Composer Kim Eun-sung's 'Kaleidoscope for Orchestra' World Premiere in the USA

National Symphony Selects Outstanding Works for 'Composer Atelier'

The National Symphony Orchestra has discovered composer Kim Eun-seong, who is making his debut in the American classical music scene.

Kim Eun-seong's "Kaleidoscope for Orchestra" will have its world premiere on the 14th (local time) at the Neidorf Carpati Hall of the Manhattan School of Music in the United States, performed by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), the National Symphony Orchestra announced on the 3rd.

"Kaleidoscope for Orchestra" was selected as an outstanding work in last year's "Composer Atelier" hosted by the National Symphony Orchestra. The piece features a musical composition reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, capturing musical illusions from multiple angles and showcasing a diverse orchestral sound.

Composer Kim Eun-sung [Photo by National Symphony Orchestra]

Last year, the National Symphony Orchestra signed a memorandum of understanding with ACO to discover young composers from both countries and expand international cultural exchange. According to the agreement, the National Symphony Orchestra and ACO will invite composers from each country alternately every year to continue the lineage of contemporary Korean and American music. This year, the first year of the agreement's implementation, composer Kim Eun-seong will participate in "EarShot Readings," one of ACO's young composer discovery programs. Composers nurtured by ACO this year will be invited to next year's "Composer Atelier."

Kim Eun-seong is expected to stand alongside works by locally acclaimed composers. New works by Samuel Torres, a Latin Grammy-winning composer, and Sofia Scheps, who was invited as the resident composer for the 2023 Music at the Anthology Festival, will also be featured.

Founded in 1977, ACO boasts a 47-year history. It has premiered as many as 350 new works, continuing the tradition of American contemporary music.

Since 2021, the National Symphony Orchestra has directly nurtured emerging composers through the "Composer Atelier," supporting the premiere of new works and the artistic growth of composers. The National Symphony has also devoted efforts to discovering emerging composers since 2014 by appointing resident composers. Through the resident composer system, it has commissioned and premiered 13 works over the past decade, continuously highlighting contemporary compositions.

Kim Taek-su, mentor of the Composer Atelier, said, "Now is the perfect time to actively promote Korean contemporary music as the world is paying attention to Korean culture," adding, "I have dreamed of the day when Korean contemporary music will become a major repertoire of orchestras worldwide, and the collaboration between the National Symphony and ACO is the starting point."

Rokki Karuna, head of ACO's education program, stated, "ACO has been striving to expand the ecosystem of orchestral music beyond the Americas to the world," and expressed, "We have great expectations for the exchange and cooperation with the National Symphony."