The international music festival at Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province) commemorates world-renowned Korean musician Yun Isang (1917-1995) and opens its annual fall event on Friday (Oct. 26).

The Tongyeong International Music Festival kicks off Friday evening (Oct. 26) and runs until Nov. 4. The opening ceremony will begin with Yun's 1986 piece "Rencontre," performed by the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra from Shandong Province, China. The same orchestra will play other classics, including works by Beethoven and Gliere.

The Qingdao Orchestra's trip to Korea is a reciprocate visit for Ensemble TIMF's performance in Qingdao during the Tongyeong International Music Festival in September last year. Ensemble TIMF is an official orchestra for the Tongyeong Festival engaged in promotional activities.

On Oct. 27, there will be a baritone performance by Yang Jun-mo and Japanese female pianist Mizuko Uchida. Both will perform the works of H. Wolf, J. Brahms, G.H. Handel, W.A. Mozar, G.Rossini, P. I. Tchaikovsky and G. Verdi. 

On Oct. 30, Han Kaya, currently a professor at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany, and her Japanese husband Isao Nakamur will perform "Duo Konflikt" with piano and percussion, respectively. They will perform various modern works by T. Hosokawa, who studied under Yun, and other composers.

Tonus Trio -- Yang Ko-woon on violin, Lee Kang-ho on cello and Joo Hee-sung on piano -- will take a break from touring America to perform works by Yun, Beethoven and Dvořák at the festival on Nov. 2.

During the closing concert on Nov. 4, English Chamber Orchestra will present more of Mozart and Beethoven for music lovers. The opening concert with Qingdao Orchestra had an 80 percent reservation rate and the closing concert with English Chamber Orchestra, 95 percent. Overall some 70 percent of the tickets have been sold so far, according to the organizers.

One of the biggest attractions of the festival is the Gyeongnam International Music Competition for 2007. Recognized officially by UNESCO last year as an International Music Competition, it is beginning to make its mark overseas. Twenty-two participants in their teens and twenties will show up from nine nations including Korea, Russia, Japan, France and Greece.

The participants have all already been through a tough screening process at other world class competitions, such as the Geneva, Tchaikovsky, Long-Thibaud Concur and Paganini.

Gerard Poulet, currently a professor at Tokyo University, and other famous musicians will serve as judges. The competition will last from Oct. 28 - Nov. 4.

For more information please visit the Tongyeong International Music Festival's English website.