First Visit to Korea by Italian Orchestra That Premiered 'Rigoletto' and 'La Traviata'

Coming This October at Seoul Arts Center... Conducted by Chung Myung-whun

Giuseppe Verdi's operas Rigoletto and La Traviata premiered in 1851 and 1853 respectively at La Fenice Theatre in Venice, Italy. The resident orchestra of the historic La Fenice Theatre, the La Fenice Orchestra, will visit Korea for the first time this coming October.

The performance planning company Vincero announced on the 5th that the La Fenice Orchestra, which has been part of the premiere stages of numerous Italian opera masterpieces, will hold its first concert in Korea on October 5th at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.

Myung-whun Chung will conduct, and pianist Sunwook Kim, artistic director of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform as a soloist. Myung-whun Chung has had a long-standing relationship with the La Fenice Orchestra, having conducted their New Year's concerts for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020.

The La Fenice Orchestra, under the baton of Myung-whun Chung, will open with the overture to Verdi's opera La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny). This piece leaves a strong resonance fitting the weight of the theme of 'fate' through its majestic orchestration.

Following this, Sunwook Kim will perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in collaboration with the orchestra. Composed around the time Mozart premiered the opera The Marriage of Figaro, this masterpiece, like the opera itself, blends comedy and tragedy, embodying both exhilaration and melancholy. The collaboration between Myung-whun Chung and Sunwook Kim on a domestic stage marks their first in five years since the Dresden Staatskapelle's visit to Korea in 2019.

The second half of the concert will feature Prokofiev's ballet music suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet.

The La Fenice Orchestra will also perform on October 8th at Art Center Incheon, on the 9th at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and on the 10th at Daegu Concert House.

Tickets for the October 5th concert will be available for reservation from 2 p.m. on the 7th via the Seoul Arts Center and Interpark. Paid members of the Seoul Arts Center can make advance reservations starting at 2 p.m. on the 6th, one day earlier.

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