Exhibitions and performances for this weekend; Seoul Int'l Music Festival 2020 celebrates 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth
  • 3 years ago
주말동안 즐길 공연 및 전시는... 베토벤 탄생 250주년 기념하는 서울국제음악제

Today is Friday and that means it's time for our regular Life with Culture segment. Our culture correspondent Kim Bo-kyoung is here in the studio to let us know what exhibitions and performances there are to enjoy this weekend. So Bo-kyoung, what do you have for us today?
Hi, Conn-young,... the year 2020 is a big year for classical music lovers... as it is the 250th anniversary of German maestro Ludwig van Beethoven's birth. To celebrate, Seoul International Music Festival has placed a special emphasis on the maestro's music for this year's festival. Let's take a peek at one of their shows.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Quintet.
A quintet of one piano and four wind instruments the oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn isn't a piece of music that can be easily seen.
The piece delivers hope through the warm sound of the wind instruments and the joyful tunes from the piano.
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth,... this year's Seoul International Music Festival includes a variety of music by the composer, from his violin sonatas to symphonies and concertos.
"2020 is a significant year in music history so we prepared many big concerts focused on Beethoven's music. Though it's slightly downsized due to COVID-19, we want visitors to find hope while enjoying the music."
Kim Han, a clarinetist who won the second prize and the audience award at the ARD international music competition in Germany, says he is glad the audience can listen to the music live.
"I am working in Finland and though the situation there is relatively better than in other European countries, there's still not much of a chance to perform in front of a real audience. I am very thankful I can meet the audience face-to-face in Korea." He added how it is an honor to do the show commemorating the so-called 'immortal composer' Beethoven's music, which is full of important parts for the clarinet like the Symphony No.6 "Pastorale".
The festival goes on until November 1st,... and the closing performance will present a concert ensemble, playing music from other great composers such as Mozart and Bach at Seoul Arts Center.
It's such a fantastic way to enjoy some classical music. For those who are looking for more events,... are there any other shows or exhibitions that our viewers might be interested in?
Sure,... I can guarantee that piano-lovers would be very excited to hear that pianist Dong hyek Lim is doing an extra show on Monday, November 2nd after his first show sold out.
He usually plays Chopin and Schubert's pieces but this time he'll play Beethoven's sonatas to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the maestro's birth.
Globally recognized pianist Sung-jin Cho is also performing at Seoul Arts Center. It's a rare chance to listen to the first Korean winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, so don't miss it.
My Art Museum in Gangnam-gu District will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Henri Matisse's birth with an
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