Lotte Concert Hall Unveils 5th Anniversary Lineup... Featuring 'Czech Philharmonic and Seong-Jin Cho Collaboration'

Pianist Cho Seong-jin.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Lotte Concert Hall, celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, unveiled its 2024 performance lineup on the 23rd.

A highlight of the season is the visit of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO). Marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Netherlands, Lotte Concert Hall has prepared a special stage to celebrate both the 60th anniversary and the hall’s 5th anniversary with the RCO, renowned as one of the world’s best orchestras. The two-day concert on January 14 and 15 will feature conductor Tu?an? Sokhiev leading performances of Lusselbakus and Ariadne Suite No. 2, Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, and Dvo??k’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.” Pianist Aleksandr Kantorov will join as a soloist to perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

On October 21, the Czech Philharmonic, with a 125-year history, and world-renowned pianist Seong-Jin Cho will present an inspiring concert. Semyon Bychkov, appointed principal conductor in 2018, will visit Korea to conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, while Seong-Jin Cho will perform Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Lotte Concert Hall will continue its summer classical festival this year. The theme of this year’s Classic Revolution is Brahms and Piazzolla, who is commemorated for his 100th birth anniversary, spotlighting their great masterpieces from August 13 to 22. Christoph Poppen, the music director who successfully led last year’s festival despite self-quarantine, will return as the festival’s leader. The festival will feature Korea’s leading orchestras such as the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Korean Symphony Orchestra, along with top domestic soloists including pianists Yekwon Sunwoo and Donghyuk Lim, violinist Suyeon Kim, cellist Taeguk Moon, and the Novus Quartet.

Jung Myung-hoon and the One Korea Orchestra will meet audiences on December 12. They plan to present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with chorus, a must-have year-end repertoire, offering a sacred ceremony-like moment to close the year.

The signature pipe organ stage of Lotte Concert Hall will also be featured in diverse programs. Olivier Latry will hold a meaningful recital on September 7 to commemorate the release of his “Bach & Liszt Album.”

Following that, on December 20, the Scott Brothers Duo will perform. After their scheduled concert last year was canceled, they expressed a strong desire to meet Korean fans even if it meant postponing. The duo, consisting of Manchester-born brothers Jonathan Scott and Tom Scott, performs with a combination of various keyboard instruments including pipe organ, piano, and harmonium. They emphasize that “concerts should be fun and enjoyable.”

Lotte Concert Hall’s “In-House Artist” series will continue as well. The Korean Chamber Orchestra, which successfully held a Piazzolla 100th birth anniversary concert on the 11th, will perform the final concert of the series on July 2. The program will compare the stylistic characteristics of different musical eras by selecting masterpieces from the classical originator Haydn, the romantic master Tchaikovsky, and the representative of British modern romanticism, John Williams. Notably, the John Williams Oboe Concerto will be performed by Korean oboist Kyung Ham.

New attempts connecting online and offline will also proceed. Lotte Concert Hall’s newly introduced “On-Off Concert” this year will be a hybrid concert format simultaneously held as a live on-site concert and an online concert. Performances on April 2 by Jaehyung Jung, April 3 by Jeokjae and Kwon Jin-ah, and June 2 by Seunghwan Jung and Seokcheol Yoon will offer unique and profound stages blending classical and popular music, including collaborations with the DITTO String Orchestra and cellist sessions. These concerts will be broadcast live simultaneously via KT Olleh TV, Seezn mobile app, and Kavecon web platforms.

Meanwhile, some originally scheduled concerts were canceled due to the impact of COVID-19. These include Ian Bostridge & Enlightenment Era Orchestra in March, baritone Christian Gerhaher recital in March, Iveta Apkalna organ recital in March, Vienna Cello 5+1 Ensemble in April, Ellen Greumot & Camerata Salzburg in April, and Grazinite-Tilla & Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in June. Lotte Concert Hall will continue close consultations with performers and plans to reschedule concerts that can be held later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.