Sejong Center to host prelude concert ahead of Beethoven, Brahms anniversary year
A promotional poster for KBS Symphony Orchestra's Beethoven and Brahms program / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will host conductor Chung Myung-whun, pianist Kim Sun-wook and the KBS Symphony Orchestra early next month in a program of Beethoven and Brahms, billed as a preview of a wave of tribute concerts expected worldwide next year.
The concert, to be held on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. and is part of the venue's Sejong Orchestra Series, comes as Chung prepares to become music director of Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2027 — the first Asian to lead the 247-year-old Italian opera house — following his appointment as the 10th music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, a post he took up in January.
Kim will join as soloist for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, before Chung leads the orchestra in Brahms' Symphony No. 2 in the second half.
The two Korean musicians have collaborated for nearly two decades, including a 2013 Deutsche Grammophon recording of Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic under Chung — Kim's label debut, released after his breakout win at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006, when he became the competition's youngest-ever and first Asian champion.
The October date falls a year ahead of what the classical music world is anticipating as a major commemorative season: 2027 marks both the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death and the 130th anniversary of Brahms', prompting institutions worldwide to plan large-scale tribute programs.
"This October performance is an invitation to audiences for the most perfect preview of the many memorial concerts to come next year," Sejong Center President Ahn Ho-sang said in a statement, adding that the spirits of the two composers would fill the fall through the artistry of the two musicians.
Tickets range from 50,000 won ($36) to 120,000 won ($86) and are available through the Sejong Center's website.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.