Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1948, is one of the oldest and most famous orchestras in South Korea
. Its first foreign tour came on a 1965 trip to Japan
, followed by performances in Southeast Asia
in 1977, the United States in 1982, 1986 and 1996, a 1988 tour of Europe
before the Seoul Olympics that year, and a 1997 performance in Beijing
. The Philharmonic is an incorporated foundation since 2005.
Its current music director is Myung-Whun Chung
.
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), which was founded in January 1948, has a longer history than any other Korean orchestra. In February 1948, the orchestra held its opening concert, conducted by Maestro Seong-Tae Kim. In October of the same year, the Seoul Philharmonic Society was formed to provide support for the orchestra. The society published the music monthly Philharmony in the following year. After a subscription concert in the Seoul Civic Hall on June 25, 1950, the orchestra had to suspend its activities due to the outbreak of the Korean War, but resumed performance with the name of the Naval Symphony Orchestra, just five months later, to soothe the broken hearts of Koreans during the war.
In August 1957, the Seoul Metropolitan Council passed "The Seoul Metropolitan Ordinances to Install a City-Run Orchestra", the Naval Symphony Orchestra became the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the first Korean orchestra funded by a government. The launching ceremony for the orchestra with triple winds took place in the city council’s chamber. Saeng-Ryo Kim was appointed its first Chief Conductor. Since then, the SPO has helped the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky take root as basic repertoire in the Korean music community.
It was through these concerts that such names as Kyung-Sook Lee, Kun-Woo Paik, Kyung-Wha Chung, Dong-Suk Kang and Myung-Whun Chung, who have finally become maestros to represent the Korean music community, were able to blossom.
With the aim of growing to a major orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra was re-launched as an incorporated foundation on June 1, 2005 and appointed Myung-Whun Chung as its Music Director (he had been Artistic Advisor in 2005).
The orchestra under Chung performed the nine symphonies of Beethoven in 2006 and all of the symphonies and concertos of Brahms in 2007.
Since the re-launch as an incorporated foundation, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing with such world-class conductors as Charles Dutoit
, Alexander Frey
, Pinchas Zukerman
, James Judd
, Pascal Rophe, Xian Zhang, Mikko Franck, Andrey Boreyko, and Francois-Xavier Roth, as well as such distinguished musicians as Viviane Hagner
(Vn), Alexander Melnikov (Pf), Ilya Gringolts (Vn), Julian Lloyd Webber
, (Vc) Li Wei (Vc) Nicholas Angelich (Pf), Hakan Hardenberger
(Tp) Hae-Sun Kang (Vn), Xuefei Yang (Gt), Gary Graffman
(Pf), Colin Currie (Per.), Alexei Lubimov (Pf), Martin Frost (Cl), and Richard Yongjae O'Neil (Va).
Focus is also placed on interaction with modern music: the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra adopted the composer-in-residence system for the first time in Korea when it was re-launched as an incorporated foundation, and welcomed Unsuk Chin as its first Composer-in-Residence. Chin, honored by the Grawemeyer Award in 2004, and awarded the Arnold Schoenberg Prize in 2005, is a Korean composer, following Eak-Tai Ahn and Isang Yun.
Ms Chin has directed a series of modern music titled Ars Nova since 2006 to introduce Korean music lovers to masterpieces of modern music.
Most concerts are of thematic nature. Featured in Fall 2006 was an orchestral concert titled Early & New. In alignment with the Beethoven Symphony Cycle, which was at the heart of the orchestra’s performances in 2006, a program called 'Different Beethoven' was presented. In Spring 2007, two 'Ligeti Memorial Concerts' were held; an analogue concept was presented in Fall 2008 with the 'Messiaen Centenary Concerts'.
The concerts in Fall 2007 titled 'ViolaViola' displayed different contemporary approaches to strings in general and to the viola in particular. In Spring 2008, 'Couleurs exotiques' demonstrated how profoundly modern classical music has been influenced by non-European musical cultures; in the same season 'America' showcased the epochal innovations of American maverick composers.
Until now, this series has featured 60 Korean premieres - more than thirty of them Asian first performances - of major works by composers such as Webern, Messiaen, Cage, Scelsi, Xenakis, Boulez, Stockhausen, Ligeti and George Benjamin.
In several concerts commissions by major Korean composers have been premiered.
In close accordance with the concert programmes, workshops, lectures and additional spectacles have been held, among them a presentation of Hugo Verlinde's digital art, and a performance of the ensemble 'Stringraphy'.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Its first foreign tour came on a 1965 trip to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, followed by performances in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
in 1977, the United States in 1982, 1986 and 1996, a 1988 tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before the Seoul Olympics that year, and a 1997 performance in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The Philharmonic is an incorporated foundation since 2005.
Its current music director is Myung-Whun Chung
Myung-Whun Chung
Myung-whun Chung is a South Korean pianist and conductor.His sisters, violinist Kyung-wha Chung, and cellist Myung-wha Chung, and he at one time performed together as the Chung Trio. He was a joined second-prize winner in the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Chung studied conducting at...
.
