La Philharmonica, an ensemble formed around female members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform in South Korea for the first time. Actress Lee Young-ae will serve as narrator in a music-theater production that blends classical performance with storytelling.
Concert promoter WCN Korea said the ensemble will give its Korean debut performance on Nov. 15 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall in Seoul.
La Philharmonica made its debut in Vienna on Jan. 1 last year. The Vienna Philharmonic, founded in 1842, admitted only male players for most of its history and accepted its first female member in 1997. Women still account for only about 20 of its roughly 140 members. Built around those female musicians, La Philharmonica performs a broad repertoire spanning traditional Viennese classical music, film scores and pop.
Lee is taking part in the concert without a fee, acting as a storyteller who links the music to the audience. "As an actress, I want to be a guide connecting the music and the audience," she said. "Through my voice, I hope listeners can feel the music more deeply and warmly." Koh Sun-woong, the director known for the play "The Orphan of Zhao, Seed of Revenge," is serving as directing adviser, and Moon Ha-yeon, author of "Attic Classics," wrote the script.
The performance centers on the story of an old ginkgo tree named Hosu. Wounded by people and stripped of love and trust, the tree watches the emotions of those around it, gradually opens its heart and recovers the music it had lost within. Lee's narration and the ensemble's playing are woven together so that each piece unfolds like a scene in the story.
The program is wide-ranging. The first half opens with the overture to Johann Strauss II's operetta "Die Fledermaus," followed by Jean Françaix's "Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quintet" and a fantasy on Rossini operas. The second half features Pauline Viardot's "Six Morceaux," excerpts from John Williams' suite for the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" and Leonard Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story."
Seven musicians will take the stage, including Sophie Dervaux, principal bassoon of the Vienna Philharmonic, and Adela Frasineanu-Morrison, principal second violin, along with violinist Lara Kusztrich, violist Barbara Rodio, cellist Ursula Wex, clarinetist Andrea Götsch and double bassist Anna Gruchmann.
It is the first time La Philharmonica has presented a concert in music-theater form. "Starting from our roots in classical music, we want to open a door for audiences into a new world of music," the members said.