Conductor Face-Off: Chung Myung-whun vs. Jaap van Zweden — Two Beethoven 9 Performances This Year-End
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, the ‘Choral’ with its famous ‘Ode to Joy’, is a year-end staple in Seoul this season. Audiences can choose between multiple performances: on Dec 19 at Lotte Concert Hall, conductor Chung Myung-whun will lead the One Korea Orchestra (an ensemble of past and present Korean orchestra members and overseas Korean musicians promoting unity through music) with soloists Park So-young (soprano), Kim Jung-mi (mezzo), Hwang Jun-ho (tenor) and Samuel Yoon (baritone), plus the National Chorus and Anyang City Choir. On Dec 18 at Seoul Arts Center, Jaap van Zweden will conduct the Seoul Philharmonic with soloists Seo Sun-young (soprano), Lee Ah-kyung (mezzo), Kim Woo-kyung (tenor) and Shim Ki-hwan (bass), joined by Goyang and Seongnam city choirs; the same lineup also appears at Lotte Concert Hall on Dec 19. Finally, on Dec 27 the KBS Symphony will close the season at Seoul Arts Center with Chung Myung-whun conducting and soloists Choi Ji-eun (soprano), Yang Song-mi (mezzo), Son Ji-hoon (tenor) and Kim Ki-hoon (bass), accompanied by multiple city choirs. (One Korea Orchestra: a Korean orchestra formed to unite musicians at home and abroad)
