Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill debuts as conductor performing water symphony ‘Liquid Interface’ by Mason Bates


June’s Ditto Festival, led by all-male chamber ensemble Ditto, will attempt to break barriers between classical and contemporary music.

The slogan of the 2012 Ditto Festival will be “Nuovo Ditto,” to reflect the ensemble’s aim to creating new musical performances that go beyond the classical genre.

The festival’s artistic director and renowned violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill will make his debut as a conductor, expanding and testing his musical range.

O’Neill will present “Liquid Interface” ― a symphony about water and global warming issues composed by renowned contemporary composer Mason Bates ― for the first time in Korea in Yeosu on June 30 and at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts on July 1.

At the performance titled “Ditto Odyssey,” O’Neill and his Ditto Orchestra ― consisting of the Ditto Ensemble, Tongyeong International Music Festival Ensemble, and Daniel Chong from the Parker Quartet ― will offer their take on scientific fantasy by playing “Liquid Symphony” by Bates and “The Planets,” an orchestral suite by Gustav Holst. The concert will also feature visual performances, a 17-member choir and Bates as a DJ.

Ditto Ensemble, which boasts talented young classical artists including violinist Stefan Pi Jackiw, violist O’Neill, pianist Jiyong and cellist Michael Nicolas, has been trying to reach out to younger listeners by holding the annual Ditto Festival inaugurated in 2007. The four members were surprised by the music scene here, where classical artists can become celebrity figures by appealing directly to younger audiences.

In addition to the “Ditto Odyssey,” other concerts with different musical themes will be staged at various venues from June 19 to July 8.

The Ditto Ensemble will play contemporary pieces at “Different Ditto” at LG Arts Center on June 23. The ensemble members will collaborate with violinist Daniel Chong, oboist Ham Kyeong and clarinetist Kim Han to perform Chinese-American composer Huang Ruo’s “Book of the Forgotten” and Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time.”

On June 30, star pianist Lim Dong-hyek and violinist Cho Jin-joo will collaborate with Ditto Orchestra led by conductor Chung Min, son of Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. At the classical music concert titled “Russian Fever,” Lim will collaborate with the orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor while Cho plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major.

Another highlight of the festival is Ensemble Ditto’s sixth recital titled “White Night” to be staged at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on July 8. The ensemble will play Russian chamber music with compositions by Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Shostakovich.

Two performances in the festival, “Ditto Odyssey” and “White Night” will also be staged as a part of cultural events planned for the 2012 Yeosu Expo, CREDIA, Ditto’s agency said. For more information, visit www.dittofest.com.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)