'Ham Shin-ik and Symphony S.O.N.G 2023 Seodaemun Independent Festival'

On the Eve of Liberation Day, a Performance Titled 'Songs of Hope and Joy' at the Outdoor Special Stage of Independence Gate

The Festival Will Be Held for Four Days (August 12?15) at Seodaemun Prison History Hall and Seodaemun Independence Park

In Addition to the Concert, Various 'Citizen Participation and Viewing Programs' Including Independent Army Battle Experience

A classical music ensemble renowned for its outstanding performance skills, creative programs, and socially contributive concerts will be featured at the ‘2023 Seodaemun Independence Festival’.

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced that on the evening of August 14, the eve of Liberation Day, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, conductor Ham Shin-ik and the orchestra ‘Symphony SONG’ will present a performance titled ‘Songs of Hope and Joy’ at the outdoor special stage of Independence Gate.

On the third day of the Seodaemun Independence Festival, the evening program will include the national anthem, Liberation Day songs, the nostalgic Geumgangsan, as well as the Gyeonggibyeong Overture, Hungarian Dance, Gabriel’s Oboe from the movie Mission, Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, William Tell Overture, and Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot. Soprano Oh Mi-sun and tenor Yoon Jeong-su will join as guest soloists for the performance.

Artistic Director Ham Shin-ik, who has built his career as a music director with several orchestras in the United States, served as a full professor at Yale University School of Music and as the permanent conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, founded ‘S.O.N.G’ in 2014, named after the first letters of ‘Symphony Orchestra for the Next Generation.’

Since then, in addition to regular concerts at concert halls, he has been communicating with audiences nationwide through ‘The Wing Concert,’ performed on a wing-body truck stage without spatial limitations.

Moreover, taking this Seodaemun Independence Festival stage as an opportunity, he plans to hold various classical music performances for the residents of Seodaemun-gu in the future.

Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “We expect this performance to share the joy of liberation along with beautiful classical melodies.”

The ‘2023 Seodaemun Independence Festival’ will be held for four days from August 12 to 15 at Seodaemun Prison History Hall and Seodaemun Independence Park.

Besides the Liberation Day Eve Concert, there will be an opening celebration performance, Independence Gate runway fashion show, and closing performance.

During the festival, a variety of ‘citizen participation and viewing programs’ will be available, including ▲Seodaemun Prison stories told by professional narrators ▲Independent Army battle experience ▲Secret society and prison experience ▲Liberation quiz show ▲Participation game ‘I am an Independent Army Soldier’ ▲Independent pantomime ▲Taekwondo performance, and more.

Visitors can enter Seodaemun Prison History Hall free of charge during the festival, and the opening hours will be extended until 7:30 PM.

For more details, please refer to the festival website or contact the Culture and Sports Division of Seodaemun-gu Office.

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