'DMZ OPEN International Music Festival', Top-Class Classical Artists from Around the World Gather
by Lee jonggu
Published 31 Oct.2024 08:00(KST)
Updated 31 Oct.2024 21:00(KST)
Gyeonggi-do, from the 9th to the 16th of next month... Held at Goyang Aram Nuri Aram Music Hall
Featuring Baek Geon-woo, Park Hye-sang, Dmitry Udovichenko, Sergey Nakariakov, and more
Global classical artists deliver messages of peace and harmony through melodies
Gyeonggi Province announced on the 31st that the classical music festival themed around the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the ‘2024 DMZ OPEN International Music Festival,’ will be held from November 9 to 16 at the Goyang Aram Nuri Aram Music Hall, featuring a large number of world-class classical artists.
This international music festival was prepared to bring a successful conclusion to the ‘DMZ OPEN Festival’ that has been ongoing since May. It features eight orchestras and ensembles recognized both domestically and internationally, including Baek Gun-woo, Park Hye-sang, Yoon Hong-chun, Dmitry Udovichenko, Sergey Nakariakov, and the KBS Symphony Orchestra, along with 16 solo artists, delivering performances of harmony.
The performances will be presented under various themes such as ‘An Old Beginning,’ ‘About Movies and Life,’ ‘Trees, Paper, and Rhythm,’ ‘The Debate of Strings and Keys,’ ‘Serious!,’ ‘Diverse!,’ and ‘Jubilate! About Fate.’
The opening concert on November 9 will feature the KBS Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Leos Svarovsky) and pianist Baek Gun-woo performing the Arirang Fantasy (arranged by Choi Sung-hwan), Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, and Dvo??k’s Symphony No. 8, creating a stage of harmony. The Arirang Fantasy (Choi Sung-hwan) was performed by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang in 2008 and symbolizes peace and harmony, the core of the ‘DMZ OPEN Festival.’ The meeting of the master pianist Baek Gun-woo, known as the ‘Seeker of the Keyboard,’ and Czech conductor Leos Svarovsky, who sublimated Czech nationalism into art, adds to the anticipation.
On the 10th, the ‘Cinema Concert’ themed on film music will feature the DMZ OPEN Festival Orchestra (conducted by Ahn Doo-hyun), pianist Park Jong-hae, and saxophonist Brandon Choi. Ahn Doo-hyun and saxophonist Brandon Choi are young and dynamic classical artists dedicated to popularizing classical music in Korea. The newly introduced DMZ OPEN Festival Orchestra at this international music festival brings together top domestic and international performers to play pieces conveying a message of humanity.
On the 12th, China’s Li Biao Percussion Group will perform Tan Dun’s ‘Paper Music’ and showcase the essence of percussion music. ‘Paper Music,’ composed by world-class Chinese composer Tan Dun, is an organic music piece often used by him, notable for its percussive use of paper. The Li Biao Percussion Group, beloved for their exciting and unique percussion concerts, spans genres including classical, jazz, contemporary music, and pop, and is active on the global music stage with outstanding artistry and originality.
On the 13th, a concert featuring violinist Dmitro Udovichenko and pianist Yoon Hong-chun will take place. Udovichenko, from Ukraine, has gained global attention after winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world’s top three competitions. Pianist Yoon Hong-chun, known as the ‘Poet of the Piano,’ is highly loved in Europe, the birthplace of classical music, for his solid technique and delicate sensitivity.
On the 14th, the Radom Chamber Orchestra will perform works by Poland’s national composer Penderecki, and Sergey Nakariakov will perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto on the trumpet. Sergey Nakariakov, praised as the ‘Paganini of the Trumpet,’ is famous for his exceptional technique, smooth tone, and deep emotion, and for highlighting the flugelhorn as a central instrument on stage.
On the 15th, Kim Seo-hyun, who won first place at the Thibault Verga International Competition at the age of 15, and rising pianist Bae Jin-woo will perform Brahms sonatas. Particularly, the song by American composer Runestad, created under the direction of Incheon City Choir conductor Yoon Ui-jung, about flowers, kindness, hope, and love, contains various stories about the land of life, the DMZ, and the world.
The closing concert on the 16th will feature the DMZ OPEN Festival Orchestra (conducted by Jurek Dybal), soprano Park Hye-sang, and violinist Dmitry Udovichenko. Soprano Park Hye-sang will perform Mozart, Udovichenko will play Bruch, and Jurek Dybal will conduct Beethoven’s ‘Fate,’ symbolizing an active celebration of fate that creates peace.
Hosted by Gyeonggi Province and organized by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, tickets for the international music festival can be purchased through the Goyang Aram Nuri website, Ticketlink, and Yes24. Ticket prices are 30,000 KRW for R seats, 20,000 KRW for S seats, and 10,000 KRW for A seats for the opening and closing concerts, while all other performance days are uniformly priced at 10,000 KRW.
This event was held as part of the ‘DMZ OPEN Festival’ project to promote the values of peace and ecology embraced by the DMZ. The ammunition depot concert, planned as a side program of the international music festival, has been relocated to the former Pocheon Cathedral due to access difficulties within the civilian control zone. For detailed information such as schedules, please refer to the official DMZ OPEN Festival website.
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