A poster for Seoul International Music Festival / Courtesy of SIMF
The Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF), one of Korea’s three major classical music festivals, is returning for its 17th edition later this month with a program inspired by dance.
“I wanted to bring people fun and happiness through the festival,” said Ryu Jae-joon, the artistic director, at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, explaining why he chose dance-themed music for this year’s program.
Along with the Tongyeong International Music Festival and Music in PyeongChang, SIMF is considered one of the country’s leading classical music events. All three festivals organize their own orchestras that are active during the festival period.
The opening concert on Oct. 30 at Lotte Concert Hall will feature Astor Piazzolla’s “Histoire du Tango,” originally for flute and guitar but arranged for orchestra, as well as Mozart’s Divertimento No. 17 in D major; Haydn and Rosetti’s Concerto for Two Horns, M.C56Q; and Saglietti’s Suite for French Horn and String Quartet.
“Just as translation was crucial for Han Kang to win the Nobel Prize in literature, so is arrangement for classical music,” Ryu said. “You’ll hear a lot of great classical works that have been newly arranged.”
The second day of the festival will focus on three German composers — Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schubert — and their dance-inspired works, including Beethoven’s Sextet, Op. 71; Mendelssohn’s String Octet, Op. 20, MWV R20; and Schubert’s String Quintet, D. 956.
On the third day, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will spotlight Slavic composers including Glinka, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” will be performed in an ensemble arrangement.
On Nov. 2, the concert at Seoul Arts Center will highlight string repertoire, such as Johann Strauss II’s “Voices of Spring Waltz” in a string orchestra arrangement, Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 22, and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 48. The following day will be devoted to Beethoven’s five sonata works for piano and cello, performed by cellist Gary Hoffman and pianist David Selig at Seoul Arts Center.
The festival will conclude Nov. 6 with the Korean premiere of Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu’s “A String Around Autumn” along with Bruch’s Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, Op. 88, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.
Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits will lead the orchestra at Seoul Arts Center. The finale will also mark the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, established in 1965.
For details, visit the Seoul International Music Festival’s official website.
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