Violinist Danny Koo to take on everything from classics to movie themes for matinee series

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Violinist Danny Koo to take on everything from classics to movie themes for matinee series

Published: 15 Feb. 2025, 07:00

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Violinist Danny Koo performs during a press conference for his upcoming matinee series ″Danny's Playlist″ at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on Feb. 10. [LOTTE CONCERT HALL]

Danny Koo, the 33-year-old Korean American violinist, is not your average classical musician who locks themselves in a practice room for several hours every day. In the classical music world, he is basically a K-pop idol. He continuously feeds his fans a multitude of content featuring his versatile spectrum, and not to mention, his good looks.

He’s shown that he’s living his best single life through his appearance on MBC’s variety program “I Live Alone” (2013-), and he proved to be quite the singer on MBC’s singing competition program “King of Mask Singer” (2015-). He’s also great with children — Koo has been working with Pinkfong to make educational content on classical music for eight years now.

In his upcoming shows, fans will be able to delve into what’s in his playlist. As part of the Lotte Concert Hall’s daytime matinee series, Koo is set to hold three concerts, titled “Danny’s Playlist,” each under a separate theme.

“It’s always been important for me to promote classical music to a wider audience, and matinees share the same purpose,” Koo said in a press conference on Monday. “Other concerts that begin at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. tend to be more formal because they’re held toward the end of the day. But matinees signal the beginning of the day, right after a morning cup of coffee.”

On March 20, Koo will perform rearranged versions of cinematic soundtracks, like “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), “Everything Happens to Me” from “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019) and the “Mission Impossible” (1966) theme song. The concert features bandonion player Koh Sang-ji and singer Son Tae-jin. Koo also teased that he will sing in some numbers.

His second concert on April 17 is themed after spring, featuring Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068” and “Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043” and Piazzolla’s “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.” The Ditto Orchestra will join him on stage.

His last performance on May 15 will be a fusion of classical music and jazz, another genre that Koo has said he has a passion for. The set list is comprised of Koo’s favorites, including “All of Me” (1931) by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons and “Englishman in New York” (1987) by Sting, performed alongside the Cho Yoon Seung Trio.

Violinist Danny Koo speaks during a press conference for his upcoming matinee series ″Danny's Playlist″ at the Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul on Feb. 10. [LOTTE CONCERT HALL]

Koo’s upcoming “Danny’s Playlist” concerts, like all his other projects, are produced under the set goal of music education. But he says he will make sure that newcomers feel welcome to the genre.

“All you need is an open mind,” he said. “You don’t need to listen to the set list before coming to the performances. The programs aren’t simple, but I’ve tried to make them less pressuring so that even my dad will be able to enjoy them.”

All shows begin at 11:30 a.m. Tickets range from 10,000 won ($6.80) to 40,000 won. Call 1544-7744 for more information.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]