DMZ OPEN International Music Festival Concludes on the 16th... 3,800 Attendees

The ‘DMZ OPEN International Music Festival’ concluded on the 16th, attracting over 3,800 spectators.

Starting on the 9th with performances by the KBS Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Leos Svarovsky) and pianist Baek Geon-woo, featuring Arirang Fantasy (arranged by Choi Seong-hwan), Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, and Dvo??k’s Symphony No. 8, the DMZ OPEN International Music Festival has been hosting a series of invitation concerts since October. These concerts featured winners of international competitions affiliated with the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC), sharing the federation’s anti-war message.

Performance scene of the DMZ OPEN International Music Festival. Provided by Gyeonggi Tourism Organization

Performers included Arete Quartet, winner of the Lyon Chamber Music Competition in France; Risus Quartet, winner of the Melbourne Competition in Australia; Guo Yongyong (piano), winner of the Gurwitz Competition in the USA; Jung Kyu-bin (piano), winner of the Isang Yun Competition; Bae Jin-woo (piano), prizewinner of the Maria Canals Competition; Dmitri Shoni (piano) and Anna Genushina (piano), prizewinners of the Van Cliburn Competition in the USA; and Choi Young-sun (piano).

Im Mi-jeong, the general director of the DMZ OPEN Festival, said, "This DMZ OPEN International Music Festival will be the beginning of overcoming war and creating a rich life as our destiny," adding, "I hope we celebrate our destiny, which began long ago, through music that has the power to bind the human spirit."

The DMZ OPEN International Music Festival was the final event of the ‘DMZ OPEN Festival,’ which had been ongoing since May, and the festival concluded alongside the music festival’s closing.

Jo Won-yong, president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, stated, "The DMZ OPEN Festival for ‘Greater Peace’ is a festival that anyone can enjoy according to their tastes," and added, "We will strive to make the DMZ a joyful and bright tourist destination in the future."