Annual summer classical music festival to celebrate 30 years of Sejong Soloists

Hic et Nunc! Musical Festival, an annual event founded and backed by Sejong Soloists, is returning with a program filled with premieres and innovations.

From Aug. 16 to Sept. 2, Hic et Nunc, meaning "here and now” in Latin, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sejong Soloists, founded by renowned Juilliard professor of violin Kang Hyo, by showcasing unique programs and world-renowned musicians who have been part of the Sejong Soloists. Since its foundation in 1994, the ensemble has earned global acclaim for its exceptional performances, performing more than 700 concerts in over 120 cities.

Highlights of the festival include “The Sejong Soloists and Four Concertmasters,” featuring Sejong Soloists alumni violinists Frank Huang, David Chen, Andrew Wan and Daniel Cho, who will perform Korean composer Kim Texu’s “With/out” on Aug. 24, which will mark its Asian premiere.

Also at the same performance, the world premiere of a new piece titled “Flow Symphony” by MIT music and media professor and composer Tod Machover, utilizing generative AI, will showcase the intersection of technology and classical music. On Aug. 23, Machover will speak at a symposium at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon.

On Aug. 27, Christopher Theofanidis’ Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra will get its Asian premiere, performed by violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, who won the 2021 Grammy’s Best Classical Instrumental for his performance of the piece. On the same day, soprano Hwang Su-mi will take the stage with the Sejong Soloists for the first time and perform a series of opera arias.

The festival also features the violin recital of Paul Huang on Aug. 30, as the first installment of the festival’s launching “Alumni Series.”

Violist Lee Hae-sue, the winner of the 2023 ARD Competition, will perform her first viola recital on Aug. 31 at the Seoul Arts Center’s IBK Chamber Hall.

During the festival, a total of 49 musicians, including general manager Kang Kyung-won and the 20 members of Sejong Soloists, will take the stage at prestigious venues in Seoul, including the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall and IBK Chamber Hall, JCC Art Center, Cosmos Art Hall, KAIST and the Uncommon Gallery.

Beyond the main concerts, the festival will host a variety of events including masterclasses, symposia and private screenings. Noteworthy among these is a masterclass for Viva Chamber Ensemble, aimed at nurturing young musicians with disabilities, on Aug. 16, and a concert for infants on Aug. 29.