A nationwide “One Day Festival,” hosted by The House Concert, will hold 65 music performances at 65 venues on July 12. More than 290 big-name musicians will perform classical music, Korean traditional music, jazz, performance art and more.

The House Concert is a music appreciation trend that was introduced in Korea when pianist Park Chang-soo, now president of The House Concert, held a recital in his living room on July 12, 2002. Since then Park has organized more than 350 concerts featuring some 1,300 musicians, including pianists Kim Sun-wook and Cho Seong-jin. 

Addressing the problem of “cultural imbalance” in the nation was the motive behind the one-day nationwide festival of music. Knowing that there are numerous concert venues outside Seoul that are left empty most of the year since almost all popular events happen in Seoul, Park organized “Free, Music Festival 2012” last year with the aim to present cultural events to those living outside Seoul while giving aspiring musicians a chance to perform in public.

The most unique feature of this festival is that the audience sits on the floor or on stage just a few meters away from the performer. This setting creates a close bond between performers and the viewers as well as an “intimate” experience of feeling the vibrations from the instruments through the floor and being surrounded by the music.

This year’s event was originally planned to stage 100 concerts in one day, but as only 17 public cultural centers agreed to participate, the number of performances was lowered to 65, mainly at small private spaces such as small theaters, schools, military bases and private homes.

“Private organizations are always willing to participate in this event, but it is very difficult to get support from public cultural administrations. We hope that the local governments will be more enthusiastic in contributing to creating a ‘cultural balance’ in the country through music,” Park told The Korea Herald Tuesday.

The lineup on Friday includes violinist Lee Kyung-sun, baritone Chung Locky, double bassist Sung Min-jae, recorder player Yeom Eun-cho, rock group Hwang Shin-hye Band, Kim Ga-on Jazz Trio and more. Ticket prices for all concerts range from 1,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, visit www.thc-project.com or call (02) 576-7061.

By Suh Hye-rim (sheren6735@heraldcorp.com)