Berliner Philharmoniker visits Seoul for first time in 6 years, joined by Cho Seong-jin

The Berliner Philharmoniker is set to perform at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, marking its first tour in six years.

Under Russian conductor Kirill Petrenko's lead, the Berliner Philharmoniker will present a captivating program featuring Mozart’s Symphony No. 29, Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra and Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 on Saturday.

Sunday's repertoire includes Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and will be joined by South Korean pianist, Cho Seong-jin. The event will mark the third collaboration between Cho and the Berliner Philharmoniker.

"We discussed the programs last year. When the Berliner Philharmoniker said he wanted something classical, I suggested Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, which is one of my favorites. It was also well-received by the orchestra,” Cho told reporters during a press conference at the Seoul Arts Center on Friday.

While the Russian conductor was appointed conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2019, there were few opportunities to perform together in front of an audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The relationship with the Berliner Philharmoniker (and myself) feels very fresh because we couldn’t play together for a very long time," said Petrenko. "This is the beginning of a hopefully long and successful journey. I hope we will have a lot of great times together during our tours."

Petrenko said he wanted to highlight Brahms and R. Strauss, in particular, during the performances in Seoul.

"It was very important for me to bring some repertoires which represent our identity and history. Herbert von Karajan worked on these pieces to complete the unique sound of the Berliner Philharmoniker. I would like to be part of this tradition."

The Berlin-based orchestra previously visited Seoul in 1984, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2017.

The tour is part of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s overseas tour, which kicked off in the US and will be making its way to Japan next week.