🎻 From Mozart Lecture Concert to Competition Finals, This Week's Classical News! - 2026.10.25 | Classical Music

Hello, fans! 🎶 As autumn deepens, classical news keeps coming. Here are the stories you shouldn't miss this week! 🎻

🎼 Mozart Fans, Mark November 1 at Lotte Concert Hall!

The Kwak Jae-sun Cultural Foundation will hold the first lecture concert of KG Philharmonic, 'The Musical Prodigy, Mozart,' at Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on November 1 ^[1]. The performances come with commentary, so first-time classical listeners can enjoy them easily 😊. Part 1 opens with the first movement of Symphony No. 25 in G minor, which Mozart composed at age 17, and moves on to a minuet he wrote at age 5 and his Violin Concerto No. 4, composed at 19 ^[1]. Part 2 features arias and duets from the operas 'The Marriage of Figaro,' 'Così fan tutte,' and 'Don Giovanni,' and the finale is the complete Symphony No. 40 🤩 Placing two G minor symphonies at the beginning and end lets you compare them as you listen.

The biggest highlight is violinist Kim Yuna's collaboration. Kim Yuna became the youngest winner to take first place at the 2023 Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, and in 2025 she became the youngest-ever winner in the 'Concertino Praga' category of the Antonín Dvořák International Youth Competition ^[1]. We can't wait to hear her take on the Violin Concerto No. 4 with KG Philharmonic! Arias by soprano Kim Shin-hye and tenor Kim Hyo-jong will add to the program. Conductor and commentator Seo Hee-tae will lead the concert, and the 'K-Classic Insight Series' will continue next year with a focus on Beethoven, marking 200 years since his death ^[1].

🏆 Stage for Rising Musicians: Dong-A Music Competition Finals!

The finals of the 66th Dong-A Music Competition, known as a gateway for top emerging musicians in Korea, will take place ^[2]. They will be held on the 27th, 28th, and 30th at Seoul Arts Center Dohwa Hall, where 24 participants who passed the first and second preliminary rounds out of 234 contestants across seven categories will compete ^[2]. The 27th features violin, double bass, and trombone, the 28th cello and horn, and the 30th viola and trumpet 🎻 Admission is free for all seats, and the awards ceremony will be held at the same venue at 5 PM on the 30th. This year, five new awards have been added, including the Oh Soon-hwa Viola Prize and the Ahn Hee-chan Trumpet Prize, expanding support for the winners ^[2]. It's a great chance to catch a glimpse of Korea's musical future!

🌸 Sungshin Women's University Wind Orchestra Concert Marks 90th Anniversary

Sungshin Women's University will hold a wind orchestra concert to celebrate its 90th founding anniversary ^[3]. Members of the university and local residents will enjoy classical music together, so we expect a warm atmosphere. The program reportedly includes Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' and the 'Mad Scene' from Donizetti's opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' ^[3]. Don't you want to hear how the distinctive sound of a wind orchestra unfolds? 🎺

🎤 Im Tae-kyung Takes Korean Art Songs to the World

Musical actor and crossover singer Im Tae-kyung will hold a recital titled 'When Heritage Meets Tomorrow' at the Sejong Center Grand Theater in Seoul next month, on the 27th ^[4]. This is his first performance centered on Korean art songs, and he called the concert a 'launch ceremony' for introducing Korean art songs to the world ^[4]. He said he wants to bring Korean art songs to global audiences as K-pop has been, hoping 'gagok' will establish its own unique name, like France's chanson or Germany's lied ^[4]. After the concert, he plans to release new works as audio recordings, pursue translations into foreign languages, and organize a national tour followed by overseas performances ^[4]. Part 1 features Korean songs and world vocal pieces, while Part 2 includes works by contemporary composers and his first self-written and self-composed piece, so don't miss it 🎵

🎬 Cho Su-mi's 40th Anniversary: Revisit the Stage

A stage from Cho Su-mi's 40th debut anniversary concert was featured on the KBS program 'Cho Su-mi's Encore' ^[5]. It includes her performance of the aria 'Masque' with violin accompaniment by Danigu. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check it out! 😭

🎹 Turkish March Rings Out in a Piano Store

World-class pianist Cho Ga-ram secretly visited a Yamaha store and performed Mozart's Turkish March in Volodos's arrangement ^[6]. It reportedly left people nearby astonished, and the store piano became a stage in an instant 😆

Keep up the classical fandom this week! We'll be back with more news soon 💜