PyeongChang music festival to cool summer

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha performs at last year’s Daegwallyeong Music Festival. / Courtesy of PyeongChang Music Festival and School

Annual classical music event to kick off July 12

By Yun Suh-young

The 2016 PyeongChang Music Festival & School will open July 12 and run until Aug. 9, easing the summer heat during the summer holiday.

Starting this year, the festival changed its name to include “PyeongChang” to promote the region to a wider audience for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The Korean name of the festival is PyeongChang Daegwallyeong (Great Mountains) Music Festival. The festival is hosted by Gangwon Province and the Gangwon Arts and Culture Foundation.

Unlike the theme of the past three years that focused on regions in Europe such as Italy, Spain, France and Scandinavia, this year’s festival focuses on legendary artists whose surnames start with the letter B. The theme of the festival is “The Immortal Classics: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Beyond,” focusing on pieces composed by these three legends and also introducing pieces by other composers whose surnames starts with B. Music composed by 26 musicians including Leonard Bernstein, William Bolcom, Samuel Barber, Christopher Berg and Baek Seung-wan will be played.

From left, artistic directors Chung Kyung-wha, Chung Myung-wha, and assistant artistic director Son Yeol-eum pose at the press conference for PyeongChang Music Festival and School, on June 15. / Courtesy of PyeongChang Music Festival and School

The festival was initially planned to spotlight Bach, Beethoven and Brahms but the organizers decided to expand the theme to include other artists after learning that many more classical composers had names starting with B.

The festival will also be a platform to enjoy rare pieces by renowned artists. Anton Bruckner’s String Quintet in F Major, Max Bruch's Piano Quintet in G Minor and Alexander Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 in D Major are among the pieces which will be performed by ensembles of internationally renowned musicians. The music will be performed from July 28 to Aug. 7.

“I have never heard an ensemble play Bruckner and I really want to hear it,” said Chung Kyung-wha, artistic director of the festival, during a press conference held last week in Seoul. "This festival will be an event where visitors can pick and choose what they want to listen to according to their tastes. There is no particular highlight of the event as every performance will be a jewel."

Chung Myung-wha, co-artistic director and the older sister of Kyung-wha, said, “The programs will be equally interesting for a two-day visitor or a two-week visitor.”

“There will be a balance between classical and modern music,” she said. “Even for me, it will be my first time listening to Bruckner and Bruch. Not even the artists who will be playing at the festival have played the pieces before. But the pieces are superb.”

The Renowned Musicians Series beginning July 28 will open with Finland's Helsinki Baroque Ensemble led by harpsichordist Aapo Hakkinen. The group will play a Bach cantata and pieces from the Baroque period.

As the festival has included dance in the program in recent years, this year's music festival offers performances by mime Guerassim Dichliev who brings to life the mime spirit of Marcel Marceau. Dichliev makes his Korean debut at the festival.

The two Chung sisters will also offer their own performances. Cellist Chung Myung-wha will perform Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major BWV 1012 with mimist Dichliev on July 31 and collaborate with violinist Boris Brovtsyn and pianist Norman Krieger on Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D Major, op. 70, no. 1 Ghost on Aug. 5. She will also perform with master pansori singer Ahn Sook-sun on Aug. 19 to open the Gyechon Village classical street festival.

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha will focus on regional performances in Gangwon Province. She will play Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the Chuncheon Philharmonic Orchestra on July 12. She will perform Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor with pianist Kevin Kenner on Aug. 3 at the Alpensia concert hall.

“I strongly recommend the Brahms performance with the Chuncheon Philharmonic Orchestra. It will be an interesting performance and I’m looking forward to it,” she said during the press conference last week.

Pianist Son Yeol-eum was appointed to assist the two sibling artistic directors in selecting pieces and artists to perform for the music festival. Son's appointment comes after the PyeongChang Winter Music Festival held in February received good reviews from the public for differentiating the program from the summer music festival and embracing younger generations of music lovers.

“I can’t compare myself to the two veteran directors but I’m honored to be part of the team. I think it’s because I’m from Gangwon Province and I will support this festival like I’m participating in a neighborhood event. The festival is more than a home for me,” said Son.

Son, who has been a regular performer at the festival, is now planning the next season.

“I joined to support the festival for the winter. I’m nervous with the weight of my new job but I will do my best to support my two artistic directors,” she said.

“I’m joining in the programming of the February event and I’m in the process of finding classical musicians who will mix well with jazz.”