Seoul Philharmonic to Perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Dvorak's "From the New World"

November 27?28 at Seoul Arts Center and Lotte Concert Hall
Conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden
Featuring pianist Emanuel Ax as soloist

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," at its regular concerts to be held at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on November 27 and at Lotte Concert Hall on November 28.

This is the first domestic performance by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in about two months. From October 27 to November 1, the orchestra completed a North American tour, including a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. After this concert, the orchestra will collaborate with the National Opera Company of Korea to present Wagner's monumental opera "Tristan und Isolde" from December 4 to 7.

This regular concert will be conducted by Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, with the renowned American pianist Emanuel Ax as soloist.

The Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, which Emanuel Ax will perform, is the only minor-key concerto among Beethoven's five piano concertos. The piece is notable for its characteristic tension and dramatic development, as well as its journey from darkness to light-hallmarks of Beethoven's style.

This work marks Beethoven's break from Mozart's influence, showcasing his unique musical world with clear passion and innovation. While rooted in the heavy and dark colors of the minor key, the piece stands out for the brilliant virtuosity of the piano and the close dialogue with the orchestra. It is regarded as a masterpiece that transcends the traditional concerto, achieving a perfect balance between symphonic scale and pianistic brilliance.

Emanuel Ax made his debut through the New York Young Concert Artists Series and has been a Sony Classical artist since 1987. He has won multiple Grammy Awards for his recordings, including the second and third volumes of Haydn's complete piano sonatas and Beethoven and Brahms cello sonatas with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In 2013, he received the ECHO Klassik Award for "Solo Recording of the Year (19th Century Music, Piano)" for his album "Variations." He will embark on an Asia tour in the fall of the 2025-2026 season, including stops in Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. At the end of last month, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Pianist Emanuel Ax [Photo provided by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, (c)Lisa Marie Mazzucco]

"From the New World" was composed by Czech national composer Antonin Dvorak while he was living in the United States as a professor at the National Conservatory of Music in New York. The work reflects the new inspirations he received from the unfamiliar environment, as well as his deep longing for his homeland. The symphony premiered in December 1893 at Carnegie Hall in New York, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Anton Seidl.

The piece reveals Dvorak's distinctive Romantic ideals within a bright and pastoral atmosphere. It opens with a lyrical melody, followed by a dynamic, march-like rhythm that builds to a festive mood. The English horn's lyrical theme in the second movement is especially well-known to the public, while the latter part of the symphony is marked by Bohemian folk melodies and the elegant rhythm of a waltz. The fourth movement begins with a powerful trumpet fanfare and bursts forth with explosive energy, concluding the work with a hopeful message of venturing into a new world.

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