The Vietnamese born "piano poet" Dang Thai Son (Ðặng Thái Son, 鄧泰山) is about to give a concert in Korea. This October 23, he will meet his Korean fans at the Seoul Arts Center as part of the KBS Symphony Orchestra's 687th Subscription Concert, "Virtuoso Series Ⅴ."

The performance will be conducted by Yoel Levi and will start with the first movement of Mozart's symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338, in allegro vivace. Since this symphony was the last Mozart wrote before leaving Salzburg, it's also called the "Festive Symphony" or the "Trumpet Symphony" due to the vivacious pace of the piece.

Befitting the title of, "Mozart's successor," or as a, "19th century Mozart," Felix Mendelssohn wrote many musical pieces at a young age. His piano concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, will be performed with Dan Thai Son, who has received praise from Isaac Stern as having the presence of a, " genuine musician.”

During his childhood, Dang Thai Son played the piano every day, even while living in a rural village, because his mother, a piano professor at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, didn't give up on bringing her piano with her, even when they had to evacuate the city due to the Vietnam War. After the war, he was able to go to the USSR where he studied at the Moscow Conservatory and, in turn, was the gold medalist at the Tenth International Chopin Piano Competition in 1980, a first for an Asian.

With critics saying that he can play Chopin pieces just as Chopin himself would have played them, there is much anticipation for his upcoming performance where he will interpret the technically exquisite Mendelssohn piano concerto.

More details about the concert can be found at the KBS Symphony Orchestra's website (http://www.kbssymphony.org/ver2/eng/index.php).

By Wi Tack-whan, Paik Hyun
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: KBS Symphony Orchestra
whan23@korea.kr