Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Annual Orchestra Festival to kick off March 30
The Changwon Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kim Dae-jin plays Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 at the Orchestra Festival at Seoul Arts Center in this July 29 photo. Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center
By Park Ji-won
By Park Ji-won
The annual Orchestra Festival is set to showcase performances of classics by 21 regional orchestras across the nation at Seoul Arts Center almost every day starting March 30.
The annual festival, which marks its 33rd anniversary this year, will present carefully chosen repertoires and soloists ranging from baroque masterpieces to contemporary works under the theme “New Normal.” The size of the venue is as large as that of 2012 when it also presented performances by 21 orchestras. The annual festival was launched in 1989 one year after of the opening of the Seoul Arts Center.
The concert, which is usually held in April, was delayed to July last year due to the pandemic. Last year, a smaller orchestra was formed to diminish the risk of infections.
Starting with the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra (conductor Gum Nan-se) which will play F. Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 and Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.56 “Scottish,” orchestras such as the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Korean Symphony Orchestra will display their musical prowess through April 22. Rare contemporary works such as “Zzan!!” by composer Kim Texu and “Chamber Symphony I” by composer Yun I-sang will also be presented while a series of skilled pianists such as Shin Chang-yong and Lim Yun-chan are ready to present their performances. More than half of the participants are from nonmetropolitan areas.
The performances will be also streamed through Naver and KBS' Classic FM radio channel.