Gyeonggi Philharmonic, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 'Choral' Performed in Summer

200th Anniversary of the Premiere of 'Hapchang'... Performed in May Back Then
Soprano Hwang Sumi and Baritone Yang Junmo Collaborate

The Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Choral" conducted by Artistic Director Kim Sun-wook at the Gyeonggi Arts Center Grand Theater on the 21st.

This is the third concert in the Gyeonggi Phil Masters Series, organized as part of the 20th anniversary festival of the Gyeonggi Arts Center.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. While it is usually performed at the end of the year today, it was originally performed in May at its premiere 200 years ago.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is a work that conveys a message of joy and humanity. It is subtitled "Choral" because the fourth movement features a chorus set to a poem by the German poet Schiller. It is Beethoven's last completed symphony and one of the greatest masterpieces composed over many years. Beethoven completed the "Choral" Symphony in February 1824 at the age of 53, but it is known that he had been conceptualizing the piece since around 1812. Furthermore, Beethoven had considered setting Schiller's "Ode to Joy" to music even before leaving his hometown Bonn for Vienna, which means he had been envisioning Symphony No. 9 for over 30 years.

Soprano Hwang Soo-mi, mezzo-soprano Kim Jeong-mi, tenor Son Ji-hoon, baritone Yang Jun-mo, the Goyang City Choir, and the Seoul Motet Choir will perform together.