The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Pianist Son Yeol-eum to play Liszt with Suwon Phil

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Published : Oct. 19, 2011 - 18:19

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The Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the leading orchestras in Korea, will collaborate with Tchaikovsky competition winning pianist Son Yeol-eum to mark the 200th year of Liszt’s birth.

Led by pianist and conductor Kim Dae-jin, the Suwon Phil will hold its 211th regular concert on Oct. 25 at the Gyeonggi Arts Center’s Grand Theater with a program of Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1, and Piano Concerto No. 2, with Son.

The concert will feature a former student and teacher performing Liszt together, as Son had studied with Kim at the Korean National University of Arts.
Pianist Son Yeol-eum. (The Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra) Pianist Son Yeol-eum. (The Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra)

Son, 25, won second prize in piano at the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in June. She earned international fame when she performed with Lorin Maazel and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004 in Seoul, Daejeon and Tokyo. In 2005, she was named Kumho Musician of the Year by Kumho-Asiana Cultural Foundation.

Son’s recordings include debut album “Chopin Etudes” (2004) with Universal Music and her silver-winning performance at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009.

Kim became the sixth principal conductor of the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, redirecting his musical career as a conductor. Kim won the first prize at the Cleveland Competition in 1985. In 1987, he was invited to perform with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and since then his international career has taken him to major concert halls around the world.

The Suwon Phil will begin the program with “Les preludes,” the third and the most popular work of Liszt’s 13 symphonic poems. The piece traverses extreme highs and lows melodically, reflecting the composer’s perspectives on fate.

Piano Concerto No. 1, consisting of four movements, will be played without any break between movements. 

After the two piano concertos, the orchestra will wrap up the evening with “Prometheus,” No. 5 of Liszt symphonic poems.

The concert will take place on Oct. 25 at the Gyeonggi Arts Center’s Grand Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 20,000 won. For more information, visit www.artsuwon.or.kr or call (031) 228-2813~4.

(yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)