Tenor Baek Seokjong, who has been performing at major opera houses worldwide 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 Seoul Arts Center’s production of the opera "Turandot." Park Saeun, ?toile (principal dancer) of the Paris Opera Ballet, will also present "Etoiles of Our Time Gala 2026" in July, featuring works she personally selected and performed together with fellow ?toiles and principal dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet.
On January 20, the Seoul Arts Center announced this year’s schedule for its planned productions, including "Turandot." "Turandot" will be staged at the Opera Theater from July 22 to 26. Recently 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, performing alongside Baek Seokjong. Soprano Hwang Sumi, known for her transparent tone and restrained emotion, will play Liu, while world-renowned bass Sim Inseong will take on the role of Timur. In another cast pairing, soprano Seo Sunyoung will perform as Turandot for the first time, and tenor Kim Youngwoo, 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, one of the most active directors in the theater world today, will direct the Towol Classic Theater Series in October. The Seoul Arts Center previously presented "Othello" in 2023 and "Hamlet" in 2024 as part of this series.
The play "Record of Bones," co-produced by the Seoul 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 work 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.
This year marks the 10th edition of the Seoul Arts Center’s "Children & Family Festival," which 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 hosted by the Seoul Arts Center and the Arts Management Support Center, will open on October 13, showcasing outstanding regionally based performances across various genres.
In addition to "Etoiles of Our Time Gala 2026," ballet performances this year include the summer season production of "Swan Lake," co-hosted with Universal Ballet in August, and "The Nutcracker" with the National Ballet Company in December.
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 finest duos in the world today.
In June, the French Baroque ensemble Le Consort will give its first-ever performance in Korea, followed by a duo concert featuring violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta in October. Pianists Eva Gevorgyan, John O’Conor, and Alexander Gadjiev will each hold solo recitals in May, June, and September, respectively.
Launched in 1989 to commemorate the first anniversary of the opening of the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, the "Seoul 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 International Chopin Piano Competition; Hesek Elias Akli, prizewinner at the ARD Competition (piano); Sunyul, winner of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition; violinist Kim Seohyun, the youngest-ever winner of the Tibor Varga International Competition; and cellist Lee Yubin, winner of the Isang Yun International Competition. They will perform alongside Korean piano maestro Lee Kyung Sook and European classical music’s rising star, violinist Johan Dalene.
The 6th "Seoul Arts Center International Music Festival" will open on August 18. Co-hosted by the Seoul Arts Center and the Korea Association of Performing Arts Management, this year’s opening and closing concerts will feature special programs dedicated to composers Ravel and Shostakovich, respectively. Participants include pianist Kevin Chen, violist Timothy Ridout, male soprano Samuel Mari?o, and cellist Anastasia Kobekina.
Starting this year, the "Seoul Arts Center Saturday Concert" will 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 representative symphonies and concertos each month, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Seoul Arts Center Festival Orchestra.
The Next Series, which highlights the potential of young musicians gaining international attention, will move to the larger Recital Hall this year. Performers include violinist Yoo Dayoon, who placed second in the violin category at 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 Competition (August 28); pianist Lee Gwanuk, who reached the finals of the Chopin International Piano Competition last year (September 3); and oboist Song Hyeonjeong, who was appointed principal oboist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra last year (November 5).
The Seoul Arts Center announced plans to expand its content offerings and strengthen its collaboration in performance video production this year to connect more artists with diverse audiences. The key themes are "advancement" and "diversification," with plans to enhance filming and production systems and broaden the scope of production and acquisition to include performances outside the Seoul Arts Center. Based on high-quality performance videos, the center will expand distribution to culturally underserved regions and educational or 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 cooperation efforts.
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