PyeongChang Music Festival to feature Russian masters
.jpg?w=728)
Poster of PyeongChang Music Festival & School / Courtesy of the festival
By Yun Suh-young
The 14th annual PyeongChang Music Festival & School, July 18 to Aug. 8, will focus on Russian music as the festival's fifth and last in the series of geographically oriented themes. The summer festival will be the last music festival to be held before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February, as the International Olympic Committee suspended the winter music festival in preparation for the Olympics.
So far, the music festival has covered various regions for their themed performance series such as northern Europe, southern Europe (Italy and Spain), France, Germany and Austria.
Dubbed the "Great Russian Masters _ Song of the Volga River," this year's summer music festival will feature music by legendary Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich.
“This year we will be spotlighting music from Russia which has produced some of the world’s greatest musicians over the past 150 years,” artistic director Chung Myung-wha said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.
The highlight of the festival, however, will be Sergei Prokofiev's opera, “The Love for Three Oranges.” This is the first performance of the opera in Korea.
"It will be a concert version of the opera to fit our stage in PyeongChang," Chung said.
“It won’t be the same as the original. The conductor for the opera, Zaurbek Gugkaev, is the nephew of world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev. Gergiev will be performing at the Tongyeong International Music Festival so he won’t be able to join.”
From left, artistic director Chung Kyung-wha and Chung Myung-wha, and Chairman Kim Sung-hwan of Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation, speak during a press conference at the Grand Ambassador Seoul, Tuesday.
Conductor Gugkaev will be performing with the Mariinsky Orchestra and the National Chorus of Korea on July 29 at the Alpensia Music Tent. The Mariinsky Orchestra will also perform Tchaikovsky’s “Moscow Cantata” on July 30. The Borodin Quartet, Russia’s representative string quartet, will participate in the festival for the first time and perform on July 27 and 29 and Aug. 3.
Artistic director Chung Kyung-wha, sister of Myung-wha, said, “When we think of Russian music, the first word that comes to mind is masters. There will be music from the great masters and it’s especially more exciting to have The Love for Three Oranges in its Korean premiere.”
Artistic director Chung Myung-wha recommended pianist Stephen Kovacevich's performance with violinist Chung Kyung-wha on July 28 performing Brahms' Violin Sonata No.1 in G Major, op. 78.
"Pianist Stephen Kovacevich will be performing for the first time in Korea. This pianist, I'm sure, will touch many people's hearts," she said.
Some "premieres" include the Korean premiere of Shostakovich's (arr. Victor Derevianko) Symphony No. 15 in A Major, op. 141 on Aug. 5, the world premiere of Jean-Paul Penin's "Cafe Pushkin" and the joint world premiere of William Bolcom's "Sextet" on Aug. 6 with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Chamber Music Northwest.
"Although the PyeongChang Music Festival & School began as an effort to promote the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, it has grown to become a major national music festival," said Chairman Kim Sung-hwan of Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation.
"Because the budget for the festival is allocated by Gangwon Province, we need to continue discussing the matter with the provincial government. But we're doing our best to keep the festival going because it has become an international festival recognized overseas. I feel it's important for the media to keep promoting the need for the continuation of the festival."
It is still unclear whether the festival will continue after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
Artistic director Chung Myung-wha added, "I'm delighted to hear from artists overseas when they say they want to participate. In the beginning, foreign artists kept canceling. Now the festival is so well-known overseas, they voluntarily request to be here. I hope the government could keep supporting the festival through wind and rain so it can continue for decades to come. I have confidence it will become one of world's best festivals."
The festival will be held at the PyeongChang Alpensia Resort and in regions of Gangwon Province. Visit gmmfs.com for more information.