# Mary Chun

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mary_Chun
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mary_Chun.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Chun
> Source revision: 1337997462
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Mary Chun** is an American conductor based in the [San Francisco Bay Area](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Area). She is music director of the [Mercury Theater](/source/Mercury_Theater)[1] and has been the conductor of [Earplay](/source/Earplay_(new_chamber_music)) since 2000.[2]

Chun earned her master's degree from [San Francisco State University](/source/San_Francisco_State_University) where she studied piano with Carlo Bussotti and conducting with [Lászlo Varga](/source/Laszlo_Varga_(cellist)). She served as Director of Musical Studies to [Kent Nagano](/source/Kent_Nagano) at the [Opéra National de Lyon](/source/Op%C3%A9ra_National_de_Lyon), assisting on his recording of [Francis Poulenc's](/source/Francis_Poulenc) *[Dialogues of the Carmelites](/source/Dialogues_of_the_Carmelites)* in 1992.[3] She served on the music staff at the [San Francisco Opera](/source/San_Francisco_Opera), helping prepare productions of *[Das Verratene Meer](/source/Das_Verratene_Meer)* (1991) and *[The Death of Klinghoffer](/source/The_Death_of_Klinghoffer)* (1992). She later assisted on the company's 2002 production of [Messiaen's](/source/Olivier_Messiaen) *[Saint François d'Assise](/source/Saint_Fran%C3%A7ois_d'Assise)* for which she also played the [Ondes Martenot](/source/Ondes_Martenot).[4] She has also served on the music staff at the [Los Angeles Opera](/source/Los_Angeles_Opera) and the [Opera Theater of Saint Louis](/source/Opera_Theater_of_Saint_Louis).[5]

Chun led the Canadian, French and German premieres of [John Adams](/source/John_Adams)’ chamber opera *[I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky](/source/I_Was_Looking_at_the_Ceiling_and_Then_I_Saw_the_Sky)* with [Avanti! Chamber Orchestra](/source/Avanti!_Chamber_Orchestra) in Montreal, Paris and Hamburg in addition to leading the same work with Lyric Opera Cleveland.[6] She also served as music director for the world premieres of [Libby Larsen's](/source/Libby_Larsen) *Every Man Jack*, [Carla Lucero's](/source/Carla_Lucero) [*W U O R N O S*](https://carlalucero.com), [*Juana*](https://carlalucero.com), and [*t o u c h*](https://carlalucero.com). [Mort](/source/Mort_Garson) *Revoco*, and Guillermo Galindo *Decreation: Fight Cherries*. She conducted the Kosice Opera (opera company of Slovakia's [State Theatre Košice](/source/State_Theatre_Ko%C5%A1ice)) in [Bizet's](/source/Bizet) *[Carmen](/source/Carmen)* on tour in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She has also been invited to conduct at Ballet San Joaquin, [Hawaii Opera Theater](/source/Hawaii_Opera_Theater),[7] Lyric Opera of Cleveland, [Mendocino Music Festival](/source/Mendocino_Music_Festival), Opera Idaho, Pacific Repertory Opera, [Texas Shakespeare Festival](/source/Texas_Shakespeare_Festival), [West Bay Opera](/source/West_Bay_Opera), and West Edge Opera.[8]

Chun received the 2014 Award for Best Music Direction from the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award for her work conducting [Mozart's](/source/Mozart) *[Marriage of Figaro](/source/Marriage_of_Figaro)*[9] and the nomination for Best Music Director of 2016 with Cinnabar's production of [Frank Loesser's](/source/Frank_Loesser) *[Most Happy Fella](/source/Most_Happy_Fella)*.[10]

She is one of very few professional-level players of the Ondes Martenot living in the United States. Among her many performances on the instrument, she appeared with the [Los Angeles Master Chorale](/source/Los_Angeles_Master_Chorale) at the [Disney Concert Hall](/source/Disney_Concert_Hall).[11]

Several of Chun's recordings with Earplay and the Empyrean Ensemble are available through [ArkivMusic](/source/ArkivMusic), featuring music of [Cindy Cox](/source/Cindy_Cox), [Kurt Rohde](/source/Kurt_Rohde), [Jorge Liderman](/source/Jorge_Liderman) and [William Kraft](/source/William_Kraft).[12] Chun is listed in a historic database of important women in music maintained by the [Vítězslava Kaprálová](/source/V%C3%ADt%C4%9Bzslava_Kapr%C3%A1lov%C3%A1) Society.[13]

## External links

- [Earplay official website](http://www.earplay.org)
- [Cinnabar Theater official website](http://www.cinnabartheater.org/)

## References

1. Templeton, David (9 June 2016) ["Noted composer leads Cinnabar's ‘The Magic Flute,’ opening Friday"](http://www.petaluma360.com/entertainment/5684303-181/noted-composer-leads-cinnabars-the?artslide=0) *Petaluma Argus Courier*

1. Kosman, Joshua (11 November 2004) ["At 20, Earplay sharp as ever"](http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/At-20-Earplay-sharp-as-ever-2672909.php) *The San Francisco Chronicle*

1. ["Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/poulenc-dialogues-des-carmélites-mw0001360805/credits). www.allmusic.com. Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. ["Performance Archive"](http://archive.sfopera.com/qry4webcrewlist.asp?psearch=Mary%20Chun&Submit=GO). [San Francisco Opera](/source/San_Francisco_Opera) sfopera.com. Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. Gereben, Janos (3 December 2015) ["Earplay Maestro Helps to Export Broadway to China"](https://www.sfcv.org/events-calendar/artist-spotlight/earplay-maestro-helps-to-export-broadway-to-china) *San Francisco Chronicle Classical Voice*

1. Finn, Robert (2002) Cleveland: Lyric Opera Cleveland: Adams "Ceiling/Sky". In: *American Record Guide*, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 37-38.

1. Bingham, Ruth O. (26 February 2000) ["‘Madama Butterfly’ given fresh perspective: HOT's female artistic crew gives new wings to the popular work"](http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/02/26/news/story12.html) *Honolulu Star-Bulletin*

1. ["Who We Are"](http://www.cinnabartheater.org/who/). [Cinnabar Theater](/source/Cinnabar_Theater). Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. ["2014 Nominations/Recipients"](http://www.sfbatcc.org/13.html). San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. ["2016 Nominations/Recipients"](http://www.sfbatcc.org/Noms2016.html). San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. Ginell, Richard S. (4 May 2009) ["Review: Los Angeles Master Chorale at Disney Concert Hall"](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/05/los-angeles-master-chorale-1.html) *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*

1. ["Conductors/Mary Chun"](http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp;jsessionid=B200C0AA0FB7D046C4752F2AC0D65970?name_id1=108744&name_role1=3&bcorder=3). [ArkivMusic](/source/ArkivMusic). Retrieved October 14, 2017.

1. ["Women Conductors"](http://www.kapralova.org/CONDUCTORS.htm). Kapralova Society. Retrieved October 14, 2017.

[Women in classical music](/source/Women_in_classical_music)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mary Chun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Chun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Chun?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.