Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Regular Concert on 9-10th... Conducted by Tsveden, Featuring Soloist Son Yeol-eum

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 & Brahms Symphony No. 2
American Composer Nina Sheiker's 'Lumina' Asia Premiere

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announced on the 1st that it will hold a regular concert on the 9th and 10th, conducted by Music Director Yap Pan Tsubeden and featuring pianist Son Yeol-eum as a soloist.

The first piece of the day will be the Asian premiere of "Lumina" by Indian-American composer Nina Sheker (29), followed by Son Yeol-eum performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24. In the second half, Brahms' Symphony No. 2 will be performed. The concert will take place at Lotte Concert Hall on the 9th and at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 10th.

Nina Sheker is a young composer who has recently gained attention. Major American orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles (LA) Philharmonic, all conducted by Yap Pan Tsubeden, have consecutively performed Nina Sheker's works.

"Lumina" was composed by Nina Sheker in 2020 for the USC Thornton Symphony. The piece features unique sounds inspired by the Indian traditional music Raga and a variety of percussion instruments. To express the spectrum of light and darkness and the ambiguous stages in between, it uses dense harmonies and microtones created by multiple instruments playing a single note, evoking a misty and vague atmosphere.

Pianist Yeol Eum Son [Photo provided by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, (c) Marco Borggreve]

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24, which Son Yeol-eum will perform, is one of the two minor key concertos left by Mozart and is considered the most developed masterpiece among his concertos. It is a large-scale concerto similar to a symphony, especially highlighting rich woodwind instruments. Since Mozart did not leave a cadenza for this piece, there are several versions of cadenzas, and the score contains few instructions, making the performer's interpretation particularly noteworthy.

Son Yeol-eum said, "Among Mozart's piano concertos (Nos. 20 to 27), this is the most mysterious piece, and that's why I like it the most." She added, "Every time I perform this piece, I play a different cadenza. This time, I think I will probably perform the cadenza I composed myself."

In the second half, Brahms' Symphony No. 2, one of his four symphonies known for its bright and lovely character, will be performed. Brahms completed this piece in just four months while vacationing in 'Fuerstach' in southern Austria, drawing musical inspiration from nature. The gentle environment and atmosphere at the time of composition are reflected throughout the piece, which flows with a bright and warm mood, earning it the nickname "Pastoral Symphony" of Brahms.

Following the retrospective and pastoral mood of the first movement, the second movement is the slowest among Brahms' four symphonies and reveals the composer's characteristic melancholy. The third movement is lively yet relaxed and leisurely, and the fourth movement continues the vibrant atmosphere, leading the finale with bright and dazzling joy and delight.