Seoul Philharmonic opens 2014 ticket sales

Tickets for the highly anticipated 2014 season of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra are due to go on sale Tuesday morning, offering SPO fans an advance peek of 28 concerts that will be held next year.

Packaged according to different themes, the programs range from grand orchestral to smaller works and contemporary pieces.

Packages offering discounts are available through Jan. 8. A package for R-seat tickets for 17 concerts is priced at 1.55 million won ($1,460). A 30 percent discount is provided for SPO membership holders who pay 30,000 won a year. A 20 percent discount is offered for “early birds” who make reservations from Tuesday. Individual ticket sales are also available.

Hana Classic 1

Consisting of grand symphonies or large-scale music, the Hana Classic series will kick off on Jan. 23 with Hans Graf presenting Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 at Seoul Arts Center, alongside violinist Svetlin Roussev. The series will continue with SPO art director Chung Myung-whun and the orchestra performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection” on June 5, and conductor Michael Francis leading the SPO in a program of Brahms, Bruch and Mendelssohn on July 5 with violinist Vadim Gluzman. On Nov. 15, the SPO will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” under the baton of Chung.

Hana Classic 2

Touching on the softer and sentimental sides of symphonic music, Lim Heon-jung, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director, is the guest conductor on Feb. 26, presenting the works of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Beethoven. On March 14, conductor Michel Plasson will present Honegger, Mozart and Berlioz with pianist Huseyin Sermet. Hugh Wolff will take over the baton on May 9 featuring a program of Bach and Richard Strauss. Maestro Chung will lead the SPO in the performance of the long-awaited concert version of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” on Sept. 26. The SPO will perform a program featuring Mozart Symphony No. 40 under Chung on Dec. 12.

The Brilliant series

Concentrating on the most popular and familiar tunes, the Brilliant series will start on March 28 with Eliahu Inbal leading the audience into the world of Shostakovich and Bloch, followed by Chung’s presentation of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on May 23 and Yves Abel’s rendition of Ravel’s piano pieces with pianist Nicholas Angelich. The series will continue on Oct. 24 as Thomas Zehetmair leads the SPO in works by Schubert and Mozart. Chung will close the series with Beethoven Symphony No. 9 “Choral,” SPO’s most popular repertoire, on Dec. 26.

Romantic

With Valentine’s Day included in the schedule, the orchestra will go mysterious yet romantic for the Romantic series. On Jan. 9, Chung will present “Su Concerto for Sheng and Orchestra” by Chin Un-suk, SPO’s composer-in-residence. It will be followed by Stefan Asbury’s interpretation of Janacek, Mozart and Rachmaninoff on Feb. 14, and Stephane Deneve staging the works of Prokofiev and Bartok with pianist Piotr Anderszewski on June 20. The series continues with Mark Wigglesworth leading the orchestra in works by Mahler, Berg and Shostakovich on Nov. 27.

Ars Nova

The SPO’s signature contemporary music concert series, Ars Nova, will start on April 20, followed by performances on April 24, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 introducing the latest trends in contemporary classical music, ranging from the works of Stravinsky to Holler and Poulenc.

For the 2014 season the orchestra has come up with a number of new packages including “Chung Myung-whun’s Choice,” consisting of a selection of concerts by the art director; “Chin Un-suk’s recommendation,” “Again Mahler,” composed of concerts featuring Mahler’s pieces, and “Strauss series” commemorating the Austrian composer’s 150th birthday that falls next year.

For more information, visit www.seoulphil.or.kr.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)