Critics call the Concerto for String Orchestra Grażyna Bacewicz’s magnum opus, her "Ninth Symphony". The piece is one of the most frequently performed Polish twentieth-century compositions. It was written in 1948 and premiered 18 June 1950, on the occasion of the General Assembly of the Polish Composers Union. It was played by the Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio, conducted by Grzegorz Fitelberg. Concerto for String Orchestra is considered one of the "finest manifestations of neo-classicism in Polish music". Bacewicz sought to harmoniously combine tradition and modernity. Stefan Kisielewski commented:
"One can say with a clear conscience that this time the dignity of the Polish composers was saved by a woman, Grażyna Bacewicz. Her Concerto for String Orchestra, written with gusto and energy, brimming with fluent inventiveness and excellent instrumentation ideas, has finally woken us up from lethargy. The work makes references to some Bach or Handel: a contemporary Brandenburg Concerto. Here we have at last tasted a 'red-blooded piece' of healthy and tasty music…"
In addition to Bacewicz, the
Seoul Arts Center also heard pieces by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (
Waltz-Scherzo op. 34 for violin and orchestra, 1877, first performed during the International Exhibition in Paris with Stanisław Barewicz, a student of Tchaikovsky’s, on violin), Franz Waxman (born in Königshütte /Chorzow, winner of multiple Academy Awards,
Carmen Fantasie on the Bizet 1946), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s
XXVII Piano Concerto (K. 595), which was his last.
The Korean Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1965 in Seoul by cellist Bong-Cho Jeon. It quickly became the leading chamber ensemble in Korea. Since 1979, with new director Min Kin, it has gained an international reputation and is warmly received by audiences and critics around the world.
The ensemble has given more than 450 concerts in Korea, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Poland, Denmark, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Singapore. In 1998, the Korean Chamber Orchestra made its debut in China, where it took part in the first International Festival in Beijing, and in 1999 it appeared for the first time in Salzburg. Over the next few years, the orchestra toured Poland, Croatia, and Germany – playing a special concert in the Concert Hall of the General Assembly of the United Nations. It also performed a series of concerts in Singapore.
With 15 recordings covering a wide repertoire, the ensemble sets a new standard in the world of classical music in Korea. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Korean Chamber Orchestra will perform concerts in the United States, China, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and more.
The concert was held at the prestigious IBK Chamber Hall in the Seoul Arts Center (SAC). The IBK Chamber Hall opened in the SAC in 2011 and is used specifically for chamber music. The Jubilee concert for the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra in the important hall brought together lovers of classical music. The Orchestra had also planned a special anniversary program of concerts in Korea and abroad.