April 22-26... Performance of 3 'Special Connection' Brahms Pieces
[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra, a German orchestra boasting a history of over 200 years, will hold its first-ever concert tour in Korea this April. To commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany, the Bremen Philharmonic will perform four times in Korea from April 22 to 26. The tour begins on April 22 in Busan (Busan Cultural Center), followed by April 23 in Sejong (Seoul Arts Center), April 24 in Daegu (Daegu Concert House), and April 25 in Seoul (Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall).
The Bremen Philharmonic, representing the city of Bremen in Germany, was founded in 1820. The year 1820 marked a period of explosive growth in Bremen’s transportation industry during the Industrial Revolution. The Bremen Philharmonic traces its origins to the 'Bremen Concert Orchestra' founded by Wilhelm Friedrich Rim, the organist of Bremen Cathedral, and the 'Philharmonic Orchestra' established by Bremen’s 'Private Concert Society' in 1825. It was elevated to the Bremen State Orchestra in 1933 and has used its current name since 2002.
At its first Korean concert, the Bremen Philharmonic will perform three pieces by Johannes Brahms. The orchestra has a special connection with Brahms. It premiered Brahms’s great masterpiece, the 'German Requiem,' under Brahms’s own baton in 1868. Due to this historic bond, the Bremen Philharmonic maintains a special affinity for Brahms and frequently performs his works.
In the first half of the concert, the orchestra will perform the 'Academic Festival Overture' and the 'Double Concerto for Violin and Cello,' followed by Brahms’s 'Symphony No. 4' in the second half.
The Academic Festival Overture is a short piece lasting about 10 minutes but showcases Brahms’s humor and brilliance. The Double Concerto was composed by Brahms for his longtime close friend Joseph Joachim and cellist Robert Hausmann. It is also known as the 'Concerto of Reconciliation,' as Brahms composed it as a gift to mend the strained relationship caused by Joachim’s divorce.
Technically demanding and requiring exceptional skill, the Double Concerto will be performed by violinist Lim Ji-young and cellist Moon Tae-guk. Lim Ji-young, at age 20 in 2015, became the first Korean to win first place in the violin category of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world’s top three competitions, with a unanimous decision by the judges. In 2021, she was the only classical musician named among Forbes’s 'Asia’s 30 Under 30' and is currently enrolled in the highest artist diploma program at the Cologne University of Music.
Moon Tae-guk began his career by winning the youngest grand prize at the 15th Seongjeong National Music Competition. He has won numerous domestic and international competitions, including first place at the 3rd Andr? Navarra International Cello Competition in 2011, the Pablo Casals International Cello Competition in 2014, and fourth place at the 2019 Tchaikovsky International Competition. Until 2019, he was active with the chamber music group Ensemble Ditto and is currently pursuing the highest artist diploma at the Juilliard School. He has received the 1st J?nos Starker Award and the 51st Nanpa Music Award.
Marco Letonja, the music director and principal conductor of the Bremen Philharmonic, will lead the Korean tour. Letonja has been the principal conductor and music director of the Bremen Philharmonic since the 2018?2019 season, succeeding Markus Poschner, the current principal conductor of the Bruckner Linz Orchestra. From 1996 to 2002, Letonja served as principal conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra in his home country. He was principal conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland from 2003 to 2006, principal conductor of the Tasmania Symphony Orchestra in Australia from 2012 to 2020, and music director of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra in France from 2012 to 2021. Letonja first connected with Korea during the Strasbourg Philharmonic’s inaugural Korean tour in 2017 and received high praise conducting the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at last year’s 'Symphony Festival.'
Tickets for the Bremen Philharmonic’s Korea concerts are available through Interpark Ticket and each venue.
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