NY Phil in Seoul after 11 years and Zimerman at the Arts Center after 22 years
After 11 years, the New York Philharmonic returns to Seoul. And after 22 years, pianist Krystian Zimerman finally steps back onto the stage of the Seoul Arts Center. These two long-awaited returns will be joined by Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, making for one of the most anticipated events in Korea’s classical music calendar this year.
From June 26 to 28, audiences will witness performances that span from Beethoven’s transcendence to Berlioz’s hallucinatory vision, as these musical giants gather for a rare collaboration.
Founded in 1842 and shaped by towering figures like Mahler and Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic now enters a new era under incoming music director Gustavo Dudamel, set to take the helm in 2026. In the meantime, the ensemble is led on this tour by Finnish conductor-composer Salonen, renowned for his architectural precision and intellectual clarity.
The orchestra is not only a familiar name among classical music fans, but also a symbol of cultural diplomacy, having made international headlines in 2008 with its historic performance in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Adding to the rarity is the return of Zimerman, widely regarded as one of the greatest living pianists. Known for his perfectionism, Zimerman last performed at the Seoul Arts Center in 2003 in his Korea debut recital and since then has limited his Seoul appearances to Lotte Concert Hall.
His reunion with the New York Philharmonic, nearly 30 years after their last collaboration in 1996, is all the more symbolic given Zimerman's 2009 protest against US military policy, after which he vowed not to perform in the US -- a pledge he has upheld.
The June 27 program opens with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, featuring Zimerman at the keyboard, followed by Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.” The following evening shifts toward the French Impressionists and Romantics, as Salonen leads the orchestra through Ravel’s "Mother Goose" suite, Debussy’s “La Mer” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique.”
Art Center Incheon will host the same Beethoven program on June 26.
Tickets range from 100,000 won ($72.55) to 530,000 won for June 27 and from 90,000 to 480,000 won for June 26 and 28.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
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