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.
When classical music meets circus
Circus troupe “Cirque de la Symphonie” will perform at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Oct. 12 and 13, in their first performance in Korea. / Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts
By Anna J. Park
By Anna J. Park
Circuses and classical music are two very different art forms which seem have no common elements; yet if they collaborate, they have potential to astonish audiences.
Over the past decade, touring circus troupe “Cirque de la Symphonie” has been presenting jaw-dropping aerial performances along with acrobatics, juggling and balancing that are perfectly synchronized to live classical music masterpieces played by an orchestra on stage.
Since it was created in 2005, the Georgia-based troupe has been travelling around the world to showcase the dynamic beauty of circus performances to rather static audience members at classical music concert halls.
This fresh excitement of the combination of circus acts and classical music will be presented in Seoul for the first time this weekend. “Cirque de la Symphonie” will bring the magic of the circus to classical music concert goers at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on Saturday and Sunday.
Under the baton of Baek Yoon-hak, the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, which has expertise in ballet music, will play well-known classical pieces, including Saint Saens' “Danse Macabre” (Dance of Death); Wagner's “The Ride of the Valkyries,” the prelude to Act III of “The Valkyries”; Sibelius' “Finlandia”; and waltzes from Tchaikovsky's “Eugene Onegin.”
Besides these classical masterpieces, more popular crossover music and pop numbers will also be performed during the 120-minute show. The circus acts are all elegantly choreographed to the live music, resulting in enjoyment for both the eyes and ears.
The first-ever invitation of “Cirque de la Symphonie” to Korea is part of the Lotte Concert Hall's “World Music & Contemporary Series.”
After the shows in Seoul, “Circque de la Symphonie” will be touring the U.S. from November to December.
Official poster for Cirque de la Symphonie's Seoul performance / Courtesy of Lotte Foundation for Arts