The 'DMZ Open International Music Festival,' which conveys a message of world peace through classical music, opened on the 4th at the Aram Music Hall in Goyang Aram Nuri, Gyeonggi Province.
Running until the 11th, this music festival features top-tier domestic and international artists performing classical concerts themed around the DMZ, with Artistic Director Lim Mi-jeong in charge of overall planning.
At the opening concert on the 4th, Roman Fediurlko (piano) and the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Lim Heon-jeong) performed the world premiere of the commissioned piece "Healing Light," composed by Kim Shin, who won first place in the composition category at the 2022 Geneva International Music Competition.
Notably, Roman Fediurlko, a Ukrainian pianist who won first place at the Horowitz Competition held for the first time this year in Switzerland due to the Russia-Ukraine war, marked the beginning of the 'DMZ Open International Music Festival,' symbolizing peace, adding special significance to the event.
The concert on the 5th, titled "Cinema Concert," features the Gwacheon City Symphony Orchestra and violinist Kim Eun-chae, winner of the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, performing film music.
On the 6th, the ammunition depot concert "Music In the Shadow of War" will be held inside Camp Greaves, a civilian control zone. Performers include Roman Fediurlko (piano), Kim Eun-chae (violin), Lim Hee-young (cello), and Lim Mi-jeong (piano). This marks the first visit to the DMZ by a world-renowned Ukrainian pianist since the Russia-Ukraine war.
On the same day, a symposium on music and peace will also be held at Imjingak Peace Nuri.
On the 9th, baritone Kim Tae-han and bass Jung In-ho, winners in the vocal category of the Queen Elizabeth Competition, will perform in a gala concert. On the 10th, pianists Dmytro Choni and Anna Geniushene, laureates of the Van Cliburn Competition, will hold concerts in Korea. Last year, Lim Yoon-chan (piano) became the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn Competition.
The closing concert on the 11th will feature cellist Han Jae-min, winner of the Yoon Isang International Music Competition, performing the finale with Kim Tae-han and the KBS Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Chung Myung-whun).
Jo Won-yong, president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, said, "The ammunition depot inside Camp Greaves holds the pain and history of the division between North and South Korea. We hope this DMZ Open International Music Festival will be an opportunity for the DMZ to come one step closer to everyone."
Meanwhile, the international music festival, the closing event of the 'DMZ Open Festival' that has been ongoing since May, is available for online reservation through Interpark and Goyang Aram Nuri, with on-site ticket sales also available.
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