KCC Home Theatre Series

As a lockdown-friendly alternative to our temporarily suspended House Concert programme, we will be uploading performances of various genres from Korea – including our usual classical ensemble performances - to the KCCUK YouTube channel.

With many of us now confined to our homes and relying on remote online entertainment, we have found a way to bring a selection of classical ensemble concerts, dance performances and traditional Korean music performances into your home.

Our Home Theatre programme features performances hosted by Korea’s representative venue for classical music, the Sejong Centre, as well as the National Gugak Center and Gugak FM.

As part of this varied line-up, the KCCUK will present two piano recital programmes from The Passionate Keyboard: “The Duo” (30 April and 7 May 2020) and “Chopin and Chopin” (14 and 21 May). These will be followed by highlights from the Sejong Chamber Series 2019, including performances by Ensemble OPUS (28 May) and the Sejong Soloists (4 June).

The Passionate Keyboard

This was a five-day event held at the Sejong Centre in October 2019 to showcase promising young pianists. Our line-up features performances by six of these pianists including Minsoo Hong and Taek Gi Lee.

• Minsoo Hong has won numerous awards internationally including Second Prize at the 11th Liszt International Competition in Utrecht in 2017, and Fourth Prize at the Busoni International Piano Competition in both 2011 and 2015.
• Taek Gi Lee began his piano study at the age of six and won the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition in 2014 as the youngest competitor (aged 17) before making a successful debut in Europe with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Sejong Chamber Series 2019

Established in 2015 as the Sejong Centre’s principal programme of classical music, the Sejong Chamber Series showcases repertoires from Korea’s best chamber ensembles, with four orchestral performances scheduled throughout the year in line with the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

On 28 May we will be streaming the Ensemble OPUS concert which took place in autumn 2019 as part of the Sejong Chamber Series. Ensemble Opus will present a fresh interpretation of Haydn’s Hob V:16 – String Trio Op. 3 No. 6 on violin, viola and cello. This will be followed by a performance of one of Schumann’s most beautiful chamber music pieces, his Piano Quintet in E flat Major, Op. 44.

On 4 June we will be streaming a concert by the Sejong Soloists, performing as part of the Sejong Chamber Series. Last year was the Sejong Soloists' 25th anniversary and they were hailed as "one of the top ensembles of today" by CNN. The premier string orchestra is highly praised for its diverse performances, documentaries, television broadcasts, and recordings. In this concert they will showcase chamber music pieces by Mendelssohn.

Full programme

*Please note: Concerts 1-4 (Duo Piano & Chopin and Chopin) will be available to watch on our YouTube channel for two weeks after the livestream.

We will be updating this page regularly with new additions to the programme including gugak (Korean traditional music) and contemporary dance performances so make sure you keep up to date!

(30 April) Duo Piano Concert I: Minsoo Hong & Taek Gi Lee (Click here)

• Programme
  W. A Mozart Sonata for Two Fortepianos, K.448
  S. Rachmaninov Suite no. 2 in c minor for Two Pianos, op. 17, IV. Tarantelle

(7 May) Duo Piano Concert II: Sang Il Han & Jong Hai Park (Click here)

• Programme
  C. Saint-Saëns/C. Debussy Introduction and rondo capriccioso
  D. Milhaud Scaramouche

(14 May) Chopin and Chopin I – Jin Hyung Park (Click here)

• Programme
  F.Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 Op.21

(21 May) Chopin and Chopin II – Jaeyeon Won

• Programme
  F.Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 Op.11

(28 May) Chamber Series I - Ensemble OPUS

• Programme
  J. Haydn Hob V:16 - String Trio Op.3 No.6 in C Major
  R. Schuman Piano Quintet in E flat Major, Op.44

(4 June) Chamber Series II - Sejong Soloists

• Programme
  Mendelssohn String Octet, Op.20