Spring music graces anniversary concert at Sejong
The audience packs the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul as they await the start of The Korea Times’ Spring Music Festival, Thursday, which celebrates the 63rd anniversary of the newspaper. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Baek Byung-yeul
The Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra led an acclaimed lineup of musical acts at the Korea Times’ Spring Music Festival, Thursday, warming up an otherwise chilly night at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul.
The orchestra opened the concert, held in celebration of the newspaper’s 63rd anniversary, with a stirring rendition of Mikhail Glinka’s overture “Ruslan and Lyudmila.” Led by conductor Park Sang-hyun, it followed with Pablo Sarasate’s violin concerto “Zigeunerweisen,” featuring violinist Lee Moon-kyung.
The concert was sponsored by GS Caltex and KT&G.
Soprano Kang Hye-jung, winner of best young soprano at the 2010 Korea Opera Grand Prize, pulled at heartstrings with “Voice of Spring,” written by Johann Strauss and “O Mio Babbino Caro,” an aria from the Puccini opera “Gianni Schicchi.”
Star tenor Ryu Jung-phil drew enthusiastic applause with his performances of “Volare” by late Italian songwriter Domenico Modugno, and “Granada” by Mexican composer Agustin Lara. Both songs are well known in Korea.
Kang and Ryu delivered original Korean pieces "Spring Comes Over the River” and “Sailor’s Song,” respectively. They delighted the audience by closing the first half of the show with a duet, singing “Libiamo ne’ Lieti Calici” from the Verdi opera, “La Traviata.”
Pianist Kim Young-jin opened the second half with Edvard Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16,” one of the most popular piano concerti.
Singer KAI, known for excelling in “popera,” which combines elements of pop and opera, was also a crowd pleaser.
KAI, who hosts KBS radio’s classical music program “Saengsaeng Classic,” performed pieces from the Broadway musical “A Tale of Two Cities” and Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up.” The singer is also known for appearing on MBC TV’s popular contest show “I Am a Singer” last year.
For many, the highlight of the night came when dynamic jazz songstress Woong San wowed the crowd with renditions of Astor Piazzolla’s “Yo Soy Maria,” Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It through the Night” and Lucio Dalla’s “Caruso.”
By the time the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra hit the stage to close the show, the chilliness outside was but a distant memory. The orchestra’s medley of well-known classical music bid the audience a warm, rousing farewell.