KNCO youth orchestra to embark on first overseas tour in Germany

Twenty young musicians from the Korean National Symphony Orchestra will perform three solo concerts in Hamburg and Berlin from November 3 to 5. The tour, themed "Nore," features works by Isang Yun and Western classical pieces to showcase next-generation K-classic to international audiences.

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra (CEO Yoo Mi-jeong, Music Director Roberto Abbado) announced that its youth orchestra, KNCO, will embark on its first overseas tour from November 3 to 5.

Composed of young musicians with an average age of 39 or younger, KNCO serves as an "orchestra academy" that produces next-generation professional orchestra members. This German tour, organized during the group's second term since its founding, will feature 20 young musicians performing three solo concerts in Hamburg and Berlin, Germany. The musicians aim to develop their performance capabilities and ensemble skills through this tour while gaining experience on international stages. Furthermore, the tour is expected to serve as an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of next-generation K-classic to the international community.

Held under the theme "Nore", the German tour will present a program featuring Korean children's songs, works by Isang Yun, and Western classical music. The repertoire includes Poulenc's "Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone," Borodin's "String Quartet No. 2," Isang Yun's "Glissées I & II" and "Five Pieces for Piano," as well as "ARIRANG," "Spring in My Hometown," and "Thinking of My Older Brother." The performances are expected to present a stage where East and West, as well as past and present, intersect through the sensibilities of these young musicians.

The tour will open on Tuesday, November 3, at JazzHall in Hamburg. It will continue on Wednesday, November 4, at Kühlhaus Berlin, and conclude on Thursday, November 5, at Isang Yun House in Berlin, where they will meet local residents and audiences. The performance at Isang Yun House is particularly meaningful as it features the works of the composer Isang Yun in the space where he spent the later years of his life.

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra stated that it is significant for the second-term KNCO to visit Germany, the home of classical music, for its first European stage. The organization expressed hope that the musicians will communicate with local audiences by interpreting Eastern and Western music through their unique sensibilities, thereby conveying the strength of K-classic.

Inquiries regarding the performances can be made through the Korean National Symphony Orchestra website (www.knso.or.kr) or by telephone.

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