KBS Symphony Orchestra, Schwantner's 'Morning for the World' Premieres in Korea

Work Featuring Speech by Reverend Martin Luther King
Conducted by Yoel Levi... Part 2 Performance: Holst's 'The Planets'

The KBS Symphony Orchestra will premiere the American composer Schwantner's "A New Morning for the World: The Freedom Dawn" in Korea on the 29th at 5 p.m. at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.

"A New Morning for the World: The Freedom Dawn" is a unique work that incorporates a narration of an inspiring excerpt from Reverend Martin Luther King's speech beginning with "I have a dream." This speech was delivered by Reverend King at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington.

Yoel Levi [Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra]

The conductor will be Yoel Levi, former music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra. Yoel Levi served as the 8th music director and principal conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra for six years from 2014 to 2019.

Bass-baritone Samuel Yoon will serve as the narrator, conveying a profound message of hope and freedom. Samuel Yoon will perform with the KBS Symphony Orchestra for the first time in six years since collaborating on Britten's War Requiem in 2018 when Yoel Levi was music director. The Seoul Motet Choir and Hanam City Choir will also join the stage.

In the second half of the concert, Holst's orchestral suite "The Planets" will be performed. It is the most famous and frequently performed work among Holst's compositions. "The Planets" consists of seven movements, each representing the astrological characteristics associated with the planets of the solar system. Notably, Holst, who had a strong interest in astrology, arranged the seven-movement suite not in the astronomical order of the planets but in the astrological order. Accordingly, the movements will be performed in the sequence of Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Tickets for the KBS Symphony Orchestra's 803rd regular concert are available through Interpark and the Seoul Arts Center.