Seoul Arts Center 30th Anniversary Concert... Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Soprano Seo Seon-yeong and Mezzo Soprano Yang Song-mi Joint Performance

On the 21st, the Seoul Arts Center will hold the "Seoul Arts Center 30th Anniversary Special Concert - Lee Seungwon & Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra" at the Concert Hall.

Young conductor Lee Seungwon will lead soprano Seo Seonyeong, mezzo-soprano Yang Songmi, pianist Han Jiho, the Seoul Motet Choir, and the Seoul City Choir on stage. They will perform Messiaen's "Oiseaux exotiques," Stravinsky's "The Firebird," and Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," all centered around the themes of birds and fantasy.

Lee Seungwon, a violist with 20 years of experience, has recently been building his conducting career overseas under the name "Samuel Lee." In 2021, he was selected as the conductor for the SAC Festival Orchestra at the 1st Seoul Arts Center Summer Music Festival, where he received acclaim for his challenging and adventurous performances. Recently, he was promoted to principal assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the United States.

The first piece, "Oiseaux exotiques," was inspired by bird calls recorded by the French contemporary composer Messiaen. Without using string instruments, it delicately and realistically expresses the chirping and lively movements of various birds through wind instruments, percussion, and piano. Pianist Han Jiho will be featured as a soloist.

Han Jiho gained attention in 2014 by winning second place without a first prize and the Audience Award at the prestigious ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany. He placed fourth at the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition and won third place along with the Yoon Isang Special Prize at the 2022 Orl?ans International Piano Competition. He is known for his rich tone and dazzling technique.

Next, Stravinsky's "The Firebird," filled with Russian folk melodies, will be performed. "The Firebird" is one of Stravinsky's early works and the first among the three major ballets representing Romanticism. The story depicts a prince who defeats the evil sorcerer with the help of the Firebird and rescues the princesses. It premiered at the Paris Opera House in 1910. This performance will feature the most frequently played 1919 arrangement among the three versions.

In the second half, Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be performed. Inspired by Shakespeare's play of the same name, this incidental music by Mendelssohn tells a dreamlike love story set in a fairy forest through his characteristic pictorial techniques. The work consists of 14 pieces, including the overture depicting the moonlit fairy forest, the "Scherzo" portraying the fairies' whispers and playfulness, the emotionally rich "Intermezzo," the beautiful love music "Nocturne" starting with a deep horn melody, and the famous "Wedding March." Eleven pieces will be excerpted for this performance, featuring soprano Seo Seonyeong, mezzo-soprano Yang Songmi, the Seoul Motet Choir, and the Seoul City Choir.

Seo Seonyeong rose to international fame by winning the 2011 Tchaikovsky International Competition and is currently active on various opera stages both domestically and abroad. Yang Songmi is the first Korean mezzo-soprano to debut at the Vienna State Opera, one of the world's three major opera houses.

Tickets for the "Lee Seungwon & Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra" concert are available on the Seoul Arts Center website (www.sac.or.kr), via the call center (1668-1352), and through Interpark.

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