Jung Myung-hoon & KBS Symphony Orchestra 'Verdi Requiem · Rossini Stabat Mater' Chorus

'Masters Series' Two Large-Scale Choir Performances

World-renowned conductor Myung-Whun Chung has been selected as the main figure for this year's KBS Symphony Orchestra's special concert series, "Masters Series," and will present two choral performances, the KBS Symphony Orchestra announced on the 15th.

The Masters Series is a special concert organized by the KBS Symphony Orchestra to provide an in-depth look into the musical world of a particular conductor or performer. Last year, conductor Marek Janowski and pianist Nikolai Lugansky were selected, presenting three performances.

This year, conductor Myung-Whun Chung has chosen large-scale works that have rarely been performed in Korea and will present two choral performances at the Lotte Concert Hall. Leading Korean soloists such as sopranos Sun-Young Seo and Su-Mi Hwang, and bass-baritone Samuel Yoon will join the performances.

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung [Photo courtesy of KBS Symphony Orchestra, (c) Matthias Creutziger]

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung and the KBS Symphony Orchestra will first perform Verdi's Requiem, whose second movement "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) is very famous, on March 7 at the Lotte Concert Hall.

Verdi composed the Requiem in 1873 to commemorate two pioneers of 19th-century Italian opera, Gioachino Rossini and the great Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, who passed away in 1868 and 1873, respectively.

The piece breaks away from the traditional form of religious music, giving the impression of listening to a dramatic opera. The powerful resonance of the large orchestra and chorus is spectacular, and it conveys a message beyond a mass for the dead, reflecting on "human destiny." The performance lasts about 90 minutes, making full performances rare. However, the second movement "Dies Irae" is well-known enough that anyone can recognize it. Soloists include Sun-Young Seo (soprano), Shin-Jae Bang (mezzo-soprano), Woo-Kyung Kim (tenor), and Ki-Hwan Shim (bass).

On July 12, the second choral performance will feature "Stabat Mater," composed by Rossini, the father of bel canto opera. "Stabat Mater" literally means "the mother was standing" in Latin. It expresses the sorrowful feelings of the Virgin Mary, who, after kneeling in grief beneath the cross, finally rises and mourns while holding the feet of Jesus Christ on the cross. Soloists include Su-Mi Hwang (soprano), Jung-Mi Kim (mezzo-soprano), Seung-Jik Kim (tenor), and Samuel Yoon (bass-baritone). The performance lasts about 60 minutes. Before Stabat Mater, Schubert's Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" will be performed.

The KBS Symphony Orchestra will sell package tickets for the two Masters Series concerts at a 30% discount starting at 11 a.m. on the 17th through Interpark and the Lotte Concert Hall. Individual concert tickets will be available from 11 a.m. on the 18th.