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Chung Myung-whun, renowned soloists to lead KBS Symphony’s 70th anniversary season
Poster for the KBS Symphony Orchestra's 2026 season / Courtesy of KBS Symphony Orchestra
By Kim Se-jeong
As the KBS Symphony Orchestra prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2026, it is planning a series of large-scale performances featuring major conductors and renowned Korean soloists in the classical music world.
Founded in 1956, the KBS Symphony Orchestra was the first orchestra in Korea to be affiliated with a broadcasting organization. It played a significant role in raising public awareness of classical music and providing wider access to the genre.
The 2026 lineup prominently features Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun, a former chief conductor of the orchestra. Even after stepping down, Chung has continued to collaborate with the orchestra; next year he will conduct Mahler’s Symphonies No. 4 and No. 5 at project concerts on March 13 and Oct. 12, respectively, after leading Symphonies No. 1 and No. 2 this year. He is also expected to conduct a concert version of Bizet’s opera, "Carmen," on April 18.
Other conductors in the spotlight include Eliahu Inbal, who will conduct Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 on Feb. 28; Marek Janowski, who will lead Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 on March 31; and Pietari Inkinen, who will conduct Sibelius’ Symphonies No. 6 and No. 7 on Sept. 10 Inkinen served as the orchestra’s chief conductor for three years, from 2022 to 2024. Violinist-turned-conductor Chang Han-na will lead the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 on Dec. 30.
A number of emerging Korean musicians are also expected to perform during the anniversary season.
Clarinetist Kim Han will perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, with Janowski on the podium on March 31. Pianist brothers Lee Hyuk and Lee Hyo — who both competed in this year’s International Chopin Piano Competition — will perform Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor on May 28. Pianist Kim Se-hyun, the 2025 Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition grand prize winner, will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 on Aug. 27.
Other globally renowned soloists will also join the orchestra next year. Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos will be among them, along with Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović, Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg, German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann and British cellist Steven Isserlis.
“Building on the traditions of classical music, we hope to convey even deeper resonance and empathy,” Lee Seung-hwan, president of the orchestra, said in a press release. “Grounded in the artistic trust cultivated over the orchestra’s 70-year history, we aspire for this year to demonstrate the power of music that transcends generations and borders — allowing classical music to become a moving part of everyday life.”
Season tickets for all 12 subscription concerts will go on sale on Dec. 9, with general sales opening on Dec. 12. Tickets for the special project concerts — including Chung’s Mahler symphony performances — will be available starting Dec. 18.