Award-winning musicians cherish the moment at GMF gala with diplomats

The sound of violins, cellos and clarinets filled the night air at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul's Aston House Tuesday evening where musicians with developmental disabilities played tunes for a global audience.

Aria Nanta performs before a global audience at the 2023 GMF Charity Night Gala held Tuesday evening at Grand Walkerhill Seoul's Aston House in eastern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The sound of violins, cellos and clarinets filled the night air at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul's Aston House Tuesday evening where musicians with developmental disabilities played tunes for a global audience.

Familiar melodies of Beethoven Virus and Libertango made the audience nod their heads and tap their feet to the rhythm.

The concert-like event was a 2023 GMF Charity Night Gala where award-winning musicians of the Great Music Festival (GMF) were invited to perform in front of a global audience of some 60 people mostly comprising of diplomats that represented 24 countries. GMF is an annual music competition for people with developmental disabilities organized by SK Innovation and Heart to Heart Foundation since 2017.

From left, spouse of the Mexican ambassador Regina Flores Chuzeville, spouse of the Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Ponomarenko and spouse of the Uruguayan ambassador Martha Rodríguez Planke pose before attending the GMF Charity Night Gala on Tuesday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

A total of five GMF award-winning teams performed at the Tuesday event as well as a special guest team Bbiribboo.

Powerful drumrolls of nine-member percussion team Aria Nanta, who performed at the venue's garden, overlooking the Han River, signaled the start of the event.

Lim Eun-gyu, left, and Ji Yeon-joon of Mosaic perform at the gala event. [PARK SANG-MOON]

"Since I performed at the Busan gala last year, I am now happily working as an artist at [social enterprise] Tool Music," said Lee Jeong-soo, a member of the Console Piano Ensemble, one of the five performers at the event.

"These days, I am practicing hard to play my music for people who don't have disabilities and am getting their cheers."

The gala which has been held since 2021 has been co-hosted with the Korea JoongAng Daily. This year's event, the fourth installment, was themed "Great Melody in Fall" and was attended by 19 ambassadors to Korea.

"For me, this was wholeheartedly and sincerely one of the best performances that I have ever attended not only in Korea but throughout my life," said Latvian Ambassador Aris Vigants at the event.

"I really would like to thank the organizers. The performers really touched our hearts and I really hope that they will be able to also perform and show their talents all over the world."

Other ambassadors echoed the view, expressing appreciation at the opportunity made for the musicians to perform.

"I think music is one of the best ways to make disabled brothers and sisters be part of the society," said Istvan Szerdahelyi, ambassador of Hungary to Korea.

"This was a brilliant cooperation between the industry and social value. I definitely look forward to the next one."

Songkane Luangmuninthone, ambassador of Laos, said he valued the meaning of the concert, which is why he decided to attend despite his busy schedule.

"I had a very busy schedule today, attending other forums, but I could not miss this event because I cherished the meaning of the concert where people with developmental disabilities can perform," he said.

From left, Czech Ambassador Ivan Jancarek, Lebanese Ambassador Antoine Azzam, Greek Ambassador Ekaterini Loupas and Chilean Ambassador Mathias Francke play drums to the instruction of Aria Nanta conductor Kim Seong-kwang. [PARK SANG-MOON]

There was a chance for the ambassadors to experience drums used by the Nanta team. Ambassadors from the Czech Republic, Lebanon, Greece and Chile played the drums to the rhythm of a BTS song.

The GMF which has held eight editions so far, including the one held in Atlanta, Georgia in October which was the festival's first overseas location, has involved a total of 191 performance teams and 2,070 artists. The festival aims to act as a "platform where the performers and audience can communicate through music and where true social unity between people with disabilities and those without disabilities can be realized," according to SK Innovation.

"[GMF has] contributed greatly in developmentally disabled musicians with self-esteem and self-accomplishment," said Oh Jee-chul, CEO of Heart to Heart Foundation during an opening speech on Tuesday.

"The most important thing is that by making a stage appearance, they are able to experience healing and communicate with their musical companion. This event will be the kind to accelerate special musicians to become more independent."

From left, Mexican Ambassador Carlos Peñafiel Soto and his spouse, Lebanese Ambassador Antoine Azzam and Serbian Ambassador Nemanja Grbic and his spouse Ines Grbic applaud musicians during the concert. [PARK SANG-MOON]

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr