With new 2,000-seat concert hall, Busan hopes to take music scene global

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With new 2,000-seat concert hall, Busan hopes to take music scene global

Published: 25 Jun. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 26 Jun. 2025, 09:00

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The exterior of Busan Concert Hall, the largest classical music venue outside of Seoul, which opened in Busan on June 21 [CLASSIC BUSAN]

One of the most ambitious cities in Korea these days has to be Busan, a port metropolis located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Seoul.

Vying to become Korea’s second capital and a cultural epicenter, last year, it became home to Korea’s first International Children’s Book Fair and launched its own Michelin Guide. Cinephiles will recognize Busan for its annual International Film Festival, one of the most prominent film festivals in the country.

Now, Busan is setting its sights on music. Last week, the city unveiled the Busan Concert Hall, a state-of-the-art classical music venue located in Busan Citizens’ Park. The Busan Opera House is slated to open in 2027 as well.

The new Busan Concert Hall is the largest classical music venue outside Seoul, spanning four floors, a large performance hall with 2,011 seats and a small performance hall with 400 seats. It is also equipped with a large pipe organ with 4,423 pipes, producing sounds so rich that it can rival an entire orchestra.

The interior of the new Busan Concert Hall, featuring a pipe organ at the back [BUSAN METROPOLITAN CITY]

But the most promising element of the Busan Concert Hall is its leadership. Music director Chung Myung-whun of Italy's Teatro alla Scala is taking the helm of the Busan Concert Hall, having been appointed as its artistic director in 2023.

The conductor is tasked with fostering cultural exchange between Busan and Milan.

“My first official performance as La Scala’s music director will be Verdi’s 'Othello' [1887] on Dec. 7 next year,” Chung told the press earlier this year. “And in September 2027, we will present 'Othello' in Busan as well.”

Teatro alla Scala, called La Scala for short, is Italy’s most prestigious opera house, premiering masterpieces such as Bellini’s “Norma” (1831), Verdi’s “Nabucco” (1841) and Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” (1904) and “Turandot” (1924). Chung is the first Asian to hold the top musical position at the historic Milanese institution, a role he assumed in May.

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, an avid classical listener himself, hopes that the new Busan Concert Hall will boost the city’s cultural sophistication.

“It will produce more opportunities for regional musicians and serve as a springboard for them to gain international recognition,” he told reporters at the venue's opening ceremony on June 21.

In light of its opening, the Busan Concert Hall is running an opening festival through Saturday.

On Wednesday evening, Chung and the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) will stage a chamber concert.

The festival’s grand finale, held Friday and Saturday, will feature Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera, "Fidelio," conducted by Chung and performed by the Busan Metropolitan Chorus and the National Chorus of Korea.

The festival kicked off on Saturday, June 21, with performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Ninth Symphony by world-class musicians such as Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji, Chinese cellist Jian Wang and Korean soprano Sumi Hwang.

On Sunday, pianist Cho Seong-jin, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, performed Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, also known as the “Emperor” Concerto, with the APO under Chung's baton.

The performance was followed by globally acclaimed pianist and organist Cho Jae-hyuck, who performed Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns’ Third (“Organ") Symphony on Busan Concert Hall’s pipe organ.

On Monday, pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, gold winner of the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, performed a chamber concert alongside principals of the APO.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]