Vienna Philharmonic likely to perform in Seoul

Poster for the concert by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Riccardo Muti / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

By Park Ji-won

The Vienna Philharmonic, one of the world's most prestigious orchestras, could perform in Korea next month, becoming the first foreign orchestra with more than 100 members to hold concerts in Korea since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday that the health authorities here are considering giving the 120-member company a quarantine exemption for a six-day visit. Anyone who entering Korea is obliged to undergo a two-week quarantine, but if the visit is for “important business purposes,” academic interest or humanitarian reasons, the government has been lifting the mandatory quarantine after reviewing applications.

The center said the orchestra has made its application and is awaiting a government review for the exemption.

There is a chance for the art troupe could be exempted as a number of conductors or musicians have visited Korea over the past few months without quarantine requirements and performed here.

If the orchestra is granted an exemption, led by conductor Italian maestro Riccardo Muti, it will perform Mozart's Symphony No. 35 and Schubert's Symphony No. 9 at the center, Nov. 14. The orchestra will also have two concerts at the Daejeon Arts Center, Nov. 15, and at the Seoul Arts Center, Nov. 16.

The orchestra was planning to perform a similar program in Korea last year, but postponed the performances due to the severe pandemic situation throughout the world.