'Going Home Project' returns to ignite Jamsil's musical scene

As summer heats up the streets of Seoul, the "Going Home Project" is set to spark a blaze of its own, returning for a stirring second-year stint from August 1st to 3rd. The Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, will echo with the reverberations of three mesmerizing performances: 'New World,' 'Bolero: The Gala,' and 'Symphonic Dance.'

The Going Home Project is a unique platform initiated last year that rallies musicians from over 40 international orchestras to join forces voluntarily. Not just restricted to Korean performers, the lineup boasts artists who have fostered deep ties with the nation through their contributions to Korean orchestras. Capitalizing on the summer season, a typically quieter period in the global concert calendar, the project fills a vital cultural space.

This year's curtain-raiser on August 1st, 'New World,' will echo the spontaneous spirit of last year's inaugural concert, 'The Rite of Spring,' proceeding without a conductor. With violinist Svetlin Roussev serving as the concertmaster, the ensemble collaboratively interprets the performance during rehearsals. The program is a tribute to American compositions, featuring L. Bernstein's 'Symphonic Dances' from 'West Side Story,' G. Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue,' with pianist Son Yeol-eum, and Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World.' The latter's second movement melody, reimagined into the song 'Going Home,' is a much-loved piece, making it a harmonious fit for the 'Going Home' project.

'Bolero: The Gala,' scheduled for the second day, promises a shared stage where ensemble members take turns in the spotlight, echoing the format of last year's same-titled concert. The sonic journey commences with Grieg's 'Symphonic Dance,' followed by Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3, Rossini's Bassoon Concerto, Mercadante's Flute Concerto, Debussy's 'First Rhapsody,' and culminates in Shostakovich's Cello Concerto.

The final day presents 'Symphonic Dance,' highlighted by the Korean premiere of Australian composer Nigel Westlake's Oboe Concerto 'Spirit of the Wild,' with oboist Kyung Ham delivering the first act. The latter half will commemorate both 150 years since Rachmaninoff's birth and 80 years since his passing, with the performance of his 'Symphonic Dances,' under the baton of Ukrainian-born maestro Valentin Uryupin. As Bernstein's and Grieg's 'Symphonic Dances' feature in the first- and second-day performances, 'Symphonic Dances' becomes the thematic thread weaving together this year's concert series.


gustav@donga.com