On January 25 and 26 at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
An opportunity for a unique experience-reading poetry collections and enjoying music not from the audience seats, but on the stage of the Grand Theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts-will be offered.
On January 15, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced that it will present the first program of its 2026 “Sejong Inspiration” series, titled “Reading & Listening Stage,” on January 25 and 26, right on the stage of the Grand Theater. “Sejong Inspiration” is a program designed to break down the boundaries between stage and art, offering a new paradigm for theater experiences so that audiences can feel closer to the venue. The initiative aims to expand the theater beyond a simple viewing space, transforming it into a platform for new artistic experiences.
This “Reading & Listening Stage” will allow audiences to appreciate carefully selected books and music in the special setting of the Grand Theater stage. Instead of sitting in the usual audience seats, participants will be seated on special chairs arranged on stage, looking out over the empty 3,000-seat auditorium, providing a deeply immersive and contemplative experience.
2025 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts 'Listening Stage' Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
The music program will feature pieces related to 27 performances scheduled for the 2026 Sejong Season. Through works by masters such as Cage, Beethoven, Schubert, and Piazzolla, participants can preview the highlights of the upcoming season.
Twenty-seven carefully selected poetry collections will also be displayed on stage, each linked to a performance from the 2026 Sejong Season. Audiences can read their favorite poetry while listening to music, experiencing the intersection of literary contemplation and musical imagination. For example, Park Yeonjun’s “Go and See If Love Has Died” is paired with the Seoul Ballet Theater’s “Bliss & Jakie”; Shin Iin’s “I Might Become an Alien” with the Seoul Musical Theater’s “The Tribe”; Ko Myeongjae’s “We Close Our Eyes When We Kiss” with the Seoul Opera Company’s “La Boh?me”; Lim Yooyoung’s “Omelet” with the Seoul Ballet Theater’s “Death and the Maiden”; and Han Yeo-jin’s “When You Grill Tofu, Winter Comes” with the Seoul Ballet Theater’s “In the Bamboo Forest.”
To deepen audience understanding, a discussion session called “Art Dialogue” will be held, where poets and artists share their artistic inspiration. Participating poets include Park Yeonjun, Shin Iin, Ko Myeongjae, Lim Yooyoung, and Han Yeo-jin, while the participating performing artists are Seoul Ballet Theater season dancers Nam Yunseung, Choi Mokrin, and Lee Jiyoung. The session will be moderated by translator and dramaturg Lee Danbi, facilitating conversations among poets, performing artists, and the audience. The “Art Dialogue” will last about 30 minutes.
2025 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts 'Listening Stage' [Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced that tickets for the “Reading & Listening Stage” sold out within one hour of going on sale on January 6, and that a small additional batch will be released at 2 p.m. on January 19. The “Reading & Listening Stage” will be held twice on January 25 and three times on January 26.
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts also revealed plans to fill the stage space with forest-inspired scents in collaboration with the lifestyle etiquette brand hinok. In addition, all participants will receive a special gift provided by hinok.
An Hosang, President of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, stated, “Sejong Inspiration is a process that demonstrates the theater is not just a place to watch performances, but a ‘cultural arts platform’ where one can experience artistic diversity and expand their senses. Through this ‘Reading & Listening Stage,’ I hope audiences will step outside their daily routines and experience a new resonance of the senses.”
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