Hanwha's '23-Year' Sponsorship of Asia's Largest Symphony Festival Concludes... "157,000 Audience Members Attended"

Performance of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Marco Letonya, featuring violinist Han Sujin as a soloist, at the '2022 Symphony Festival with Hanwha'. (Photo by Hanwha)

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[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Hanwha announced on the 25th that the "2022 Symphony Festival with Hanwha," Asia's largest orchestra festival, concluded successfully.

According to Hanwha, approximately 157,000 spectators participated both online and offline in this festival held at Seoul Arts Center from the 2nd to the 24th. Marking its 34th edition this year, Hanwha has been the sole sponsor for 23 years. The festival featured 20 representative Korean symphony orchestras, including the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra and Gwacheon City Symphony Orchestra. Twenty top-tier domestic and international conductors and 22 soloists presented high-quality classical melodies to the audience.

Hanwha reported that due to the endemic (periodic outbreak of infectious diseases), 6 out of 20 performances were sold out, attracting over 22,000 offline attendees. Including the large outdoor stage monitors at the Arts Center and online viewers, the total audience reached about 157,000. Park Soyeon, who visited the venue with her family last weekend, shared, "I brought my parents, and seeing the passionate performers live after a long time while listening to the music made me feel a sense of respect."

Violinist Han Sujin, who performed the "Bruch Violin Concerto" with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on the 14th, said, "Through the festival, we were able to gift a healing time with music to audiences who were tired and struggling due to COVID-19," adding, "I believe our performers could take the stage because there is a company that has supported and encouraged classical music for over 20 years." On that day, the violinist moved the audience by performing the encore piece "Sarabande" from Bach's Violin Partita No. 2, with a prayerful heart for Ukraine.

The festival began in 1989 to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of the Music Hall at the Arts Center and is now in its 34th year. As Asia's representative classical festival, it is regarded as a stage where symphony orchestras nationwide showcase their performance skills. After the 1998 International Monetary Fund (IMF) foreign exchange crisis, when companies hesitated to sponsor festivals, Hanwha has supported the festival continuously for 23 years since 2000. Since Hanwha's sponsorship, 394 symphony orchestras and 444 soloists have performed 1,143 pieces on stage, attracting over 550,000 spectators.

Since most classical sponsorships are short-term, Hanwha's 23-year support is considered a model of exemplary cooperation between arts organizations and corporations. In appreciation, the Arts Center honored Chairman Kim Seung-yeon as the "First Lifetime Member of the Arts Center" in 2009, marking the 10th year of sponsorship. In 2019, the 20th year of sponsorship, a commemorative plaque was installed on the lobby wall of the Arts Center Concert Hall, with Hanwha being the first to be listed.

Festival ticket prices range from 10,000 to 50,000 KRW, about half the price of typical orchestra performances. This is regarded as the result of the Arts Center's excellent planning, the performers' talent-donation participation, and Hanwha's sponsorship working together harmoniously. Starting next year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the full opening of the Arts Center, the festival period will be moved to June, and outdoor auxiliary activities will be expanded.

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