Sejong Soloists celebrates 30th anniversary with classical music festival

The Sejong Soloists, a string ensemble that has fostered countless star musicians, is celebrating 30 years since its foundation.

From left: concertmaster Daniel Cho, Sejong Soloists general manager Kang Kyung-won and concertmasters David Chan and Frank Huang pose during a news conference for the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival in central Seoul on Wednesday. [SEJONG SOLOISTS]

The Sejong Soloists, a string ensemble that has fostered countless star musicians, is celebrating 30 years since its foundation.

"Three decades can be considered both a long or short time," said Kang Kyung-won, general manager of the ensemble, in a news conference on Wednesday. “It's always easy to begin something, but the hard part is maintaining it. I think we've been able to come this far thanks to our members' passion to give high quality performances and dream to find meaning in this ensemble."

That’s why the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival this year, which is in its seventh edition, is more special for the ensemble. From Friday to Sept. 2, the event will feature performances by concertmasters and string musicians that are current or former members of the Sejong Soloists in venues like the Seoul Arts Center, JCC Art Center, Cosmos Arts Hall and more.

These individuals, who are now all flourishing in different parts of the world, agreed to come together for this one festival because of how the ensemble helped kick-start their careers.

Frank Huang, the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, recalls that he always felt heard in the ensemble and part of the team, even during trying times.

"I remember trying so many ideas until we got something that was convincing to all of us," he said. "No other organization would have had that much time to rehearse and try out things."

A performance from the sixth edition of the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival in 2023 [SEJONG SOLOISTS]

Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra concertmaster Daniel Cho, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster David Chan, Montreal Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Andrew Wan and violinist Richard Yongjae O’Neill are some of the Sejong Soloists' notable alumni who will perform during the festival.

A concertmaster is the leader of a first violin section and synonymous to the first chair of the ensemble. Though the conductor may be the director of a musical performance, the concertmaster also helps lead an ensemble.

When asked about his role as a concertmaster, Chan said that it's about “always making sure people are on the same page.”

“It’s a position of leadership, like the conductor, but in a different way,” he continued, adding that it has a role of unifying the orchestra in terms of sound and ensemble. The role extends behind the scenes as well, in which a concertmaster “produces the type of personal respect that turns into musical respect.”

The opening program for the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival is a master class by the Viva Chamber Ensemble, comprised of members with disabilities, on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Samsung Finance Campus in Seocho District, southern Seoul. A concert played by the Sejong Soloists and the four concertmasters — Huang, Chan, Wan and Cho — will be held at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall on Saturday at 5 p.m. The schedule for the rest of the concerts is available on Yes24.

Hic et Nunc! Music Festival first launched in 2017 and has established itself as one of Korea’s biggest classical music festivals. “Hic et nunc” means “here and now” in Latin.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]