Classical concerts to honor Piazzolla set for 2021

Poster for “Adios Piazzolla”

By Park Ji-won

As the number of COVID-19 infections increases, many live concerts and performances were delayed or canceled following heightened social distancing rules, inflicting a loss of income on those in the classical music industry.

The deadly disease has taken away stages from musicians, and still concert halls need to have vacant seats between audience members, but some are ready to deliver hope through music, looking for the silver lining.

One of the biggest events in the music world in 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Argentine tango musician and composer Astor Piazzolla. To mark the occasion, a series of classical concerts is set to be presented here this year.

“Adios Piazzolla,” performed by Koh Sang-ji, one of the most famous proponents of the bandoneon in Korea, and award-winning tango dancers Sebastian Acosta & Laura D'anna and Miguel Calvo & Pelin Calvo, will be seen at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 31. Musicians such as pianist Choi Moon-seok and violinist Kim A-ram will also join Koh.

They will play familiar compositions of Piazzolla, including “Libertango,” “Oblivion” and “Adios Nomino.” The show was originally planned to be held last year, but was delayed due to the spread of the coronavirus.

The Korean Chamber Orchestra, as an in-house artist of Lotte Concert Hall and violinist Yoon So-young will hold a Piazzolla-themed concert at Lotte Concert Hall on March 11, where the orchestra will play Piazzolla's rare and famous pieces “Fuga y Misterio,” “Concierto Para Quinteto” and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires,” as part of its in-house artist series.

Shinik Hahm & Symphony S.O.N.G (Symphony Orchestra for the Next Generation), an orchestra led by conductor and artistic director Hahm, will also present Piazzolla compositions at Lotte Concert Hall on April 25 with the concert titled “Master's Series ― Happy 100th Birthday Piazzolla!” Violinist Lee Kyung-sun and mezzo soprano Kim Sun-Jung will join the orchestra.

Year of pianists, renowned Korean performers

Starting with pianist Kim Sun-wook, who will hold his recital of Beethoven at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 11, a number of renowned local pianists are expected to perform at home this year. Kim, who had to delay his shows multiple times due to the spread of the virus last year, will play Beethoven's piano sonatas including No. 30 in E major and No. 31 A-flat major.

Pianist brothers Lim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyek will hold their first duo recital at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 13. The winners of the third prize in the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition in 2005 will play “Fantasy in F minor, D.940, Op.103” and Rachmaninoff's repertoires for two pianos.

Pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon, the winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017, will be holding his recital at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 26 where he is planning to play works by Mozart and Chopin including the Austrian composer's unfinished “Fantasia in D minor, K. 397,” “Fantasia in C minor K. 475,” “Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310” and “Rondo in A minor K. 511”; and the Polish composer's “Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 No.1,” “Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49,” “Barcarole in F# major, Op. 60” and “Variations on 'La ci darem la mano' Op. 2” which is based on a theme from the opera 'Don Giovanni”.”

Pianist Paik Kun-woo will present a Bartok Concerto on March 14 and Mozart on July 13 and Nov. 13 while performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct. 27. Conductor Chung Myung-whun will also hold a piano recital in April.

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, who won the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, will perform on April 18 with German Baritone Matthias Goerne, who announced his retirement in 2024. They are also planning to release an album in April.

Pianist Son Yeol-eum will play Prokofiev's “Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 26” with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin on Sept. 29.

Award-winning and veteran pianists such as Rudolf Buchbinder, Robert Levin and Nelson Freire will visit Korea to perform. Young pianists such as Jan Lisiecki will perform in Korea this year. Asian pianists such as Dang Thai Son and Lang Lang will also come to Korea for shows on July 4 and Nov. 10, respectively.

Internationally renowned Korean performers in various fields are also set to show their skilled performances.

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang will play “Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin” on May 31, while violinist Sarah Chang will play Dvorak's violin concerto with Prague Philharmonia on Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.

Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill will hold a winter concert in December while soprano Jo Su-mi, who marks the 35th anniversary of her international debut, will perform baroque music with I Musici on Dec. 26.