Concert series returns with French group

Composer Marc Minkowski [HANWHA]

A rare but authentic classic music event is around the corner. World-class composer Marc Minkowski and the Musicians of the Louvre will deliver some French baroque sounds to Korean music lovers at the Hanwha Classic 2016.

Les Musiciens du Louvre (The Musicians of the Louvre), launched by Minkowski in 1982, is a period instrument ensemble known for its modernist expression of baroque music.

At the Hanwha Classic 2016, the group will showcase a series of signature classic Baroque pieces like “Imaginary Symphony” by Jean-Philippe Rameau, as well as Romantic works like “The Great” by Franz Schubert and “The Scottish” by Felix Mendelssohn.

The host of the event, Hanwha Group, has a long history of organizing such concerts. The company has devoted 16 years to sponsoring the Seoul Arts Center’s regular Orchestra Festival program and, for many years, has been running its own Hanwha Pop & Classic concerts in smaller communities around Korea.

For the last three years, the company has invited big names from Italy, the Netherlands and Germany for the Hanwha Classic. But the events did not stop at satisfying the interests of music aficionados. In an effort to help those unfamiliar with chamber music enjoy the concerts, Hanwha added narration, which helped expand the popularity of the shows beyond music lovers.

Before the upcoming concerts, the Musicians of the Louvre will hold a master class, where attendees can learn from the artists first-hand.
BY JEONG BYUNG-KI [jeong.byungki@joongang.co.kr]

The Hanwha Classic 2016 concerts start at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, and at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Daejeon Arts Center Art Hall.

Tickets for the Seoul concerts cost between 50,000 won ($40) and 100,000 won, while tickets for the Daejeon show cost between 30,000 won and 70,000 won. Tickets are available through the Seoul Arts Center website (www.sac.or.kr) and Interpark (ticket.interpark.com/global).

For more information, call 1544-1555 or (02) 580-1300.