[Arts & Culture] Youngest of Korea's classical music festivals 'SSF' returns

"실내악, 어렵지 않아요!" 봄 클래식 축제 3대장 마지막 주자, 서울스프링실내악축제

Friday means it's time for our weekly Arts and Culture segment.
We have our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin in the studio.
Welcome.

Good evening.

What do you have for us today?

Spring is classical music season here in Korea.
The second-oldest out of Korea's three major classical music festivals, the Tongyeong International Music Festival, took place last month.
This week the oldest, the Symphony Festival with Hanwha, is running until Sunday and the youngest, the Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, just kicked off a few days ago.
"SSF," as it's also known, may have the shortest history among the three, but it's driven by a significant purpose.
For this week, here's what you can expect at this year's edition.

The youngest of Korea's big three classical music festivals is back.
The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music has returned for its 19th edition.
The orchestrator is first-generation classical musician and violinist Kang Dong-suk.
Back in 2006, Kang teamed up with the Seoul city government to turn his dream into reality.

"That was one of my dreams that to start something in Korea and this kind of festival exists everywhere in the world you know, and in any major cities they would have this kind of, you know, a very specific festival devoted to chamber music."

But SSF isn't just about performances.
It's about breaking down barriers, especially in chamber music, and making classical tunes accessible to everyone.

"I think it's just that they have some kind of cliche share the channel makes it difficult and not accessible and all that. But I think that's completely wrong. So we have to try to prove that."

Joining Kang this year are 59 musicians, in perfect harmony under the theme "All in the Family."
The lineup includes performances from families of musicians to ensembles who've forged tight bonds through years of collaboration.
Among the performers is Mathieu Dufour, former principal flutist at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

"It's quite intense but it's always such a great opportunity to see old colleagues you know and to meet also new ones.
And I have to say in Korea there are so many fantastic young musicians and so that's why it's exciting."

SSF's impact goes beyond the stage.
Throughout the festival's nearly two-decade run, Korea has seen a rise in chamber music festivals across the country.
"Festivals like SSF are really making classical music more accessible by offering the public a series of top-notch performances. Also, with more festivals popping up and increased funding from both the public and private sectors, they're able to attract better artists and put on more captivating shows in proper venues."

For those who wish to explore the world of classical music, the Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music runs until May 5th.

Yoo-jin, for those who are interested, could you tell us a bit more about the programs that this year's SSF offers?

Absolutely. Today is the fourth day of the festival. The remaining 11 concerts will take place mostly at Seoul Arts Center. We have one titled "Family Tragedy" that starts in an hour. All programs are worth watching, but a lot of people say SSF's highlight is its iconic outdoor concert at late president Yoon Bo-sun's more than 150-year-old hanok, or the Korean traditional style house, in Seoul's Anguk-dong in Jongno-gu district. Yoon served as Korea's second president from 1960 to 1962. That concert starts on Saturday at 5:30 PM.
Tickets for each concert can be bought online.
The 13-day festival will conclude with its final concert, "Finale Tragico" next Sunday at Seoul Arts Center.

A classical music concert at a hanok what a combination.
And Yoo-jin, besides classical music festivals, what are some other ways to promote Korean classical music to both domestic and international audiences?

Experts suggest that the key to making classical music more beloved is having top-notch musicians and performances.
And we're doing pretty well on that front, with Korean musicians raking in awards at international competitions and joining world-class orchestras.
What could be done more is classical music concerts shaking things up a bit from its traditional format with the musicians front and center and the audience in the background...

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2024-04-26, 18:00 (KST)

Видео [Arts & Culture] Youngest of Korea's classical music festivals 'SSF' returns канала Arirang News