Wave of Orchestras Hitting Korea in May
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
A musical influx will make waves in the local arts scene next month, with simultaneous and back-to-back tours by premier orchestras.
The fiery lineup includes seven world-class ensembles, with each offering as many as four performances. Such a concentration in tours by famous foreign orchestras is unprecedented, and it will be interesting to note which one will attract the largest audience.
April 30-May 1
The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the United States’ Big Five ensembles, will perform at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul.
Maestro Charles Dutoit will take the baton to showcase his signature repertoire of Berlioz, Ravel and Stravinsky.
Friday’s program features Berlioz’s ``Roman Carnival’’ overture, Ravel’s ``La Valse’’ and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances. Arabella Steinbacher, a rising young violinist supported by the one and only Anne-Sophie Mutter, will join the ensemble for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
On Saturday, the orchestra will offer Stravinsky’s ``Firebird’’ and ``Rite of Spring.’’
Tickets cost from 40,000 to 200,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114.
May 3
Eastern Europe’s foremost ensemble, the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, will give a concert at the Sejong Center to fete the 20th anniversary of Korea-Czech Republic diplomatic relations.
The orchestra’s chief conductor Theodore Kuchar will lead the group through pieces with a Bohemian sensibility, including Janacek’s ``Lachian Dances’’ and Dvorak’s Slav Dance No. 7 and Symphony No. 6.
Suh Hai-kyung, one of the country’s top pianists who is known for having overcome cancer, will appear as the soloist for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concert No. 2.
Prior to the Seoul performance, the orchestra will also tour Suwon (Gyeonggi Arts Center) on Friday and Daegu (Keimyung Art Center) on Saturday.
Tickets cost from 50,000 to 260,000 won. Call (02) 583-1863.
May 3, 4, 6
The Philharmonia Orchestra will make its way here for the first time in 15 years.
The top British group will be led by master pianist-turned-conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, but moreover, the upcoming tour has been making headlines for the stellar soloists that will be featured.
Korea’s next-generation piano star Kim Sun-wook will appear for the first performance on May 3 at Seoul Arts Center, followed by a May 6 show at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex, Gyeonggi Province. He will play Schumann’s Piano Concerto, which is timely considering that this year marks the 200-year anniversary of the birth of the composer.
On May 4, violin great Chung Kyung-wha will return from a five-year hiatus. She will perform Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
In addition, the Philharmonia will give a special performance for leprosy patients, with Korea’s veteran pop singer Cho Yong-pil on Sorok Island on May 5.
Tickets for the Seoul concerts cost from 60,000 to 250,000 won. Call (02) 599-5743. Those for Goyang are marked between 60,000 and 200,000 won. Call 1577-7766.
May 6
The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, helmed by British Maestro Roger Norrington, will make its Korea concert debut at Seongnam Arts Center, Gyeonggi Province.
Norrington, who is reputed for his historically informed, period-style performances, has been the orchestra’s principal conductor since 1998 and is credited with putting the ensemble on the world map.
The maestro is particularly known for challenging modern classical performances by paying heed to the positioning of instruments, bowing techniques and tempi ― and in particular refraining from the use of vibrato.
For first-time Korean fans, Norrington will offer Haydn’s Symphony No. 1 and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7. Award-winning British violinist Daniel Hope will join Stuttgart Radio for Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
Tickets cost from 40,000 to 130,000 won. Call (031) 783-8000.
May 15-16
Fans can look forward to another top ensemble from the United Kingdom. The BBC Symphony Orchestra, led by Czech conductor Jiri Belohlavek, will give two concerts in two different venues in Seoul.
On May 15, concertgoers can look forward to a special performance that is reminiscent of the internationally feted classical music festival BBC Proms, which is held annually at London’s Hyde Park.
The concert will be held on an outdoor stage of Olympic Park, and will feature Smetana’s ``The Bartered Bride’’ overture, Dvorak’s ``New World’’ Symphony No. 9 and Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with piano prodigy Ji Yong.
The following evening, the ensemble will appear at Seoul Arts Center for Tippett’s Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. Violin virtuoso Chee Yun will appear as soloist for Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor.
Tickets cost from 50,000 to 200,000 won. Call 1588-0360, 1577-5266.
May 21, 23
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra will play for local fans on May 21 at Seoul Arts Center and May 23 at the Sejong Center.
Founded in 1951, the Moscow Philharmonic was taken under the wing of such maestros as Dmitri Kitayenko and Kirill Kondrashin to become one of Russia’s representative ensembles.
In the upcoming performances, which mark the 20th anniversary of Korea-Russia bilateral ties, Yuri Simonov will conduct timeless pieces by Russian composers.
The program of the first evening includes Mussorgsky’s ``Night on Bald Mountain’’ and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Russian pianist Konstantin Scherbakov will join the group for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 followed by No. 3 on May 23.
On the second evening, fans can look forward to hearing the overture from Glinka’s opera ``Ruslan and Lyudmila’’ and Stravinsky’s ``Firebird.’’
Tickets cost from 50,000 to 200,000 won. Call (02) 3463-2466.
May 29
The Frankfurt Radio Symphony will make its Korea concert debut at Seoul Arts Center.
Founded in 1929, the orchestra is known for covering an extensive repertoire ranging from Baroque to modern classical music, and is particularly noted for making the first ever digital recording of Mahler’s complete symphonies.
Paavo Yarvi, the ensemble’s newly appointed music director, will conduct Dvorak’s ``New World’’ Symphony No. 9. The conductor’s interpretation of the piece will particularly appeal to fans who were disappointed when the Yarvi-led Cincinnati Symphony’s planned visit last year got cancelled.
Classical music aficionados can look forward to maestro pianist Paik Kun-woo performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 with the orchestra.
Tickets cost from 50,000 to 200,000 won. Call (02) 599-5743.