Goyang Cultural Foundation, Year-End Grand Symphony... Beethoven Symphony No. 9 'Choral' Performance

Yap Pan Tsubeden & Seoul Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Collaboration with Soprano Hwang Sumi, Mezzo-Soprano Lee Akyung, Tenor Kim Seongho, and Bass Park Jongmin at Goyang Aram Nuri Aram Music Hall on the 21st

Goyang Cultural Foundation (Chairman Lee Dong-hwan) will present the ‘Year-End Grand Symphony’ program, which received great love last year, again on the 21st at the Aram Music Hall in Goyang Aram Nuri. In this performance, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, regarded as one of the best orchestras in Korea, will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Choral".

‘Year-end Grand Symphony’ program poster. Provided by Goyang City

This stage will be conducted under the baton of the world-renowned conductor Jaap van Zweden. Jaap van Zweden, who was appointed as the music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in January this year, has been receiving attention, and his precise conducting and delicate musical interpretation are expected to shine in this performance as well.

In addition, top-class soloists from both domestic and international stages will join this performance. Soprano Hwang Su-mi, mezzo-soprano Lee Ah-kyung, tenor Kim Sung-ho, and bass Park Jong-min will collaborate, and the National Chorus and Seongnam City Choir will present a rich and grand harmony on one stage.

Especially this year, violinist Wayne Lin, cellist Joo Yeon-sun, oboist Lee Mi-sung, and bassoonist Kwak Jeong-seon from the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will participate as soloists, promising a more diverse and refined stage than last year.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is his final symphony and is called the "Hymn to Humanity and Peace." It is regarded as a masterpiece that possesses both originality and depth in music history. The chorus in the fourth movement, based on Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy," is loved worldwide and is also a musical heritage designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

This piece overwhelms the audience with its large-scale orchestration and grand performance lasting over an hour, and it has been consistently loved by classical music enthusiasts for its magnificent performance and moving chorus. Especially as a work that reveals the unique charm of the piece depending on the conductor's interpretation, expectations are high for what kind of interpretation Jaap van Zweden and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will present this year following last year.

Tickets are on sale at various prices ranging from 40,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW, and detailed performance information can be found on the official website of the Goyang Cultural Foundation and Interpark Ticket.