Free classical music performances will be held on the last Wednesday of every month from now until June, in the Seokjojeon Hall at Deoksugung Palace in Seoul.
The Seokjojeon Hall, a relatively modern building amid the history of Deoksugung Palace, is to host a classical music concert on the last Wednesday of every month. Up to 100 music lovers will have the privilege each month to listen to music in the exact same room where King Gojong (고종, 高宗) (1852-1919) listened to recitals by Korea’s first pianist, Kim Yeong-hwan, in the 1910s.
From January to June, conductor Gum Nanse will direct the shows and then provide commentary on the concerts. He’s known for his devotion to introducing Western classical music to the Korean public in an easy and familiar manner. Musicians who have worked with him before will join him once again to entertain audiences in the Seokjojeon Hall.
For the first performance of 2017, young musicians Park Jinhee, Lee Jihang, Kim Gi Gyeong and Shawn Moore will play the violin, cello, piano and viola, respectively. The string ensemble Camerata S will perform in February, and pianist Kim Gi Gyeong and Choi Young Min will perform in March.
In April, Trio Jade, which consists of violinist Park Ji-yoon, cellist Lee Jung-ran and pianist Lee Hyo-joo, will host the concert. Woodwind players from the Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Gum Nanse, are next in line. The final performance of the first half of the year will be given by a jazz piano trio.
According to historical records, King Gojong enjoyed classical music and often asked Korea’s first pianist, Kim Yeong-hwan, to play for him in the 1910s. Concerts were normally held in the Seokjojeon Hall, a relatively modern building on the grounds of Deoksugung Palace.
Reservations can be made at the Deoksugung Palace homepage (http://www.deoksugung.go.kr/) one week before the performance. Reservations on 90 of the available seats starts at 10 a.m. on the prior Wednesday. For people over 65-years-old and for non-Koreans, there are 10 seats left open for on-site arrivals.
Although classical music in a palace may sound like luxury, the concerts are free and no admission fee is charged to enter Deoksugung Palace on the last Wednesdays of each month.
By Kim Young Shin
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cultural Heritage Administration
ysk1111@korea.kr