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), which was founded in January 1948, has a longer history than any other Korean orchestra. In February 1948, the orchestra held its opening concert, conducted by Maestro Seong-Tae Kim. In October of the same year, the Seoul Philharmonic Society was formed to provide support for the orchestra. The society published the music monthly Philharmony in the following year. After a subscription concert in the Seoul Civic Hall on June 25, 1950, the orchestra had to suspend its activities due to the outbreak of the Korean War, but resumed performance with the name of the Naval Symphony Orchestra, just five months later, to soothe the broken hearts of Koreans during the war.
In August 1957, the Seoul Metropolitan Council passed "The Seoul Metropolitan Ordinances to Install a City-Run Orchestra", the Naval Symphony Orchestra became the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the first Korean orchestra funded by a government. The launching ceremony for the orchestra with triple winds took place in the city council’s chamber. Saeng-Ryo Kim was appointed its first Chief Conductor. Since then, the SPO has helped the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky take root as basic repertoire in the Korean music community.
It was through these concerts that such names as Kyung-Sook Lee, Kun-Woo Paik, Kyung-Wha Chung, Dong-Suk Kang and Myung-Whun Chung, who have finally become maestros to represent the Korean music community, were able to blossom.
With the aim of growing to a major orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra was re-launched as an incorporated foundation on June 1, 2005 and appointed Myung-Whun Chung as its Music Director (he had been Artistic Advisor in 2005).
The orchestra under Chung performed the nine symphonies of Beethoven in 2006 and all of the symphonies and concertos of Brahms in 2007.
Since the re-launch as an incorporated foundation, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing with such world-class conductors as Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
, Alexander Frey
Alexander Frey
Alexander Frey is an American symphony orchestra conductor. He is also known as a virtuoso organist and pianist. Frey is in great demand as one of the world's most versatile conductors, and has enjoyed great success in the concert hall and opera house, and in the music of Broadway and Hollywood.In...
, Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
, James Judd
James Judd
James Judd is a British conductor. He is considered one of the pre-eminent interpreters of English orchestral music and the music of Gustav Mahler....
, Pascal Rophe, Xian Zhang, Mikko Franck, Andrey Boreyko, and Francois-Xavier Roth, as well as such distinguished musicians as Viviane Hagner
Viviane Hagner
Viviane Hagner is an internationally renowned violinist. She was born in Munich, Germany in 1977, to a German father and Korean mother.Hagner made her international debut at the age of 12, and one year later performed as soloist at the historic "Joint Concert" in Tel Aviv with the Berlin and...
(Vn), Alexander Melnikov (Pf), Ilya Gringolts (Vn), Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
, (Vc) Li Wei (Vc) Nicholas Angelich (Pf), Hakan Hardenberger
Håkan Hardenberger
Håkan Hardenberger is a Swedish trumpeter. Taking up the trumpet at the age of eight under the guidance of hometown teacher Bo Nilsson, Hardenberger pursued further studies at the Paris Conservatoire, with Pierre Thibaud, and in Los Angeles with Thomas Stevens...
(Tp) Hae-Sun Kang (Vn), Xuefei Yang (Gt), Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman is an American classical pianist, teacher of piano and music administrator.Graffman was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. Having started piano at age 3, Graffman entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 7 in 1936 as a piano student of Isabelle Vengerova...
(Pf), Colin Currie (Per.), Alexei Lubimov (Pf), Martin Frost (Cl), and Richard Yongjae O'Neil (Va).
Focus is also placed on interaction with modern music: the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra adopted the composer-in-residence system for the first time in Korea when it was re-launched as an incorporated foundation, and welcomed Unsuk Chin as its first Composer-in-Residence. Chin, honored by the Grawemeyer Award in 2004, and awarded the Arnold Schoenberg Prize in 2005, is a Korean composer, following Eak-Tai Ahn and Isang Yun.
Ms Chin has directed a series of modern music titled Ars Nova since 2006 to introduce Korean music lovers to masterpieces of modern music.
Most concerts are of thematic nature. Featured in Fall 2006 was an orchestral concert titled Early & New. In alignment with the Beethoven Symphony Cycle, which was at the heart of the orchestra’s performances in 2006, a program called 'Different Beethoven' was presented. In Spring 2007, two 'Ligeti Memorial Concerts' were held; an analogue concept was presented in Fall 2008 with the 'Messiaen Centenary Concerts'.
The concerts in Fall 2007 titled 'ViolaViola' displayed different contemporary approaches to strings in general and to the viola in particular. In Spring 2008, 'Couleurs exotiques' demonstrated how profoundly modern classical music has been influenced by non-European musical cultures; in the same season 'America' showcased the epochal innovations of American maverick composers.
Until now, this series has featured 60 Korean premieres - more than thirty of them Asian first performances - of major works by composers such as Webern, Messiaen, Cage, Scelsi, Xenakis, Boulez, Stockhausen, Ligeti and George Benjamin.
In several concerts commissions by major Korean composers have been premiered.
In close accordance with the concert programmes, workshops, lectures and additional spectacles have been held, among them a presentation of Hugo Verlinde's digital art, and a performance of the ensemble 'Stringraphy'.
External links
Homepage- "Seoul Philharmonic aiming to become world-class orchestra", Yonhap News, January 13, 2006.
- "Seoul Philharmonic Protests With Music", The Korea Times, March 31, 2005.