TvN’s upcoming music drama ‘Maestra’ weaves suspenseful love story with twists

In the upcoming TV series “Maestra: Strings of Truth,” Lee Young-ae, a versatile actress who has played a vast array of characters over the course of her three-decade career, takes on a role that has seldom been in the spotlight: a female conductor.

Lee said she was attracted to the character, Cha Se-eum, for the very reason that she would certainly be the first South Korean actress to play a maestra.

“The character looked very appealing to me as an actor since there has been no Korean TV series that shines the spotlight on a maestra, not that I know of. Plus, the storyline is really fascinating,” she said at a promotional event for tvN’s new series Wednesday.

Based on the French TV series titled “Philharmonia,” the series revolves around Se-eum, a violinist-turned-world-renowned conductor, who returns to South Korea after 20 years of living overseas to lead the orchestra, The Hankang Philharmonic, only to find herself forced to deal with a former boyfriend (Lee Moo-saeng) still in love with her and her overly dependent husband (Kim Young-jae) who feels inferior to her.

To make matters even more complicated, she also has to find the truth behind a tragedy that happens at the ensemble, while facing her own “demons” from the past at the same time.

For the role, Lee started to learn violin and conducting from professional musicians in November last year. While the practice was “fierce,” great teamwork and excellent production helped make up for what maybe was lacking, she said.

Director Kim Jung-kwon took extra care when casting the roles for the ensemble, prioritizing those who can play classical music instruments.

“Everyone practiced extremely hard,” Kim said. “I would like the audience to carefully watch Lee’s gaze and movements while conducting. You could see how passionate she is.”

Other than the 2008 MBC TV series “Beethoven Virus,” starring Kim Myung-min as the maestro, there have rarely been TV series about a classical music conductor, not to mention those about a maestra.

“‘Beethoven Virus’ was a good one, but I am very confident about this new series. … All the cast members showed great passion for the show, and the director led the team very well. Plus, we have a high-quality orchestra,” Lee said.

“Because of its strong story plot, I could naturally immerse myself in the character, and the power of music and conducting was just great.”

The 12-part series is set to premiere Saturday on tvN. It will also be streaming on Tving and Disney+ in select regions.