Pianist Cho Seong-jin bridges 200 years in Tongyeong with Schoenberg’s 'dance'
Cho Seong-jin / Korea Times file
Recital spans Bach to Schoenberg and Chopin at Tongyeong International Music Festival
Pianist Cho Seong-jin drew intense attention from Korea’s classical music scene with his March 30 recital in Tongyeong, delivering a program that traversed more than two centuries of piano music.
Held at the Tongyeong Concert Hall, the performance formed part of the opening events of the 25th Tongyeong International Music Festival, a major annual gathering that brings leading musicians from around the world to the southern port city.
When the final notes of Arnold Schoenberg’s atonal “Suite for Piano” faded, the audience responded not with hesitation but with enthusiastic applause. Cho’s bold programming invited listeners to embrace the unfamiliar, and the audience readily surrendered to the work’s unexpected sense of dance. It was a moment where the pianist’s artistic ambition met the listeners’ curiosity.
A program shaped by 'dance'
The recital was built around the keyword “dance,” linking works across different eras of the piano repertoire. The same program will be presented on April 12 at Carnegie Hall in New York.
The first half featured Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Partita No. 1,” Schoenberg’s “Suite for Piano,” and Robert Schumann’s “Florestan from Carnaval, Op. 9.”
In Bach’s partita — composed of Baroque dance movements — Cho’s characteristically clear and articulate touch stood out. After acknowledging the audience, he returned to the piano and seamlessly connected Bach to Schoenberg, bridging a gap of nearly 200 years. The transition felt so natural that the contrasting styles unfolded like different movements of a single work.
Schumann’s music, expansive in scope, highlighted the piano’s wide palette of dynamics and color.
Chopin, reimagined
The second half was devoted to Frédéric Chopin’s 14 waltzes, performed in Cho’s own reordered sequence rather than by opus number.
As if releasing the tension built in the first half, the set opened with the posthumously published “Waltz No. 14.” Brilliant, virtuosic pieces such as Nos. 4 and 6 followed, while the program closed with a sequence of energetic works — Nos. 5, 2 and 1 — balancing vitality and technical finesse.
The encore was Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 2.”
Star-studded festival
Aside from Cho, other artists completed the festival's impressive lineup.
According to classical music platform Bachtrack, Cho was ranked the world’s second busiest pianist last year. He appeared both as concerto soloist in the opening concert and as recitalist.
Violinist Augustin Hadelich, ranked second in his category, is serving as artist-in-residence with four appearances. Upon arriving in Korea and attending Cho’s recital, he was surrounded by fans seeking autographs, underscoring his popularity. Other featured artists include countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, composer George Benjamin (composer-in-residence) and pianist Julius Drake.
Programming with depth
Beyond its star power, the festival has placed equal emphasis on programming. Under the direction of composer Unsuk Chin, who concludes her five-year tenure this year, the festival adopts the theme, “Face the Depth,” spanning repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music.
Cho’s inclusion of Schoenberg aligned naturally with this artistic vision.
On the same day, Yubeen Kim, principle flute of the San Francisco Symphony, also presented a recital showcasing the expressive range of the flute across classical and modern works.
The festival, which opened on Friday, continues through April 5.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.