3-Color Classic Festival Arriving on the Autumn Breeze

'M Classic Festival' from the 20th for two months at Seoul Mapo Art Center
'2022 Gyeonggi Classic Festival' from next month 10 to 16 for one week
'Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF)' from next month 22 to 30

The 'M Classic Festival,' featuring top-class classical performers from home and abroad, will be held at the Mapo Art Center in Seoul from the 20th to November 24. Photo by Mapo Cultural Foundation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A festival filled with diverse classical melodies is taking place across various locations, carried by the cool autumn breeze.

The 'M Classic Festival' by the Mapo Cultural Foundation opens the season. On the 22nd, through various programs including the main concert, M Sonata Series, Young Stars, On the Wings of Song, and M Brunch Series, top-class classical musicians from home and abroad will meet with audiences.

Now in its 7th year, the M Classic Festival is a classical music festival hosted by Mapo-gu and the Mapo Cultural Foundation, featuring over 500 artists performing on stage until November 24.

Especially in the relay recital series 'M Sonata Series' by Korea's top pianists, diverse programs will be presented by Baek Geon-woo, known as the 'Seeker on the Keyboard' (October 1), Park Jae-hong (September 29) and Kim Do-hyun (October 30), who took first and second place respectively in last year's Busoni Competition, and Moon Ji-young (November 24), the first Asian to win the Busoni Competition in 2015.

The '2022 Gyeonggi Classic Festival,' composed of fresh programs such as classical busking, is also drawing attention. Cellist Song Young-hoon serves as artistic director, presenting various stages under the theme 'The New Beginning,' overcoming the crisis in the arts caused by COVID-19 and conveying the meaning of a new start.

Cellist Song Young-hoon, the artistic director of the 2022 Gyeonggi Classic Festival. Photo by Gyeonggi Arts Center

At the opening performance on October 10, the Schubert Octet in F major, Op. 803, and Mozart Fantasy in F minor, Op. 608, which have been difficult to experience on domestic stages, will be presented by conductor Song along with 14 orchestral players, ensemble teams, and an orchestra for the audience. In addition, a performance focusing on C?sar Franck, who marks his 200th birthday, is planned, raising expectations.

The 14th Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF) will also be held next month under the theme 'Pray for us.' It will take place from October 22 to 30 at venues including the Seoul Arts Center, Yonsei Kumho Art Hall, and JCC Art Center.

The opening concert on October 22 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall will feature the SIMF Orchestra conducted by Hong Seok-won performing Mozart's opera overture Don Giovanni, Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major, and Mozart's Mass No. 18 in C minor 'Great Mass.' The stage will be adorned by hornist Radek Babor?k, former principal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, soprano Seo Ye-ri, tenor Guk Yoon-jong, mezzo-soprano Kim Jeong-mi, and baritone Thomas Bauer.

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