The evening of April 19, 2012 was a special night for everyone in attendance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Seoul Philharmonic graced the stage under the direction of Conductor Myung-Whun Chung. The performance was as visually sensational as it was to the ears. The orchestra moved in perfect unison as they played the technicality of Claude Debussy’s La Mer.  The movement of bows presented the audience with the illusion of high waves crashing softly on the shore. In contrast, the pizzicato, plucking of strings, was a smaller bobbing movement that reminded me of the small waves in the distance. The atmosphere was crisp as everyone sat in amazement. The reality of the compositions performed brought the young woman next to me to tears. The next movement “La Valse” by Maurice Ravel, filled the concert hall with emotion. Ravel was then followed by a work by Tchaikovsky called “Pathetique.” The performance was far from pathetic. The room was filled with energy as Tchaikovsky’s rhythmic character had the audience trying to resist the strong urge to toe tap to the rhythmic melodies.

























The show then came to a close with the crowd roaring in satisfaction prompting Conductor Myung- Whun Chung and the Seoul Philharmonic for an encore. He thanked the audience, both in English and Korean, for the warm applause and proceeded to share how special this moment was to him. He spoke about how he received his start in conducting right here in Los Angeles under the master Italian Conductor Carlo Maria Giulini as his assistant for the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1979. Now, over thirty years later, he has returned for the first time and is very happy and honored to have the opportunity to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall like he did many years ago.

·         Event: Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

                        Myung-Whun Chung, Conductor

·         Date/Time: Thursday, April 19, 2012 8:00pm~10:00pm

·         Sponsor: KoreaTimes, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association