‘Young Musicians’ Cellist Choi Ha-young & Pianist Son Jeong-beom, Duo Concert

IBK Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center, 29th

Cellist Choi Ha-young and pianist Son Jeong-beom will share the stage and perform together.

The Seoul Arts Center announced on the 9th that Choi Ha-young and Son Jeong-beom's duo concert will be held on the 29th at the IBK Chamber Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

This performance is the sixth special concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of the full opening of the Seoul Arts Center. Two young musicians attracting global classical attention, 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition winner Choi Ha-young and 2017 ARD International Music Competition winner Son Jeong-beom, will share musical communication on stage.

The first part begins with "Italian Suite for Cello and Piano" by Igor Stravinsky, a Russian-born American composer and a master of contemporary music. Following a vigorous start, this piece, notable for the bold tone of the cello, blends with the piano performance to create a clear yet weighty melody. It is a suite of five movements arranged from Stravinsky's neoclassical ballet music "Pulcinella" for cello and piano.

Next, they will perform "Dialogo for Cello and Piano" by Salvatore Sciarrino, known as an eccentric figure in contemporary music. The piece highlights Sciarrino's unique style and improvisational expression. The second movement, played entirely pizzicato, arouses curiosity throughout the performance, followed by the poignant and sorrowful third movement, and concluding with the dazzling techniques showcased in the fourth and fifth movements.

The second part starts with Benjamin Britten's "Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 65." This piece features an exchange of melodies between cello and piano, with an impressive combination of offbeat rhythms. The performers will present a captivating display of bowing techniques and a graceful performance that freely navigates diverse registers.

The final piece is "Grave (Variations for Cello and Piano)" by Polish contemporary composer Witold Lutosławski. It is famously known as a very challenging piece for cellists. Last year, Choi Ha-young performed this piece in the finals of the Queen Elizabeth Competition, with an impressive introduction starting with a cello solo.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the full opening, the Seoul Arts Center has been consecutively presenting duo performances by top-tier artists such as Kyung-wha Chung & Kevin Kenner, and Kim Bom-so-ri & Rafal Blechacz.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.