Global Leaders of Classical Music Gather in Seoul... ARKO's "Beyond the Stage"

December 5-6 in Daehak-ro Venues

The Arts Council Korea (ARKO), in collaboration with the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC), will host "Beyond the Stage 2025: International Career Forum for Next-Generation Artists" on December 5-6 at the Seoul Artist House and various venues throughout Daehak-ro.

Beyond the Stage is an international career development forum where leading institutions from the global classical music scene will gather in Korea for the first time. The event is open to all performers and stakeholders aspiring to launch international careers, regardless of competition experience. Participants may include music university students (including graduate students), young artists, middle and high school students in the arts, as well as emerging and professional performers seeking to break into the international stage, and professionals from arts organizations such as festivals and concert halls.

The forum will feature 16 experts from institutions representing the global music industry as panelists. Key figures from the WFIMC, including Michael Haefliger, former Director of the Lucerne Festival; Jacques Marquis, CEO of the Cliburn Competition; Didier Schnorhk, Secretary General of the Geneva Competition; along with representatives from the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Vienna Konzerthaus, and leading international artist management agencies, will be visiting Korea.

The forum will cover topics such as: ▲practical approaches to participating in overseas festivals and orchestras; ▲understanding the structure of international management and agency contracts; ▲artist positioning and content creation strategies in the digital age; ▲how to leverage global platforms for recording and live streaming; and ▲strategies for using competitions as a gateway to the international stage. In addition, real-world case studies will be shared on how Korean musicians can differentiate their artistic competitiveness globally, presenting an "A to Z strategy for global career development of K-Classical artists" in one place.

In particular, small group "roundtable" sessions will be organized, allowing for in-depth interaction with key panelists. Rather than traditional lectures, these sessions provide opportunities to sit down with leading experts from major international competitions, venues, and festivals, enabling participants to directly experience global standards and career insights required for international activities.

Roundtable participants will have the opportunity to: ▲hear firsthand about the attitudes expected of artists on the world stage and the evaluation criteria of international institutions; ▲experience the real culture of global projects, performance operations, and international networking as described by the panelists; ▲gain deep insights into collaboration methods and communication skills necessary for artists with international capabilities; and ▲receive professional feedback on their individual activities. Furthermore, these sessions are expected to help participants establish initial networks that could lead to future collaborations with overseas institutions, artists, and producers.

The showcase program will feature Korea's next-generation performers, including Arete Quartet, winner of first prize at the Prague Spring International Music Competition and second prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition; violinist Kim Hyunseo, third prize winner at the Paganini International Violin Competition; and violist Han Jaeyoon, who has received awards at numerous international competitions. In addition to performances, an "Artist Talk" session will be held, where young artists will share their voices and experiences directly.

WFIMC, which is co-hosting this forum, is the world's largest network of music competitions, comprising more than 130 international music competitions including the Chopin, Queen Elisabeth, and Cliburn competitions. It is a key institution in the global music scene, dedicated to discovering young musicians and supporting their entry onto the international stage.

ARKO plans to use this collaboration as an opportunity to establish a sustainable international exchange system that directly connects Korean musicians to the global stage, and to lay the groundwork for them to compete successfully in the global arts ecosystem over the long term.

Forum registration is available through the ARKO website, the WFIMC website, or the advance registration link.

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