Seoul Spring Chamber Music Festival 'All in the Family' Opens April 23

14 Traditional House Concerts Including April 27
This Year Also Introducing Gallery Concerts

The 19th Seoul Spring Chamber Music Festival (SSF) will open on April 23.

SSF is an annual chamber music festival held over about two weeks in April and May. It was started in 2006 with the motto "Friendship through Music," in collaboration between violinist Kang Dong-seok, the SSF artistic director, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. This year's theme for SSF is "All in the Family." The festival will present performances that broadly interpret the meaning of "family" from various perspectives. The 2024 SSF poster also reflects the theme of family. The background of the poster features "Garosu" (Tree-lined Street), a 1978 work by painter Jang Uk-jin, who left warm and folk-inspired works centered on family and nature.

Starting with the opening concert on April 23 and continuing until May 5, a total of 14 performances will be held at Sejong Chamber Hall in Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, IBK Chamber Hall at the Seoul Arts Center, Art Space 3, and the Yoon Bo-seon Old House. From April 23 to 25, performances will take place at Sejong Chamber Hall; on April 27, at the outdoor stage of Yoon Bo-seon Old House; and on April 29, a newly introduced gallery concert will be held at "Art Space 3" in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu. The remaining performances will be held at IBK Chamber Hall in the Seoul Arts Center.

One of the representative performances of SSF is the Old House Concert held at Yoon Bo-seon Old House, Historic Site No. 438. This year, pieces by composers Chopin, Puccini, Faur?, Dvo??k, Strauss, and Smetana?who hold special significance this year?will be performed. 2024 marks the 175th anniversary of Chopin's death, the 100th anniversary of Puccini's and Faur?'s deaths, the 120th anniversary of Dvo??k's death, the 125th anniversary of Strauss's death, and the 200th anniversary of Smetana's birth.

2023 SSF Traditional House Concert [Photo courtesy of Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music]

On May 4, at IBK Chamber Hall in the Seoul Arts Center, pianist Joo Hyung-ki, who performs as part of the musical performance duo "Igudesman and Joo," will present the musical play "Humoresque." This omnibus-style performance combines humor with famous classical works and will be presented for the first time in Korea with SSF musicians. Joo Hyung-ki previously performed at SSF in 2009 as part of an ensemble with violinist Aleksey Igudesman.

This year, SSF will feature a total of 60 musicians, including 9 pianists, 11 violinists, and 4 ensembles.

New faces at the 2024 SSF include violist Lee Hae-soo, winner of the 2023 ARD International Competition and the youngest winner of the 2018 Primrose International Competition; violinist Song Ji-won, who has won multiple international competitions starting with the Yoon Isang International Competition; cellist Marie Hallynck, a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels; and tenor Choi Sang-ho, director of the National Opera Company and professor at Korea National University of Arts. New ensembles include Ventus Brass Quintet, the 2023 winner of the Art Silvia Chamber Music Audition?the only chamber music competition in Korea?and the 2023 Jeju International Wind Ensemble Competition brass quintet category winner, as well as Espressivo! Piano Quartet, formed by violinist Jamie Laredo (83) and cellist Sharon Robinson (75).

SSF artistic director violinist Kang Dong-seok, pianist Kim Young-ho (Professor Emeritus at Yonsei University), and violist Kim Sang-jin (Professor at Yonsei University), who have been part of the festival since its inception without missing a year, will participate again this year. Wind players who will grace the SSF stage this year include flutist Mathieu Dufour (former principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic), oboist Olivier Doaz (former principal oboe of Radio France Philharmonic), clarinetist Romain Guyot (former principal clarinet of the European Chamber Orchestra), bassoonist Laurent Lepr?tre (former principal bassoon of the Paris National Opera Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra), and horn player Herv? Joulain (former principal horn of the French National Orchestra and Radio France Philharmonic).

Since 2020, violinist Danny Goo and renowned Korean ensembles such as the Novus Quartet and Abel Quartet have also appeared on the SSF stage.

2023 SSF Opening Performance [Photo by Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music]

The long-standing tradition of the SSF Fringe Festival will be held seven times from April 6 to 21. Performances will take place at high foot traffic times on weekends at venues including the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Namsan Seoul Tower Plaza, National Museum of Korea, Severance Hospital, and the History Lawn of Yonsei University.

Tickets for SSF can be purchased through Interpark, Yes24 Tickets, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and Seoul Arts Center. Early bird tickets with a 20% discount (excluding some performances) are available until 1 PM on the 5th. Students aged 13 to 24 receive a 50% discount. However, discounts do not apply to the "Old House Concert" and "Gallery Concert."

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