A Korean Drama That Reimagines a Familiar Genre: 'Maestro'

Lee Young-ae's drama comeback after two years, a drama depicting the story of a female conductor“Maestra: Strings of Truth”is here.

“Maestra: Strings of Truth”, meaning ‘female conductor’, is a drama that depicts the story of Cha Se-eum, a female conductor who is said to exist only in 5% of the world's population, with exceptional artistic senses. Lee Young-ae, one of Korea's representative actresses, takes on the lead role.

While it may seem like a story of a genius conductor who saves an orchestra on the verge of collapse, the drama focuses on portraying the hidden side of the seemingly glamorous genius conductor and the incidents that occur around her.

The role of the genius conductor ‘Cha Se-eum’ is played by Lee Young-ae. This is Lee Young-ae's drama comeback after about two years since “Inspector Koo”. She has been recognized for her acting skills through various roles in famous dramas and films such as “Daejanggeum”, “Joint Security Area”, “One Fine Spring Day”, and “Lady Vengeance”. In “Maestra: Strings of Truth”, she perfectly portrays a conductor immersed in music, receiving critical acclaim.

The story begins with Cha Se-eum returning to Korea after a 20-year career as a conductor in the US and Europe. She unexpectedly takes on the position of the principal conductor of the ‘The Han River Philharmonic’, an orchestra on the brink of dissolution, and faces conflicts with the orchestra members. Despite her seemingly perfect image, Cha Se-eum is troubled by her hidden trauma and family issues, and the drama focuses on how she overcomes these challenges.

The role of ‘Yoo Jeong-jae’, who harbors a first love for Cha Se-eum, is played by Lee Moo-saeng, who made a strong impression with his special appearance as a psychopathic murderer in “The Glory”. Yoo Jeong-jae is the chairman of UC Financial and becomes the chairman of ‘The Han River Philharmonic’, the orchestra where Cha Se-eum conducts. He is a character who can’t forget his first love, Cha Se-eum, and remains by her side. Just as he saved Cha Se-eum from jumping into the sea 20 years ago, he extends a helping hand whenever she faces a crisis.

Kim Young-jae takes on the role of Cha Se-eum's husband, ‘Kim Pil’. Kim Young-jae made a name for himself with his role as Prosecutor Kim Sa-hyun in the 2020 drama “Stranger 2”. In “Maestra: Strings of Truth”, he plays the resident composer for ‘The Han River Philharmonic’ where Cha Se-eum is the conductor. Initially portrayed as a warm and kind individual, Kim Pil’s hidden secrets are revealed, transforming him into a key player in the drama. This portrayal is in stark contrast to the kind image he projected as Song Joong-ki’s father in the 2022 drama “Reborn Rich”, generating significant interest.

Hwang Bo-reum-byeol plays the role of ‘Lee Ru-na’, the youngest member of ‘The Han River Philharmonic’. Selected through a blind recruitment process aimed at revitalizing the struggling orchestra’s image, Lee Ru-na gains recognition for her skills and quickly rises to become the orchestra’s concertmaster under the newly appointed principal conductor, Cha Se-eum. Having long admired Cha Se-eum, Lee Ru-na inadvertently discovers Cha Se-eum’s secrets.

Unlike typical Korean dramas that focus on women's family issues, Cha Se-eum tackles the challenges she faces in her own unique and unpredictable way, driving the rapid development of the plot. Her refusal to rely on others and her unwavering spirit in the face of mental attacks reveal how she became the top conductor. As a result, “Maestra: Strings of Truth” has been praised for its ‘fast-paced and engaging plot’ and is currently recording viewership ratings of over 5%.

“Maestra: Strings of Truth” is based on the 2018 French drama “Philharmonia”. It’s worth paying attention to what commonalities and differences exist between the original drama and its Korean adaptation.

You can watch “Maestra: Strings of Truth” on Disney+, Hulu, STAR+, TVING.