(The CEN News / Reporter Soo-in Kim) The Busan Civic Choir will present its 200th regular concert at Busan Concert Hall on May 28, offering Benjamin Britten's signature work, the War Requiem, in Busan for the first time.
The concert is the choir's first regular-season program at Busan Concert Hall and carries added symbolism as its 200th show. Britten's War Requiem responds to the horrors of World War II, delivering a forceful antiwar message and a plea for peace. Its scale and musical complexity make it a masterpiece rarely staged in Korea.
Joining the Busan Civic Choir are the Gwangju Civic Choir, Daegu Civic Choir, the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Haeundae District Children's Choir, creating a large-scale ensemble of chorus, orchestra and children's voices. Soloists include soprano Mi-ja Park, a professor at Seoul National University; tenor Se-il Kim, noted in major international competitions; and baritone Kwang-geun Lee, a professor at Pusan National University and frequent opera lead. Together they will shape the work's sweeping harmonies.
Artistic director Ki-seon Lee, who has led the choir for six years, will conduct. The program is presented as a concentrated expression of his musical convictions and artistic vision, with careful attention to choral discipline and clear communication of the work's message.
Founded in 1972 as the country's first municipal choir, the Busan Civic Choir has led Korea's choral scene for 54 years. It has presented 200 regular concerts and more than 700 invited and touring performances. The choir says it aims to use this program to pose questions that resonate across generations and to convey the value of peace through art.
Ahead of the performance, the Busan Cultural Center will hold a free pre-concert lecture in the medium theater conference room on May 15 to help audiences understand the work. Deputy conductor Bo-young Um will lead an in-depth talk titled \"Why Did We Create Death?\", covering the piece's historical context, musical structure and antiwar message. The lecture is free and open to the first 30 registrants.
The project draws attention as a new-format collaboration co-hosted by the Busan Cultural Center, Classic Busan and Busan MBC, bringing together leading local arts organizations and a broadcaster.
Photo: Busan Civic Choir
(The CEN News) Reporter Soo-in Kim press@mhns.co.kr
