Maestra: Strings of Truth

Maestra: Strings of Truth (Korean마에스트라) is a South Korean television series starring Lee Young-ae, Lee Moo-saeng, Kim Young-jae, and Hwang Bo-reum-byeol. Based on the French TV series titled Philharmonia, it is about the struggles and growth of one of the only 5% female conductors in the world.[11] It aired on tvN from December 9, 2023 to January 14, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST).[10][12] It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, and on Disney+ in selected regions.[13]

Maestra: Strings of Truth
Promotional poster
Hangul
마에스트라
Literal meaningMaestra
Revised RomanizationMaeseuteura
McCune–ReischauerMaesŭt'ŭra
Genre
Based onPhilharmonia
by Marine Gacem
Developed byStudio Dragon (planning)[3]
Written by
  • Choi Yi-yoon[4]
  • Hong Jung-hee[4]
Directed byKim Jung-kwon[5]
Starring
Music byCho Seung-woo [ko][6]
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes12
Production
CinematographyHa Kyung-ho[5]
Running time60–70 minutes[7][8]
Production companies
Budget₩17.5 billion[9]
Original release
NetworktvN
ReleaseDecember 9, 2023 (2023-12-09) –
January 14, 2024 (2024-01-14)

Synopsis

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The series is about a secretive female conductor who faces the truth surrounding her by digging into the mysterious incidents that happen within her orchestra.[14][15]

Cast

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Main

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  • Lee Young-ae as Cha Se-eum: a former violinist and a world-renowned conductor of an orchestra named The Hangang Philharmonic, who fascinates performers and audience members with her bold and determined personality.[11][15]
    • Woo Da-bi as young Cha Se-eum[16]
  • Lee Moo-saeng as Yoo Jung-jae: Se-eum's ex-lover who is an investment tycoon and the chairman of UC Financial.[4][17]
    • Lim Sung-kyun as young Yoo Jung-jae[18]
  • Hwang Bo-reum-byeol as Lee Ru-na: a violinist and the youngest concertmaster of The Hangang Philharmonic.[12][17]
  • Kim Young-jae as Kim Pil: Se-eum's overly dependent husband who seems to be affectionate and considerate, but feels inferior to his wife due to her success.[2][3]
    • Jin Geon-woo as young Kim Pil[19]

Supporting

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People around Cha Se-eum

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  • Jung Dong-hwan as Cha Ki-baek: Se-eum's father who is a musical instrument maker.[20]
  • Ye Soo-jung as Bae Jeong-hwa: Se-eum's mother who is a former violinist.[21]
  • Kim Young-ah as Lee Hye-jeong: best friend and workshop manager of Se-eum.[22]
  • Kang Ji-eun as Woo Young-seon: Jeong-hwa's doctor.[23]

People around Yoo Jung-jae

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  • Choi Yun-so as Go Yu-ra: the director of KVN Broadcasting Station and Jung-jae's ex-wife.[24]
  • Kim Hyun-jun as Go Han-gil: Jung-jae's long-time friend and Yu-ra's older brother.[25]
  • as Secretary Park: Jung-jae's secretary.[20]

The Hangang Philharmonic

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  • Park Ho-san as Jeon Sang-do: the cheerful and quick-witted CEO of The Hangang Philharmonic.[3]
  • Yang Jun-mo as Ma Yo-seop: a timpanist and the orchestra's union leader.[26]
  • Jin Ho-eun as Kim Bong-ju: the principal oboist.[27]
  • Lee Jung-yeol as Park Jae-man: a concertmaster and the oldest member of The Hangang Philharmonic.[28]
  • Lee Si-won as Lee Ah-jin: a horn player.[27]
  • Kim Min-kyu as Kim Tae-ho: Se-eum's secretary and her long-time fan.[29]
  • Jin So-yeon as Kwon Su-jin: an associate concertmaster.[27]
  • Jung Seon-ah as Heo Young-mi: the principal second violinist.[30]
  • Min A-ram as Shin Ji-ae: assistant principal second violinist.[30]
  • Han Jin-hee as Kang In-han: the principal first violinist.[31]
  • Hwang Geon as Novaha: the principal cellist.[32]
  • Lee Byung-joon as Oh Hyun-seok: the assistant conductor.[20]
  • Lim Se-joo as Chief Hwang: Sang-do's secretary.[33]

Others

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  • as Lee Hae-na: Ru-na's older sister.[20]
  • Baek Sung-cheol as Chu Dong-sik: a detective.[34]
  • as Baek Joo-won: a detective.[20]

Production

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Filming began soon after the first script reading of the cast, which was held at the end of February 2023.[14] Lee Young-ae started learning conducting and playing violin from November 2022, while Hwang Bo-reum-byeol practiced playing violin for about eight months.[17][35]

Filming of the series had completed by November 1, 2023.[36]

In July 2023, production company RaemongRaein announced that it had signed a supply contract with Studio Dragon for the production of the series worth 17.5 billion won.[9]

Viewership

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Maestra: Strings of Truth : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)
SeasonEpisode number
123456789101112
18099781087N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A913114811601471
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[37]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
(Nielsen Korea)[37][38]
Nationwide Seoul
1 December 9, 2023 4.192% (1st) 4.546% (1st)
2 December 10, 2023 4.844% (2nd) 5.699% (1st)
3 December 16, 2023 5.402% (1st) 6.013% (1st)
4 December 17, 2023 6.010% (1st) 6.1%[39]
5 December 23, 2023 5.186% (1st) N/A
6 December 24, 2023 5.275% (1st)
7 December 30, 2023 5.256% (1st) 6.2%[40]
8 December 31, 2023 4.978% (1st) N/A
9 January 6, 2024 4.656% (1st) 4.893% (1st)
10 January 7, 2024 5.421% (1st) 5.497% (1st)
11 January 13, 2024 5.997% (1st) 6.746% (1st)
12 January 14, 2024 6.784% (1st) 6.740% (1st)
Average 5.333% [a]
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • N/A denotes ratings that were not published.
  • This series aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC, and EBS).

Notes

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  1. ^ Due to multiple unpublished ratings, the exact average rating is unknown.

References

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  1. ^ a b Lee Gyu-lee (November 29, 2023). "December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Woo Jae-yeon (December 6, 2023). "TvN's upcoming music drama 'Maestra' weaves suspenseful love story with twists". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Park So-young (May 4, 2023). "이영애, 생애 첫 tvN 입성..'마에스트라' 확정 '女 지휘자 변신' [공식]". OSEN (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  4. ^ a b c Ahn Byung-Gil (May 4, 2023). "이무생 '마에스트라' 주연, 이영애와 호흡". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  5. ^ a b Kim Cheol-hyun (June 29, 2023). "김종호 기보 이사장, 드라마 제작현장 방문한 까닭은?". The Asia Business Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver News.
  6. ^ "마에스트라 OST Part.1" [Maestra: Strings of Truth OST Part.1]. Bugs! (in Korean). December 10, 2023. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Maestra: Strings of Truth (2023)". CJ ENM. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "마에스트라" [Maestra]. Group 8 (in Korean). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Cha Eun-ji (July 3, 2023). "래몽래인, tvN 드라마 '마에스트라' 제작공급 계약 체결". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver News.
  10. ^ a b Ha Su-jeong (November 3, 2023). "'마에스트라 변신' 이영애, 클래식 음악에 실제로 지휘 '전율'(마에스트라)". OSEN (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Naver.
  11. ^ a b Tae Yu-na (November 21, 2022). "[공식] 이영애, 오케스트라 여성 지휘자 됐다...1년만 복귀 ('마에스트라')". Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  12. ^ a b Moon Ji-yeon (October 27, 2023). "이영애 카리스마 압도적..'마에스트라' 대본리딩 현장 공개" [Lee Young-ae's overwhelming charisma..'Maestra' script reading site revealed] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Conran, Pierce (December 13, 2023). "Disney+ K-drama Maestra: Strings of Truth – Lee Young-ae conducts music-themed melodrama". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Hwang So-young (March 10, 2023). "지휘자로 돌아오는 이영애 '마에스트라' 본격 촬영 시작". JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  15. ^ a b Lee Gyu-lee (May 7, 2023). "Lee Young-ae to lead new tvN series with Lee Moo-saeng". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  16. ^ Seo Byung-gi (December 11, 2023). "'마에스트라' 우다비, 이영애 어린 시절 열연...몰입도 높인 감정 연기". Herald Business (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  17. ^ a b c Shin Min-hee (December 7, 2023). "Lee Young-ae shatters the glass ceiling in 'Maestra: Strings of Truth'". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Hong Se-young (September 20, 2023). "'남남' 임성균, 될성부른 나무 떡잎 같은 신예 [DA:인터뷰]". Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Naver.
  19. ^ Kim Na-yeon (December 13, 2023). "진건우, tvN '마에스트라' 출연...이영애·이무생 등과 호흡". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  20. ^ a b c d e "인물소개" [Character Introduction] (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  21. ^ Lee Yu-min (November 7, 2023). "'마에스트라' 예수정, 이영애 엄마 된다" ['Maestra: Strings of Truth' Ye Soo-jung becomes Lee Young-ae's mother]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Naver.
  22. ^ "Kim Young-ah in "Maestra: Strings of Truth"". HanCinema. TV Daily. November 7, 2023. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  23. ^ Ahn Byung-gil (November 16, 2023). "강지은 '마에스트라' 합류···이영애와 호흡". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023 – via Naver.
  24. ^ Choi Hye-jin (December 5, 2023). "최윤소, 이영애 만난다..'마에스트라' 출연 확정". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  25. ^ Lee Mi-ji (November 28, 2023). "'경이로운 소문2' 김현준, '마에스트라' 캐스팅..이영애X이무생과 호흡(공식)". Herald POP (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023 – via Naver.
  26. ^ Kim No-eul (November 2, 2023). "양준모, 이영애 만난다..'마에스트라' 출연[공식]". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Naver.
  27. ^ a b c Shin Young-eun (November 28, 2023). "'마에스트라' 박호산·예수정·이시원, 이영애와 무슨 인연?". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023 – via Naver.
  28. ^ Ahn Byung-gil (November 15, 2023). "이정열 '마에스트라' 출연···이영애와 호흡". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023 – via Naver.
  29. ^ Jang Jeong-yoon (November 10, 2023). "신예 김민규, 이영애 비서易 맡는다 (마에스트라)". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023 – via Naver.
  30. ^ a b Yang Hyung-mo (December 23, 2023). "[마에스트라] 30년째 주인공 이영애 앞에서 행복한 19년차 배우 정선아". Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Naver.
  31. ^ Lee Dong-hoon (November 21, 2023). "신예 한진희, 이영애의 오케스트라 단원으로 변신". Maeil Broadcasting Network (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023 – via Naver.
  32. ^ Ryu Ji-yoon (November 9, 2023). "황건, tvN '마에스트라' 첼로 수석 노바하 역 캐스팅" [Hwang Geon Cast as Principal Cellist Novaha in tvN's 'Maestra: Strings of Truth']. Dailian (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via Naver.
  33. ^ Lee Yu-min (November 21, 2023). "임세주 '마에스트라' 출연 확정...허당 황실장 役". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023 – via Naver.
  34. ^ Jung Han-bi (December 31, 2023). "'마에스트라' "그 여자 주변에서 계속 이상한 일이"...진호은 사망으로 의심 받는 이영애". Herald POP (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Naver.
  35. ^ Lee Yoon-seo (December 7, 2023). "Lee Young-ae returns with 'Maestra: Strings of Truth'". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  36. ^ Park Seo-hyun (November 1, 2023). "이영애 '마에스트라' 촬영 끝..여유있게 브런치 인증샷". Herald POP (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024 – via Naver.
  37. ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
    • "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 9, 2023. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
    • "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 10, 2023. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
    • "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 16, 2023. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
    • "Ep. 9". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). January 6, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
    • "Ep. 10". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
    • "Ep. 11". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). January 13, 2024. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
    • "Ep. 12". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). January 14, 2024. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  38. ^ 마에스트라 시청률 [Maestra: Strings of Truth ratings] (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024 – via Daum.
  39. ^ Shin, Young-eun (December 18, 223). '마에스트라' 이영애, 불륜녀 이시원 임신에 "축하해" ['Maestra' Lee Young-ae, 'Congratulations' on Adulterous Woman Lee Si-won's Pregnancy] (in Korean). Maeil Economy. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023 – via Naver.
  40. ^ Yoon, Sung-yeol (December 31, 2023). 진호은 사망→'만취' 이영애, 손에 묻은 피에 '질겁'..최고 7.8% [종합](마에스트라) [Jin Ho-eun dies → 'Drunk' Lee Young-ae, 'Sick' by the blood on her hands..Up to 7.8% [Comprehensive] (Maestra)] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024 – via Naver.
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