With the double bass seated in the middle, five musicians — two violinists, a violist, a cellist, and the double bassist — exchanged glances and began playing Dvorak’s String Quintet No. 2.
The playful high notes of the two violins and the viola interlocked with the foundational sounds of the cello and double bass. The music danced fluidly, shifting between faster and slower passages as if engaging in a lively conversation with melody and rhythm.
A total of 12 international teams — ranging from violin-viola duos and wind quintets to string quartets, quintets, and brass ensembles — showcased their interpretations of chamber music before an audience of around 80 people at the Rode Arts Center in Seocho District, southern Seoul, Aug. 9.
The performance was the culmination of five days of intensive work, including mentorship from the Korean National Symphony Orchestra (KNSO) faculty and master classes with guest musicians.
These musicians are part of the 35 international attendees at this year’s KNSO International Academy Summer Festival, which runs from Aug. 5 to 21. 한국을 The festival invites participants from both established and emerging classical music regions to explore classical music and Korean culture.
During the 17-day festival, these performers collaborate with 19 young Korean counterparts and participate in various programs, including general mentoring from KNSO Artistic Director David Reiland. They also have one-on-one mentoring sessions with KNSO concertmaster Kim Min-kyun and other KNSO faculty members, discussions with conductor Reiland and composer Cho Youn-je, and master classes with notable musicians such as violinist Kevin Lin, Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and violinist Park Ji-yoon, former concertmaster of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
Now in its fourth year, the program received an overwhelming response with 173 applications from overseas, marking a 22 percent increase from the previous year. This surge indicates a growing global interest in Korean classical music, according to KNSO.