Korean Chamber Orchestra to explore musical contrasts in Seoul
Summary
The Korean Chamber Orchestra will present its Contrast Series 5 at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 22, moving from Baroque works to contemporary pieces. The program includes a Korea premiere of Peter Lieuwen’s Sarumba for 2 Violins and Chamber Orchestra, as well as concertos by Vivaldi and Shostakovich. Conducted by Chung Han-gyul, the concert is designed to show the ensemble’s broad musical range.
Key Facts
- The Contrast Series began in 2025 and places pieces from contrasting periods and styles in one program.
- Lieuwen’s Sarumba for 2 Violins and Chamber Orchestra will be performed in Korea for the first time.
- Violinists Choi Chi-ung and So Jae-wan will serve as soloists, and guitarist Jang Dae-kun will perform in Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in C major, RV.425 and Guitar Concerto in D major, RV.93.
- Tickets cost 30,000 won to 50,000 won and can be reserved through the Seoul Arts Center website and NOL Ticket.
A poster for the Korean Chamber Orchestra concert scheduled for Oct. 22 / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center
The Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) will highlight music across different eras, from the Baroque period to contemporary works, during its "Contrast Series 5" on Oct. 22 at the Seoul Arts Center.
Launched in 2025, the KCO Contrast Series has placed pieces from contrasting periods and styles within a single program to illuminate musical shifts and evolution.
The upcoming performance demonstrates the broad musical capabilities of a chamber orchestra. The program opens with Francesco Geminiani's Concerto Grosso in D minor, H.143 "La Folia" and features the premiere of Peter Lieuwen's Sarumba for 2 Violins and Chamber Orchestra in Korea, alongside two guitar concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op.110a.
A key highlight will be Lieuwen's Sarumba for 2 Violins and Chamber Orchestra, which will be performed in Korea for the first time. Written for two violins and a chamber orchestra, the piece blends jazz and world music elements based on Brazilian rhythms such as samba, baiao, rumba, frevo and bossa nova.
Combining minimalist textures, neoclassical structures and Latin percussion colors, the piece will showcase new possibilities in modern music through the contrast of two violins and the rich soundscape of a chamber orchestra. Violinists Choi Chi-ung and So Jae-wan will perform as soloists to bridge traditional chamber orchestra instrumentation with modern composition.
Guitarist Jang Dae-kun will join the orchestra for Vivaldi's Guitar Concerto in C major, RV.425 and Guitar Concerto in D major, RV.93. Reimagining pieces originally written for mandolin and lute, Jang adds the unique timbre of the guitar to the string ensemble, presenting a fresh perspective on Baroque concertos.
The performance concludes with Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op.110a, a work capturing the composer's inner world and historical backdrop through a dense ensemble performance. Under the baton of conductor Chung Han-gyul, the KCO plans to bring each work's distinct acoustic structure to life.
Soloists Choi and So are active performers at home and abroad as regular members of the KCO. Guitarist Jang studied in Spain and Switzerland and has won awards at over 20 international competitions.
Tickets range from 30,000 won ($22) to 50,000 won and can be reserved through the Seoul Arts Center website and NOL Ticket.
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