Busan Concert Hall unveiled: Music venue to open doors with classical concerts in June

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Busan Concert Hall unveiled: Music venue to open doors with classical concerts in June

Published: 19 Feb. 2025, 15:30

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The interior of the Busan Concert Hall, shown here designed in a vineyard style with the pipe organ in the blue backdrop [CLASSIC BUSAN]

BUSAN — In recent years, the southeastern port city of Busan has closed the gap between itself and Seoul as the country's leading tourist destination for sightseeing, shopping and dining. Its next target: classical music.

The Busan Concert Hall, Korea’s largest classical music venue outside the capital, is set to open its doors on June 20.

The exterior of the Busan Concert Hall [CLASSIC BUSAN]

“Busan tends to be skipped over when overseas orchestras tour Korea,” said Park Min-jeung, CEO of Classic Busan, during a press conference at the concert hall on Monday. Classic Busan is a subsidiary under the Busan metropolitan government that manages the concert hall and the Busan Opera House, which is slated to open in 2027.

“Our facility is in an advantageous location where we can expect artists to perform in Seoul, stop by Busan and then head over to Japan or China,” she said. “You need a good concert hall to motivate performers to hold better concerts, which will lead to more concerts and more audiences.”

Spanning three stories and a basement floor, the venue can seat up to 2,411 people. It also houses the nation’s first pipe organ in a public venue outside the greater Seoul area, with 4,406 pipes and 62 stops. The pipe organ is nicknamed the “king of instruments” thanks to its ability to produce an extensive range of sounds, which some say can replace an entire orchestra.

Renowned maestro Chung Myung-whun speaks during a press conference for the upcoming inauguration of the Busan Concert Hall on Feb. 17 [CLASSIC BUSAN]

Hanging against a blue backdrop of the venue amid a sea of red seats, the pipe organ is generally considered a “luxury item” in the classical music world, according to Chung Myung-whun, famed maestro and artistic director of Classic Busan.

“It’s not mandatory to have one in a concert hall,” he said. “But if you had a choice, it’s much better to do so.”

The Busan Concert Hall is located inside the Busan Citizens Park, which used to be a base for U.S. forces. Both the exterior and interior are noticeably curved, alluding to the shape of a sailing ship, representing the port city.

The rear of the building, largely comprised of brown bricks, was designed to appear as if it connects to the ground, “in hopes that the concert hall would exude energy drawn from the earth,” CEO Park said.

The interior of the Busan Concert Hall, shown here designed in a vineyard style [CLASSIC BUSAN]

Inside, the seats were arranged in a vineyard style, meaning that the seating surrounds the stage in a terraced manner, allowing the sound and view of the stage to be equal from all spots. Park also noted the implementation of high-quality, sound-reflecting boards and stage lifts, which appeared to contribute to Chung’s satisfaction with the venue.

“One of the most important elements for performers is the atmosphere of the hall,” he said. “My first impression of the acoustics is that I am quite pleased, and that it feels comfortable to perform in.”

For the inaugural program, set for June 20 and 21, Chung will conduct the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) to perform Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56” and “Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125.” Chung said he specially chose the latter piece because it bears the meaning of “world unification.” As the final movement of the symphony is famously known as “Ode to Joy,” the selection is in line with Chung’s wish for the concert hall to be easily accessible to the public.

The two concert series will feature Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji, Chinese cellist Jian Wang, soprano Sumi Jo, mezzo-soprano Celeste Bang, tenor Kim Seung-jick and baritone Kim Gi-hoon.

The APO, helmed by Chung, is comprised of Asian members from philharmonic orchestras all over the world.

“My artistic vision for Busan would be to make it the classical music star of Asia,” Chung said. “It would require the help of the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra, and my goal is to foster it as the best orchestra in Asia.”

Park Min-jeung, CEO of Classic Busan, speaks during a press conference for the upcoming inauguration of the Busan Concert Hall on Feb. 17 [CLASSIC BUSAN]

Following shows include a recital by pianist Cho Seong-jin on June 22 and concerts by the APO featuring pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon on June 23 and Chung on June 25.

Park added that the concert hall will make good use of its pipe organ, beginning with a recital by organist Cho Jae-hyuck on June 24.

French author Bernard Werber, Italian orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will visit the Busan Concert Hall later this year as well. Tickets will soon be made available to purchase on the official website.

Chung, a 72-year-old conductor and pianist who’s lived most of his life abroad, says his role as artistic director is to elevate Korea’s merit through classical music.

“When I first moved overseas, Korea was an extremely poor and war-ridden country,” he said. “But in a short amount of time, it’s now a nation of affluence. But there’s one thing left. It’s Korea’s turn to become an excellent country. Money can’t achieve that. The cultural arts must flourish to generate virtues of altruism and compassion.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]