China’s 109-year-old Harbin Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 21, marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Beijing. (JK & Company)

By Xu Aiying and Sohn JiAe

As autumn gets into full swing, a series of globally-famous orchestras from China, the Netherlands and Germany are coming to Seoul to enrich the season with their classical music.

As the starter, China’s Harbin Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 21. Lauded as one of the country’s three major symphony orchestras, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra will present its repertoire to classical music fans here under the baton of prominent conductor Xuefeng Yu.

The repertoire includes Beethoven’s “The Creatures of Prometheus Overture in C major, Op. 43” and “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37.” They will also perform Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture,” the “Swan Lake Suit, Op. 20,” and, lastly, “1812 Overture, Op. 49.”

The ensemble will have a special collaboration with pianist Yang Sung-won in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Beijing.

On Nov. 15 and 16, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, led by Italy’s Daniele Gatti, will be on the stage at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul.

The orchestra will play Haydn’s “Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major,” Mahler’s “Symphony No. 4 in G major,” Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1, in C minor, Op. 68.”



The Berlin Philharmonic will showcase masterpieces by some of the world’s greatest composers under the baton of Simon Rattle on Nov. 19 and 20 at the Seoul Arts Center, too.

This is its sixth Korean concert series since 1984 when it first played here. Its list of pieces to be played this time includes pieces by Strauss, Ravel, Brahms, Stravinsky and Rachmaninov.

For the Nov. 19 performance, in particular, pianist Cho Seong-jin will join the orchestra to collaborate on Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83.”

In the Nov. 20 concert, the orchestral band will also premiere a new song, “Choros Chordon,” by composer Unsuk Chin, who became the first-ever Asian and Korean to win the prestigious Wihuri Sibelius Prize on Oct. 9.

xuaiy@korea.kr