Performance at Songpa Culture and Arts Center on Wednesday — conductor Tara Simoncic leads 70 musicians, with soprano and tenor soloists
Seoul's Songpa-gu will present a special classical music concert exploring the full range of human emotion.
The district will host the 30th regular concert of the Songpa-gu Symphony Orchestra — titled "Waves of Life: From Joy to Tragedy" — at the Songpa Culture and Arts Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Founded in 1995, the Songpa-gu Symphony Orchestra marks its 30th annual concert this year. The program sets music to the emotions of everyday life — love, longing, joy and sorrow — offering audiences a moment to pause, reflect and find comfort.
Over the past 31 years, the orchestra has performed at community events including the Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival, the Happy Concert series and school outreach programs. The ensemble is led by conductor Yang Il-o, who previously served as a professor at Astrakhan State University in Russia and as principal conductor of the Georgia Chamber Orchestra in the United States. The annual regular concert, now in its 30th edition, has become a fixture on the local cultural calendar.
A total of 70 performers — including orchestra members, guest musicians and soloists — will take the stage. Tara Simoncic, who has served as a guest conductor for the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, will conduct. Soprano Bae U-ri and tenor Kim Jin-hun will appear as soloists.
The concert opens with Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" overture. The program continues with Musetta's Waltz from Puccini's opera "La Bohème," Korean art songs "New Arirang" and "Barley Field," the Italian song "Il Canto Proibito," and the duet "All I Ask of You" from the musical "The Phantom of the Opera."
The evening closes with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathétique" — the composer's final work, widely regarded as a profound meditation on the interplay of joy and sorrow in the human heart.
Admission is free. Tickets — up to four per person — are available through Naver Reservations or at the venue on the day of the performance.
"The orchestra's ability to reach its 30th regular concert is a testament to the support and encouragement of Songpa residents," district mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to expand the cultural and arts environment so that all residents can enjoy high-quality performances close to home."
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