String of intimate chamber music at Seoul venues

The merit of going to a chamber music concert is being able to enjoy individual artists’ different performing styles along with the harmony of the instruments.

The intimate nature of chamber music will be displayed at the Kumho Art Hall and Seoul Arts Center’s IBK Chamber Hall through to the end of the year.

At the Kumho Art Hall, a series of three chamber music concerts will be held on Thursday, Dec. 8 and Dec. 29.

The first performance is by Curtis and Friends, consisting of pianist and Yonsei University professor emeritus Lee Kyung-sook and her alumni friends who graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

The group of 10 Korean artists including violinist Cho Young-mi, violist Kang Yoon-ji and cellist Lee Kang-ho will showcase Schumann Fantasiestucke Op. 73, Dvorak Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 26 and Brahms String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111.

Then, the baton will be handed to two Kumho Art Hall-representing ensembles ― the Chamber Music Society of Kumho Art Hall and Kumho Asiana Soloists ― on Dec. 8 and Dec. 29, respectively.

The CMS, led by artistic director and pianist Kim Dae-jin, will stage Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op.8 and invite renowned American clarinetist Jon Manasse to collaborate on Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115. The CMS has been offering “Brahms Essentials” concert series since 2008 to cover the entire cycle of Brahms chamber music.

Five members of the Kumho Asiana Soloists ― pianist Son Yeol-eum, violinist Kwun Hyuk-joo, violist Lee Han-na and cellist Kim Min-ji ― will gather on Dec. 29 evening to offer the art hall’s year-end stage with Ravel Sonata for Violin and Cello, Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 and Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, “In Memory of a Great Artist.”

Tickets for chamber music concerts at the Kumho Art Hall are 30,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for those under 18. For details, call (02) 6303-7700.

Celebrating its opening in October, the IBK Chamber Hall, built exclusively for chamber music concerts, has been running a series of 48 concerts of the “IBK Chamber Hall Opening Festival.”

As part of the series, the chamber music concert hall showcases famous ensembles through Dec. 13 under the title, “Ensemble Festival.”

The most noticeable group is the trio of cellist David Finckel, pianist Wu Han and violinist Philip Setzer, who are members of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center.

The trio will perform Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No.2 in D major, OP.58, Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.49 and Schubert Piano Trio No.1 in B-flat major, D.898, Op.99.

The Emerson String Quartet and the Jupiter String Quartet will also take part in the Ensemble Festival, performing works by Beethoven, Dvorak and Mozart on Dec. 11, and Mozart, Ravel and Dvorak on Dec. 12, respectively.

Tickets to the Ensemble Festival at the IBK Hall range from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr/eng.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)