The 21^st KNIGA Symphony Orchestra Concert Ended on a High Note

On Saturday, June 14, at Lee Kang Sook Hall on the Seocho Campus, the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts (President Hur Younghan) hosted the 21^st KNIGA Symphony Orchestra Concert.

This year, the orchestra consisted of the largest number of members in the KNIGA Symphony Orchestra’s history since its establishment in 2008. Maestro Chung Chi-yong, Honorary Professor and an unmatched figure in Korea’s classical music scene, led the orchestra with his delicate and restrained conducting, presenting Mendelssohn’s “The Fair Melusine Overture,” Op. 32 and “Reformation,” Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107. Conductor Kang Han-kyeol, a former student of Chung Chi-yong, has instructed the KNIGA Symphony Orchestra’s classes for two years. In this concert, Kang served as a bridge between the maestro and the performers across generations. Through this concert, they presented a blueprint for the future of K-classical music.

Notably, Cho Yohan, a percussion major, performed Emmanuel Sejourné’s “Concerto for Marimba and Strings,” delivering a marimba performance full of youthful passion and a bold interpretation of contemporary music, blending elements of a restrained yet romantic classical overture and symphony.

KNIGA, affiliated with K-Arts, is Korea’s prestigious arts education organization, established in 2008. The enrolled students study under internationally acclaimed professors, and many gain global recognition for their artistic prowess and genius through their accomplishments in international competitions.