percent in 2005, before Chung joined.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)