5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
When light embraces classical music
New festival transforms the Theatre des Lumieres into a symphony for the senses
A new classical festival running Aug. 8-24 at Theatre des Lumieres in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, invites audiences to immerse themselves in music and visuals alike.
Led by soprano Hong Hye-ran as artistic director, Classic Weekends presents eight performances that marry live music with large-scale media art projections.
The venue, located within the Walkerhill Hotel complex, is a 4,958-square-meter space with a 21-meter ceiling, equipped to project 360-degree visuals across its walls and ceilings floors. Originally designed for digital art exhibitions, the space has been adapted for concerts under the direction of Hong and Jeong Tae-yang, a pianist and the festival's music director.
The opening weekend featured three performances by leading Korean classical musicians: a trio recital with violinist Lim Ji-young, pianist Son Jeong-beom and cellist Mun Tae-guk on Aug. 9; a vocal recital by bass-baritone Samuel Youn and countertenor Lee Dong-gyu; and Verdi's "La Traviata," which will be staged on Aug. 16, 22 and 24 as well.
"La Traviata" will feature Hong as Violetta, tenor Son Ji-hoon — winner of the 2023 Tchaikovsky Competition — as Alfredo, and baritone Lee Dong-hwan as Germont alongside a seven-piece string ensemble, a pianist and a 15-member chorus. Projected visuals will replace traditional opera sets.
The 'Going Home Project' with celebrated pianist Son Yeol-eum, violinist Svetlin Roussev and flutist Cho Sung-hyun will take place on Aug. 15.
The festival will also present the 12-member Cellista Ensemble on Aug. 23.
One of the festival's defining features is its 90-minute, no-intermission format, designed to sustain focus and immersion.
'Video projections will run on all sides of the theater for opera and instrumental performances alike, with visuals produced to match the program's content and mood," Jeong, who previously served as an opera coach with the Korea National Opera, said.
'The visuals will change depending on the atmosphere of the piece — in some performances, it may feel as though the audience were being transported to another place.'
The organizers describe Classic Weekends as a way to broaden the audience experience by integrating visual and musical elements, while adding a new entry to Seoul's growing roster of summer classical festivals, which includes the Seoul Arts Center International Music Festival and Lotte Concert Hall's Classic Revolution.
For Hong, the festival is as much a mission as a performance series.
'We talk about popularizing classical music, yet opportunities for performers keep shrinking,' she said. 'Here, the audience will feel as though they've stepped inside the work itself, expanding their senses in new ways.'
