At the Seoul Art Center

Chairman Kang Duk-young of Korea United Pharmaceutical Co. hosted a prestigious New Year Classic Music Concert at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Art Center in Seocho-dong Seoul on Feb. 11, 2015. It was for the leaders of the government, business circles (medical and pharmaceutical industry leaders) and other society leaders--as well as the ambassadors and international media Seoul bureau chiefs.
The concert, which was conducted by Ms. Kim Bong-Mi, featured the United Philharmonic Orchestra and a number of noted musicians and vocalists, including Violinist Ms. Lee Sung-joo and Tenors Kim Dong-won, Kim Ki-sun and Lee Dong-young.

An estimated 2,300 classic music admirers attended the concert as well as ambassadors and madams for some 30 countries of the world. The concerted consisted of two different parts.
Part I was opened with beautiful melodies of M. Glinka’s “Opera Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture” presented by the United Phylharmonic Orchestra, which was followed by Tenors Kim Dong-won and Kim Ki-sun.
Kim Dong-won presented “Ah mes amis” (Friends, today is for celebration) from Opera La Fille du Regiment (Daughter of the Regiment) of G. Donizetti.
Kim Ki-sun sang “Di quella pira” (Behold the fire flaring up) from G. Verdi’s Opera Il Trovatore which is a representative work of Verdi.
Then came Intermezzo from Opera Pagliacci presented by the Orchestra, which was followed by Tenor Lee Dong-yung’s presentation of “Vesti La Giubba” (Put on the costume) from Opera Pagliacci of R. Leoncavallo.
They were followed by Kim Dong-won who presented Granada by A. Lara, a Korean folksong (The Song of the Geomun Island Sailor) by Kim Ki-sun and Un Amore cosi Grande (Everlasting Love) by M. Ferilli.
At the end of Part I, all three tenors Ki Dong-won, Kim Ki-sun and Lee Dong-myung sang together “Nessun dorma” (The Princess is unable to sleep) from Opera Turandot by G. Puccini.

Following a 15-minute intermission, Part II was opened by Violinist Lee Sung-joo who presented “Carmen Fantasy Brilliante by J. Hubay. This was followed by another performance by the Orchestra which presented Ballet Suite, ‘The Firebird’ (1919) from Stravinsky. It consisted of Introduction, the Firebird and its Dance, Variation of the Firebird, Ring Dance of the Princess, Infernal Dance of King Kashchey, Lullaby and Finale.
The Firebird was composed in 1910 by Stravinsky when he was 24 years old based on a children’s fable of Russia. It was first presented at an Opera House in Paris in June the same year and made theretofore little known composer one of the prominent composers in Europe. Story of the work is on Prince Ivan who goes astray in the forest during his hunting and is locked up in a prison of an Evil King. However, he kills the Evil King with the help of the Firebird and rescues a beautiful princess who had been also interned in the prison. The prince eventually marries the princess.

In a brief interview with The Korea Post, Chairman Kang said, “I feel very honored to be accorded with the attendance of very important guests such as the ambassadors and madams from so many countries of the world.” “I will make added efforts to host more cultural events to bridges gaps between Korea and all different countries of the world through the medium of culture.” Chairman Kang assured that he will host art exhibitions in the near future at his art gallery at the United Culture Foundation.
Among the guests in attendance from the Diplomatic Corps werre many mission chiefs and other senior diplomats, who included (in alphabetical order) Ambassadors Ramzi Teymurov of Azerbaijan, Natallia Jhylevich of Belarus, Hernan Brantes Glavic of Chile, Grecia Fiodalicia Pichardo of Dominican Republic, Torbjorn Holthe of Norway, Calin Fabian of Romania, Mamadou Ndiaye of Senegal and Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia.

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지