High culture at low cost

Tickets for a classical music concert or a ballet production in Korea can be quite expensive, particularly when they carry names of internationally renowned artists. A seat at Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall where the four-night relay concerts of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra took place in April cost as much as 380,000 won ($344).

But an encounter with high arts doesn’t necessarily require breaking the bank.

If you look hard enough, there are plenty of opportunities where you can enjoy a decent hour or two of high culture at a fraction of the price.

Here are three such events offered by Seoul’s most prominent arts and performance organizations ― Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Seoul Arts Center. 

‘Happiness of 1000 Won’ at Sejong Center

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul will be presenting a gala dance show called “Journey to Dance” as its June installment of its “Happiness of 1000 Won” program. Started in 2007, this monthly program gives locals the opportunity to enjoy quality art for just 1,000 won (90 cents).

“Usually, there is a demand of about 3:1 for tickets. So, we run a computerized random selection program to decide ticket winners,” said Jung Il-su, a spokesperson for the center.

This month, the show will be performed on June 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sejong Center’s M Theater. For 70 minutes, it will feature top dance pieces from the repertoire of the center’s Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre, including selections from “2014, Dure,” “Sinsi - Festival of the Sun,” “Swan Lake” and “Dancing Scarecrow.”

Registration for tickets will be open for three days starting June 5 on the program’s website at happy1000.sejongpac.or.kr. Ticket winners will be announced on June 8 at 3 p.m., with remaining seats for sale beginning June 15. 

‘Rehearsal Room Concert’ at Seoul Philharmonic

For the first time since its foundation, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is opening its rehearsal to fans, offering a unique opportunity to see the country’s most beloved orchestra and conductor working together to create the final touches for the next evening’s performance.

Since the SPO has no concert hall of its own, this takes place at the orchestra’s rehearsal room, which can accommodate only about 60 guests. All seats are 10,000 won.

“This is an opportunity to watch and hear the SPO up close and personal,” explained Jang Bo-ra of the SPO.

No seats are currently available for the June 17 concert, which features a program of Elgar’s “Serenade,” the first movement of Hoffmeister’s Viola Concerto and excerpts from Schubert’s Symphony No. 5, under the baton of SPO assistant conductor Choi Soo-yeoul.

“Tickets sold out just three days after sales opened in May,” Jang said, adding that there may be more open rehearsal sessions in the future, given the positive response from fans.

‘Artist Lounge’ at Seoul Arts Center

“Artist Lounge” is a series of performances presented by Seoul Arts Center on the last Wednesday of every month at 11 a.m. at the Seoul Arts Center’s IBK Chamber Hall. The project invites musicians from all over the world to perform chamber music and give narrations. All seats are available at 10,000 won.

This month’s event will take place on June 24 and feature violinists Pi Ho-young and Pi Ye-na, pianist Lee Seol-ui and violist Erwand Richard. The program consists of beloved classics including Salut d’amour by Elgar; Violin Sonata in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring” by Beethoven; The Four Seasons, “Summer” and “Winter” by Vivaldi; and Tango Jalousie by Gade.

For inquiries, call (02) 580-1300.

‘Culture Wednesday’ for more events and concerts

For more free or discounted cultural programs, check out the home page of “Culture Wednesday” at www.culture.go.kr/wday, a government-led initiative to make arts and culture more accessible to Koreans.

Running the last Wednesday of each month, it has a long list of affordable concerts, performing arts and various other cultural events.

By Lee Sun-young, Won Ho-jung & Rumy Doo (milaya@heraldcorp.com)