Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to kick off 2019 Russia tour next month
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) will hold special tour concerts in Russia, on Oct. 4, 7 and 8 in the cities of St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Moscow. Courtesy of Lee Won-hee, SPO
By Anna J. Park
By Anna J. Park
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) will hold special concerts in three Russian cities early October. This will be the orchestra's first time in Russia in nine years since they performed there in June 2010. The performances are to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and Russia that falls on the year 2020.
The SPO's Conductor-in-Residence Markus Stenz will lead the three performances, with pianist Lim Dong-hyek and traditional Korean janggu drummer Kim Woong-sik. Pianist Lim, one of the most-sought-after Korean pianists on the global stage, studied at the Moscow Central Music School and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, winning prizes at various prestigious competitions, including the International Chopin Piano Competition and International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Pianist Lim Dong-hyek will present Tchaikovsky's “Piano Concert No.1” and Scriabin's “Piano Concert in F-sharp minor” during the Russia tour with the SPO. Courtesy of Lee Sang-wook
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's Russia tour starts on Oct. 4 at Philharmonia Grand Hall in St. Petersburg, a historical venue where Mahler, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky performed over a century ago. The orchestra will present Tchaikovsky's “Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23” with pianist Lim Dong-hyek and Beethoven's “Symphony No.3 'Eroica' in E♭ major, Op. 55.”
Janggu drummer Kim Woong-sik will present an original contemporary piece by Cho Eun-hwa on Oct. 7 and 8 in Ekaterinburg and Moscow. Courtesy of Nah Seung-yull
On the evening of Oct. 7, the SPO will perform at Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Hall in Ekaterinburg, presenting Scriabin's “Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor, Op. 20” with pianist Lim Dong-hyek and Beethoven's “Symphony No.3 'Eroica' in E♭ major, Op. 55.” The Korean orchestra will open the stage of this concert with traditional percussion drum janggu performer Kim Woong-sik, as they together present Korean composer Cho Eun-hwa's contemporary score of “'Back into. Out of' for Janggu and Orchestra.”
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold the final performance of the tour in Moscow on Oct. 8 at the city's Zaryadye Concert Hall.
The SPO has recently continuously performed in various venues in Europe, America and Asia, including at BBC Proms in the U.K., Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, Grafenegg Festival in Austria, Walt Disney Concert Hall in the U.S., and Suntori Hall in Japan. Starting next year, the orchestra will greet its new music director Osmo Vanska.