Tenor Baek Seokjong, who has performed at major opera houses around the world such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House in London, will make his debut on the Korean opera stage this July. Baek Seokjong is set to play the role of Prince Calaf in the Arts Center’s planned production of the opera "Turandot." Paris Opera Ballet’s ?toile (principal dancer) Park Saeun will also present "Etoiles of Our Time Gala 2026" in July, performing pieces she personally selected alongside fellow ?toiles and principal dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet.
The Arts Center announced its 2026 schedule of planned performances, including "Turandot," on January 20. "Turandot" will be staged at the Opera Theater from July 22 to 26. The newly appointed Roberto Abbado, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, will conduct, with Jung Sunyoung directing the production.
Soprano Eva Plonka, who has graced stages such as La Scala, the Royal Opera House in London, the Berlin State Opera, and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, will star as Turandot alongside Baek Seokjong. Soprano Hwang Sumi, known for her transparent tone and restrained emotion, will play Liu, while the internationally renowned bass Sim Inseong will perform as Timur. In another cast pairing, soprano Seo Sunyoung will take on the role of Turandot for the first time, and tenor Kim Youngwoo, currently a resident singer at the Cologne Opera House in Germany, will play Calaf. Soprano Shin Eunhye will appear as Liu, and bass Park Youngdoo, a member of the Wiesbaden Theater in Germany, will play Timur.
Shin Yucheong, currently one of the most active directors in the theater world, will direct the Towol Traditional Theater Series in October. The Arts Center previously presented "Othello" in 2023 and "Hamlet" in 2024 as part of this series.
The play "Records of Bones," co-produced by the Arts Center and Harlequin Creations, will open at the Jayu Small Theater on April 4. Based on the novel of the same name by author Cheon Seonran, this new production tells the story of "Robis," a robot undertaker who sends off the deceased and reads the stories of their lives through the records of their bones.
The 10th annual "Children & Family Festival" at the Arts Center will open on July 30. The festival will feature performances such as the fabric object play "Koba the Elephant Who Lost His Nose" and the participatory children’s opera "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf." The "Re:Bound Festival," jointly organized by the Arts Center and the Arts Management Support Center, will open on October 13, showcasing outstanding local performances across various genres.
In addition to "Etoiles of Our Time Gala 2026," the ballet program will include a summer season performance of "Swan Lake" in August, co-hosted with Universal Ballet, and "The Nutcracker" in December, in collaboration with the National Ballet Company.
This year’s World Star Series will begin on February 4 with the "Isabelle Faust & Alexander Melnikov Duo Concert." This marks the duo’s first performance in Korea in 14 years, since 2012, and they are regarded as one of the top duos in the world today.
In June, the French Baroque ensemble "Le Consort" will perform in Korea for the first time, and in October, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta will hold a duo concert. Pianists Eva Gevorgyan, John O’Conor, and Alexander Gadjiev will each give solo recitals in May, June, and September, respectively.
Launched in 1989 to commemorate the first anniversary of the opening of the Arts Center’s Concert Hall, the "Arts Center Symphony Festival" will present its 38th edition on April 1. This year, 19 leading Korean symphony orchestras will participate, and the world-renowned Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra from Switzerland has been invited to expand international exchange. The festival will feature international competition winners such as Rafał Blechacz, winner of the Chopin International Piano Competition; ARD Competition laureate Hisek Elias Akli (piano); Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition winner Sunyul; violinist Kim Seohyun, the youngest-ever winner of the Tibor Varga International Competition; and cellist Lee Yubin, winner of the Isang Yun International Music Competition. Korean piano legend Lee Kyungsook and Europe’s classical music rising star, violinist Johan Dalene, will also perform as collaborators.
The 6th "Arts Center International Music Festival" will open on August 18. Co-hosted by the Arts Center and the Korea Performing Arts Management Association, this year’s opening and closing concerts will feature special programs dedicated to composers Ravel and Shostakovich, respectively. Pianist Kevin Chen, violist Timothy Ridout, male soprano Samuel Mari?o, and cellist Anastasia Kobekina are among the featured artists.
The "Arts Center Saturday Concert" will now be held at 5 p.m. on Saturdays. In anticipation of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, the series will present "2026 Preview Beethoven," featuring his major symphonies and concertos each month, performed by the National Symphony, Gyeonggi Philharmonic, and the Arts Center Festival Orchestra.
The "The Next Series," which highlights the potential of young musicians gaining attention on the world stage, will move to the larger Recital Hall this year. The lineup includes violinist Yoo Dayoon, who placed second in the 2023 Long-Thibaud International Competition (May 7); violinist Kim Hyunseo, the youngest-ever second prize winner at the 2024 Viotti International Competition (July 2); pianist Jung Kyubin, winner of the Isang Yun International Music Competition (August 28); pianist Lee Kwanwook, who reached the finals of last year’s Chopin International Piano Competition (September 3); and oboist Song Hyunjung, appointed as principal of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra last year (November 5).
The Arts Center announced plans to expand its content offerings and strengthen collaborations in performance video production to connect more artists with a wider audience this year. The key themes are "advancement" and "diversification," with the aim of enhancing filming and production systems and broadening the scope of production and acquisition to include performances outside the Arts Center. Based on high-quality performance videos, the Center will expand distribution to culturally underserved areas and educational and correctional facilities. Additionally, the 2026 Symphony Festival will be screened at the Busan Cinema Center and linked with Arirang International Broadcasting, as part of ongoing domestic and international collaborations.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
