Though the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is yet to be resolved, the classical music scene is filled with high hopes for 2021, waiting to welcome audiences back to concert halls.
Pianist Kim Sun-wook kicked the year off with a solo recital Monday. Initially slated for March 2020, the recital had been postponed three times due to surges of COVID-19 cases.
On Tuesday, Kim will go on the stage with the KBS Symphony Orchestra, making his conducting debut, followed by a recital with celebrated veteran violinist Chung Kyung-wha on Jan. 19.
Other soloists are following suit, holding solo or duo recitals in Seoul, in keeping with limits placed on performing onstage in these pandemic times.
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Violinist Yang In-mo (Kumho Art Hall) |
Violinist Yang In-mo and pianist George Lee will take to the stage at the Seoul Arts Center on March 13 while violinist Clara Jumi Kang‘s recital is to take place at the Lotte Concert Hall on May 31.
Paris-based pianist Paik Gun-woo will join the Korean Symphony Orchestra to perform Bartok‘s Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127, at the Seoul Arts Center on March 14.
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Pianist Cho Seong-jin (Universal Music) |
Pianist Cho Seong-jin, one of the most celebrated classical music artists from Korea, is to return to the stage in Seoul on April 18 with German Baritone Matthias Goerne at the Lotte Concert Hall, celebrating the release of their new album.
The two close friends have performed together on various occasions in recent years in Europe.
Later in the year, Cho is to perform with the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Semyon Bychkov, the orchestra’s chief conductor and music director, on Oct. 19 at the Seoul Arts Center.
Celebrated cellist Mischa Maisky will go onstage in Seoul in May, while Beethoven specialist pianist Rudolf Buchbinder is to come to Seoul in September.
Another much-anticipated performance is pianist Son Yeol-eum’s concert with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonic, led by Chief Conductor Pietari Inkinen, at the Seoul Arts Center on Sept. 29. Son will play Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26.
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Soprano Jo Sumi (Yonhap) |
Soprano Jo Sumi has plans to perform in Korea, too.
Jo will take to the stage with Italian chamber music ensemble I Musici at the Seoul Arts Center on Dec. 25-26, celebrating the release of her new album of Baroque music works.
American pianist Robert Levin will perform in Seoul in November, followed by pianists Eliso Virsaladze and Lang Lang in December.
Foreign orchestras are also scheduled to perform in Korea this year..
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at the Sejong Center on Aug. 27, joined by violinist Kim Bomsori.
The Vienna Philharmonic, whose visit to Korea in 2019 was canceled due to the pandemic, is due to perform at the Sejong Center in November.
By Im Eun-byel (
silverstar@heraldcorp.com)
