SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation to hold online concert
Promotional poster for a performance of the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” by the SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation, March 20 / Courtesy of SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation
By Kim Jae-heun
The SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation will bring Mozart's comic opera “The Marriage of Figaro” to the stage without a live audience March 20 as part of its “Opera Bucket” series at the Seoul Arts Center. The concert will be aired online on Naver TV and YouTube starting from 7 p.m. on the day.
Opera Bucket concerts were first started in 2015 to inherit the will of Lee Woon-hyung, the late SeAH Group chairman and an avid opera fan. This year marks the sixth such concert to be held.
Many classical music performances have been canceled here since last year due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. However, the SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation decided to hold the concert without an audience to help local opera singers who have not been able to perform for some time.
This year, the Opera Bucket will tackle the popular “The Marriage of Figaro.” Unlike typical opera pieces that are often heavy and sorrowful, “The Marriage of Figaro” is a comic opera that conveys messages of “hope,” “harmony” and “forgiveness” through its story that revolves around the relationships between the characters.
The SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation's decision to have no audience is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of all involved. Those who wish to see the show can search in English for “SeAHWoonHyungLeeFoundation” on YouTube. It will also be viewable on Naver TV by searching for the foundation's name in Korean.
For this year's opera, Kim Kwang-hyun, the permanent conductor of the Wonju Philharmonic Orchestra, will wield the baton for the Korean Symphony Orchestra. Director Jang Jae-ho, who has received favorable reviews for a number of operas including productions for the Korea National Opera, will also participate.
Bass Chang Se-jong and soprano Park Hana will play Figaro and Susanna, respectively. Other vocalists performing include baritone Kang Carlo, soprano Hong Ju-young, mezzo soprano Kim Jung-mi and soprano Ra Ha-young.
“We have planned this online concert of hope and harmony to comfort those who are tired of COVID-19 and musicians who have lost many opportunities to take to the stage. We hope this opera performance can give some comfort to audiences as the late Chairman Lee wished in his lifetime,” a SeAH Woon Hyung Lee Foundation official said.