National Orchestra of Korea's 'Winter Concert' to bring harmony of tradition, musicals

The National Orchestra of Korea, a traditional Korean music orchestra affiliated with the National Theater of Korea, is set to present "Winter Concert" at the Haneul Round Theater in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, on Dec. 16-17.

This year-end performance has been a sold-out event for the National Orchestra of Korea every year since 2018.

This year's program offers a diverse range of music that suits the end-of-year ambiance, including traditional Korean instrumental classics, movie soundtracks, musical numbers and popular carols.

For the special performance, the traditional orchestra will include Western instruments, such as violins, cellos, horns and trombones, elevating the ensemble to a 50-member orchestra.

Kim Moon-jeong, musical director renowned for several hit Korean productions of well-known musicals such as “Les Miserables,” “Mamma Mia” and “Rebecca,” will lead the orchestra. Kim is taking on a large-scale ensemble of traditional Korean instruments for the first time.

The opening piece, “New Boat Ride” composed by Won Il, taps into the rhythmic beauty of "Gyeonggi minyo," or Korean folk songs, conveying a message of bidding farewell to the year and stepping energetically into the next.

A captivating medley of musical numbers and movie soundtracks will include iconic tracks such as “A Whole New World” from Disney’s "Aladdin," “Never Enough” from the film "The Greatest Showman” and “Another Day of Sun” from the film “La La Land.”

Musical singers Lee Ji-hye and Gil Byeong-min will join as guest performers.

The final performance will be a carol medley titled “Christmas Carol,” inviting the audience to join in the seasonal revelry.

As an extra treat, the National Orchestra of Korea will offer hand warmers, snacks and small takeaways to the audience.