Kim Bomsoli's First Collaboration with Seoul Philharmonic: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Regular Concerts on October 1-2

Violinist Kim Bomsoli will be performing with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time.

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold its regular concert at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on October 1 and 2, under the baton of Music Director Jaap van Zweden. Kim Bomsoli will collaborate with the orchestra to perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

Violinist Kim Bomsoli [Photo provided by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, (c) Kyutai Shim]

Prior to the concerto, the opening piece will be "On His Ghostly Solitude" by Korean composer Shin Donghoon. In May, Shin Donghoon presented his Viola Concerto "Slender Suns" at the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra's regular concert.

"On His Ghostly Solitude" is a work jointly commissioned by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Bamberg Symphony, and had its Asian premiere in 2023. Shin Donghoon composed the piece inspired by W. B. Yeats' poem "1919" and Alban Berg's "Three Pieces for Orchestra." The work expresses tension and release by juxtaposing static moments with intense surges, musically embodying the emotion of solitude that envelops existence.

Shin Donghoon described the piece as "a love letter to the poet and composer who sang of romance in a despairing world."

The following piece, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, which will be performed by Kim Bomsoli, captivates listeners with the violin's passionate and beautiful melodies as well as its agile and brilliant passages. Mendelssohn dedicated this piece to Ferdinand David, a renowned violinist of his time. David performed the violin part at the premiere held at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The solo violinist introduces the theme immediately without an orchestral introduction, and while each of the three movements has its own distinct character, they are organically connected, making the work a blend of formal innovation and melodic beauty.

The second half of the concert will feature Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, renowned for its beautiful lyricism. This masterpiece signaled Rachmaninoff's musical revival after the failure of his Symphony No. 1 and achieved great success at its 1908 premiere in St. Petersburg. The work is noted for Rachmaninoff's signature lyricism and grand orchestration. It begins with a dark and solemn introduction, unfolds a majestic theme, and continues with a lively scherzo characterized by dynamic rhythms. The third movement, centered on the clarinet's sweet and sustained melody, showcases Rachmaninoff's lyricism, while the final movement is both brilliant and powerful.

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announced that the three pieces performed at this concert will also be featured in its upcoming U.S. tour in October. The orchestra will tour the United States from October 27 to November 1. On October 27, they will perform an invitational concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, one of the world's most prestigious classical music venues, followed by four performances at the McKnight Center at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

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