KBS Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Highlight Pioneers of Contemporary Music

KBS Symphony Orchestra Regular Concert on 29th
Performing 'Scriabin' and 'Stravinsky'
National Symphony on 28th at Sejong Center
Performing 'Sound Innovator' Schoenberg

The KBS Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra are consecutively presenting stages that highlight pioneers of contemporary music.

The KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform works by Alexander Scriabin (1872?1915) and Igor Stravinsky (1882?1971) at its 808th regular concert held on the 29th at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. The National Symphony will perform Arnold Schoenberg's (1874?1951) "Verkl?rte Nacht" at its second chamber music concert of the year on the 28th at the Chamber Hall of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

At the KBS Symphony Orchestra's regular concert themed "The Firebird," the first piece will be Stravinsky's "The Firebird" Suite. Composed in 1910, this work is ballet music based on Russian traditional folklore, characterized by delicate melodies and diverse rhythms.

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet [Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra]

The second piece will be Scriabin's "Prometheus: The Poem of Fire." This concerto-like work features orchestra and piano together, through which Scriabin attempted a fusion of music and light. The performance incorporated a color organ piano that projected corresponding colors onto a screen each time a key was pressed.

French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be the soloist. Jean-Yves Thibaudet is an exclusive artist of the classical label Decca, has been nominated twice for the Grammy Awards through over 70 extensive recordings, and has received two Echo Awards, the Diapason d'Or, and Poland’s Edison Award.

In the second half, Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" will be performed. Also ballet music, "The Rite of Spring" caused a major uproar at its premiere in 1913, with police intervening due to the commotion. At the time, its radical and complex music and choreography drew tremendous boos from the audience, but today it is regarded as a work that had a significant influence on Western music history.

The conductor will be Pietari Inkinen, Music Director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra.

The "Verkl?rte Nacht" performed by the National Symphony is a string sextet composed by Schoenberg in 1899, inspired by the poem of the same name by German poet Richard Dehmel. KBS announcer Sanghyeop Lee will recite Dehmel’s poem translated into Korean, enriching the poetic sensibility and musical depth.

Pianist Kim Dohyun [Photo by National Symphony Orchestra]

This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Schoenberg’s birth, recognized as an innovator of 20th-century sound.

Following "Verkl?rte Nacht," the National Symphony will perform Mozart’s "Quintet for Piano and Winds." This work is notable for its bold composition, performed with a unique combination of wind instruments (oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn) and piano.

Mozart composed this piece for Prince Aloys Liechtenstein, a royal patron. Pianist Dohyun Kim, who won second place at the 2021 Busoni Competition, will be the soloist.