Han-gyeol Yoon, who became the first Korean to receive the Karajan Young Conductors Award in 2023, will make his debut on the stage of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's regular concert.
On September 12, Han-gyeol Yoon will take the podium to conduct the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's regular concert at Lotte Concert Hall. He will lead the orchestra in performing his own composition "Longing," Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, and Richard Strauss's symphonic poem "Thus Spoke Zarathustra."
The opening piece, "Longing," is a work composed and conducted by Han-gyeol Yoon, which had its world premiere at his Salzburg Festival debut last year. Han-gyeol Yoon was given the opportunity to debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2023 after winning the Karajan Young Conductors Award, and he personally conducted the world premiere of "Longing," his own composition, at that time. For this concert, he will also conduct the Asian premiere of "Longing" himself. The piece reflects Han-gyeol Yoon's memories from Korea and Europe, his adolescent longing, artistic yearning, as well as suppressed emotions such as sadness and regret. It is regarded as an orchestral work that vividly embodies energetic and passionate orchestration through the use of diverse instrumental sounds.
Conductor Han-Gyeol Yoon [Photo courtesy of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, (c) Gstaad Menuhin Festival]
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 will feature Taiwanese-American pianist Kit Armstrong as the soloist. Kit Armstrong will also be making his debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in this performance.
Kit Armstrong, a student of the legendary pianist Alfred Brendel, is a young pianist who has attracted attention for his talents in various fields, including composition, physics, and mathematics. Mozart's final piano concerto, No. 27, is a work that captures delicate textures and lyrical beauty, focusing more on inner tranquility and restraint than on flamboyance.
The second half of the concert will feature "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," a piece composed by the 32-year-old Strauss after being inspired by German philosopher Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." Strauss himself conducted the world premiere of this work.
This masterpiece unfolds the process of deep reflection and philosophical contemplation on human existence across nine episodes. It is acclaimed for opening new horizons in orchestral music by maximizing the musical effects of orchestral instruments through grand and rich musical ideas and meticulous descriptive power. In particular, the majestic prelude-featuring powerful organ, trumpet fanfares, and timpani-evokes the birth of the universe and has become widely recognized through its use in films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and last year's "Substance," among others.
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