Music Slave
October 17, 2026
๐ป From Bach to Vienna Philharmonic and Rattle! This Week in Classical ๐ฐ - 2026.10.17
Hello, fans! ๐ถ We've got more classical news for you today. This week's lineup includes the Vienna Philharmonic's Korea concerts, a new Bach album, and an orchestra you can now watch on the big screen ๐
๐ป Vienna Philharmonic: 184 Years Without a Chief Conductor
The Vienna Philharmonic will perform in Seoul and Busan on the 25th and 26th later this month [1]. The orchestra has no chief conductor. It invites world-renowned maestros in turn, and the members decide how the orchestra is run. This tradition has been kept for over 90 years since 1933, which is really fascinating ๐คฉ [1]
The concert also carries special connections. Conductor Tugan Sokhiev first took the baton with the orchestra at its 2009 Seoul concert, and he will return to the Vienna New Year's Concert next year [1]. Pianist Cho Seong-jin will also join them for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. He once stepped in on short notice at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2022, and now the two meet again in Seoul ๐ [1]
๐น Sohn Min-soo Returns to Bach
Pianist Sohn Min-soo explores Bach again for the first time in two years with 'Das Wohltemperierte Klavier' [2]. It holds special meaning as the music he first taught Lim Yun-chan, and it is also a tribute to his teacher, who passed away three years ago [2]. His tour began in Vancouver last month, and he will meet audiences around the world, including at the Seoul Arts Center later this month [2]. Bach fans, don't miss it! ๐
๐ฌ A 100-Member Orchestra in the Cinema
The biggest news this week is this one! 'Going Home Project: Ravel & Shostakovich in Cinema' opens at CGV on the 17th [3]. It captures live performances of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 'Leningrad' and Ravel's 'Bolรฉro' from the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall last year [3]. It is the first official theatrical release of a Korean classical orchestra's live recording in Dolby Atmos ๐ [3]
Son Yeol-eum stressed that both pieces rely on the power of sound, so they can be felt even more vividly in a cinema than in a concert hall [2]. Close-ups of the players' tense expressions and glances are something you can't see from a concert seat ๐ [2]. Stage greetings and audience Q&A sessions will be held during the opening week [3]!
๐ผ Simon Rattle Comes to Seoul Next Month
On November 12 and 13, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from Munich will perform at the Seoul Arts Center, conducted by former Berlin Philharmonic chief conductor Simon Rattle [4]. Rattle led the Berlin Philharmonic for 16 years, becoming the first British chief conductor in 2002, and his launch of the Digital Concert Hall in 2009 transformed how concerts were distributed [4]. On this tour, he will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection' ๐ต [4]
๐๏ธ The Seoul Arts Center Orchestra: What Matters More Than Founding It
The Seoul Arts Center is pursuing the founding of its own orchestra. The plan is to select about 60 young musicians and operate the orchestra on a season basis [6]. The column proposes designing it not as a miniature of aๅฎๆ professional orchestra, but as a process for young players to grow into professionals [6]. The idea of a three- or five-year review period is also worth attention ๐ค [6]
๐ถ Hearts Hearts Orchestra's 20th Anniversary with Jaap van Zweden
Jaap van Zweden, music director of the Seoul Philharmonic, will conduct the Hearts Hearts Orchestra, made up of musicians with developmental disabilities. The concert marking its 20th anniversary takes place at the Seoul Arts Center on the 24th of next month [5]. The program includes the overture to Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute' and the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 'Choral' [5]. A stage where music brings everyone together beyond the line between disability and non-disability is truly moving ๐ฅน
That's it for this week's classical news! Which performance are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments ๐
๐ฐ Reference News (6)
Sohn Min-soo's New Bach Album and World Tour
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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Jaap van Zweden Conducts Hearts Hearts Orchestra
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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Vienna Philharmonic Korea Tour and Its Tradition Without a Chief Conductor
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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Founding an Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center: Challenges in a Column
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Visit Korea
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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Going Home Project Film Opens: An Orchestra on the Big Screen
๋ค์ด๋ฒ๋ด์ค ยท 2026.10.17
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