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\uc0ac\uc9c4 \ud655\ub300 The Korea National Concert Orchestra, the youth ensemble under the Korean National Symphony Orchestra. Korean National Symphony Orchestra
\nThe Korea National Concert Orchestra (KNCO), the youth ensemble under the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, will present more than 200 years of symphonic history on one stage, from new works to Beethoven and Brahms, through the sensibilities of young musicians in their 20s and 30s.<\/p>\n
KNCO will perform “Brahms, Symphony No. 1” on the 25th at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall and on the 27th at Sejong Art Center. The program consists of Grace Ann Lee’s “The Empress’s Ascent,” Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. The opening piece, “The Empress’s Ascent,” is a new work commissioned from Grace Ann Lee, the Korean National Symphony Orchestra’s resident composer for the 2026-2027 season, and will receive its world premiere at this concert. Inspired by Beethoven’s “Emperor,” the piece expands the masculine, heroic musical world of the concerto into a new perspective centered on the “empress,” using only orchestra without piano.\n<\/p>\n
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\nGrace Ann Lee was born in Seoul in 1996 and later moved to the United States. This year, she gave the world premiere of her first commissioned work, “Tiger’s Pipe,” through the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, and in New York she presented “Beyond Violet” with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.<\/p>\n
She is known for composing works based on Korean folktales such as “In the days when tigers smoked,” while making active use of traditional melodies and rhythms. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, her master’s degree from Rice University, and her doctorate in music from the University of Michigan. She has also won the Morton Gould Young Composer Award twice from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).\n<\/p>\n
Beethoven’s “Emperor” that follows is a work that shows the peak of the concerto genre through the brilliant interplay between piano and orchestra. The soloist, Helmchen, won the 2020 Gramophone Classical Music Awards and has performed with world-class orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.\n<\/p>\n
The concert will conclude with Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Built on the solid four-movement form of classicism, the work adds chromatic harmony, a majestic introduction, and concentrated lyricism to create Romantic depth. It is widely regarded as a piece that strongly reflects Beethoven’s symphonic tradition while establishing Brahms’ own musical language.\n<\/p>\n
The program also carries added meaning in connection with KNCO’s identity. KNCO is a national youth ensemble made up of musicians aged 39 and under, and it presents itself as an orchestra academy that trains the next generation of professional orchestral players. Since its inaugural concert at Sejong Art Center in July last year, it has also presented the National Theater of Korea’s 80th Liberation Day commemorative concert, “Harmony,” and “Brahms & Tchaikovsky” at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall and NHK Osaka Hall.\n<\/p>\n
[Kim Dae-eun]\n<\/p>\n
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