Latest news with #RoundandVelvety-SmoothBlend
Korea Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra appoints its first-ever composers-in-residence
In a milestone move marking its 60th anniversary, the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra announced Thursday the appointment of three composers — Kim Hyun-seop, Lee Go-woon and Lee Hanurij — as its first-ever composers-in-residence. This is the first time the orchestra has introduced a residency program for composers. The initiative aims to foster long-term, collaborative partnerships with composers, enabling the creation of a sustainable repertoire. Among the three appointees, teenage composer Lee Hanurij stands out as a rising star in the classical music scene. Born in 2006, he became the youngest-ever winner in the composition category of the Joongang Music Concours last year and also took top honors at the Bartok World Competition in Hungary. Currently studying at the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), he gained wider recognition after being commissioned by pianist Lim Yunchan to compose the piano solo piece "Round and Velvety-Smooth Blend." His first orchestral work for traditional Korean instruments is set to premiere Thursday at Sejong Center. 'As composer-in-residence, I hope to explore the broader possibilities of Korean traditional music and seek new sonic directions,' Lee said in a statement. Kim Hyun-seob, another appointee, is currently the artistic director of the Hwaseong City Arts Group's traditional music ensemble. His works are rooted in Korean musical traditions. Lee Go-woon also draws from traditional Korean music and has collaborated with various ensembles, including the National Orchestra of Korea and the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra of Korea. The three composers will participate in a range of projects, including regular concerts and chamber music series, beginning this month. Their appointments have no fixed term. New works by Kim Hyun-seob and Lee Go-woon will be unveiled in November, while Lee Hanurij's next composition is slated for April 2026. Lee Seung-hweon, director of the SMTO, expressed high hopes for the new initiative. 'Their music will be featured frequently in upcoming concerts,' he said. 'We expect this collaboration to not only enhance the orchestra's growth but also have a groundbreaking impact on the field of traditional Korean orchestral music.' hwangdh@
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Yunchan Lim review – young pianist's Bach dazzles and intrigues
JS Bach's Goldberg Variations is a work many pianists put on the back burner for years, waiting until they feel their interpretation has matured before showing it to the world. Not so for Yunchan Lim, who turned 21 a couple of weeks ago in between giving concerts of the Goldbergs in the US. Maturity and youth collided intriguingly in this hot-ticket performance, his first of the work in the UK. He gave us the theme simply, if also relatively weightily, emphasising a few moments of left-hand countermelody, before springing into a first variation full of zingy trills. By Variation 5, the first real allegro, he was dazzling us, the notes rattling past but with all the internal phrasing crystal clear and none of the threads tangled. That early way of spotlighting fleeting left-hand phrases became an ongoing feature – as did a degree of playful licence, with some of the repeats played up or down an octave, sounding either music-box-like or grumbly. It was a kaleidoscope, each variation taking a new colour and pattern formed from the possibilities of those that had gone before. It felt simultaneously spontaneous and impeccably thought through. But was he throwing a little too much at it? Especially in the later variations he seemed to be reminding us that he also loves playing Chopin and Rachmaninov; at times it felt as if he were signposting profundity. Lim certainly seems open to this work's myriad possibilities; perhaps he will come to let the music own its subtleties a little more. He was due back for a second performance 16 hours after this one finished – it would be fascinating to know how alike they were. It didn't really need an opener, or an encore, but we got both. First came Round and Velvety-Smooth Blend by the teenage Korean composer Hanurij Lee, in which episodes of frenetic activity punctuated passages of mesmerising stillness, beautifully achieved. And, after all that Bach, it was Liszt's Petrarch Sonnet 104 that Lim sent us out with. Frustratingly, the melody didn't always sing to the very end of each phrase, but he had so much to say that it was riveting nonetheless.
