The Seocho Symphony Orchestra of Seocho-gu, Seoul, held a European tour in Berlin, Germany, and London, England, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 75th anniversary of the Korean War, shining the spotlight on South Korea and Seocho, a city of culture and arts, on the world stage.

The Seocho Symphony Orchestra performed the “Echoes of Light K-Classic Concert” on July 2 at the Funkhaus Berlin in Germany and the “80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemorative World Peace Concert” on July 4 at the Rose Theatre in London, UK.

This performance was particularly significant as it combined music diplomacy for veterans and cultural exchange, aiming to share the historical significance of liberation with the world and commemorate friendship with countries that participated in the war. The Berlin performance invited German former coal miners and nurses who worked in Korea, allowing them to reflect on their connection with Korea. The London performance was attended by British war veterans, representatives of the Korean community, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, among other prominent figures, further enhancing the historical significance of the event.

Additionally, Seo Jung-soo, the mayor of Seocho District, visited the performance venue to encourage the Seocho Symphony Orchestra for its leading role in music diplomacy for veterans, and exchanged greetings with veterans and overseas audiences, conveying messages of gratitude and peace.

The Seocho Symphony Orchestra's tour is expected to continue. Following performances in Washington, D.C., in April, Berlin, Germany, and London, England, in July, the orchestra will tour Guatemala and Mexico in November to perform concerts of gratitude for veterans and their families.

Meanwhile, the Seocho Symphony Orchestra, a resident arts group of the Seocho Cultural Foundation, is a 60-piece orchestra led by conductor Bae Jong-hoon and composed of students and professional artists of various ages. Since its establishment in 2016, it has been presenting elegant classical performances to residents through New Year's and Year-End Concerts, and has been planning annual UN Peace Concerts to convey pride and emotion to UN veterans who participated in the Korean War. In 2023, the orchestra performed at the “Korean War Armistice and 70th Anniversary of the ROK-US Alliance Commemorative Concert” held at New York's Carnegie Hall, delivering a profoundly moving performance with world-renowned soprano Jo Sumi in the finale of “Arirang.”

Jeon Seong-soo, the mayor of Seocho District, said, “This performance by the Seocho Symphony Orchestra was a precious opportunity to express our gratitude to the countries that participated in the Korean War and to the veterans. We will continue to promote music diplomacy as a way to express our gratitude by utilizing Seocho's artistic assets as the ‘classical music capital’ of South Korea.”

[News Source: Seoul Special City Seocho District]