By Ioana Istrate
Director of Classical Arts, Hollywoodland News
Part 1 of 2 on the LA Phil’s Seoul Festival
(Read Part 2 by mi ran Choi)
It was a pleasure to attend a night of the LA Phil’s Seoul Festival on June 6th with fellow Hollywoodland News, Senior Contributor and dear friend, Mi Ran Choi. As soon as we cracked open the concert program we knew this concert, only one of four in the Festival, needed the two article treatment.
Here I present to you my slightly fangirlish thoughts on the evening as an outsider experiencing the South Korean classical music scene for the first time. This concert was bombastic, it was cutting edge, it was romantic, it was loud. It was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting programs I’ve experienced in a long time.
THE DELIGHT IS IN THE DETAILS
Before we work our way into music (oh, and we will), I want to appreciate some of the finer details that set this concert apart as a labor of love, even before the downbeat. This concert was thoughtfully programmed and curated by renowned South Korean composer Unsuk Chin to promote Korean music and culture. Standard pre-concert announcements were shared in both English and Korean, a nice touch.
The first half of the program, all works by South Korean composers, was colorful and varied enough to glue me to my seat but shared enough sonic and harmonic elements to remain cohesive. More on that later. The second half of the program was a sharp tonal shift but no less riveting. All the featured artists were carefully chosen to demonstrate South Korea’s place on the cutting edge of modern classical music, and the audience ate it up! The seats were filled, the energy was up, and the vibes? Immaculate. So let’s get into it.
CLOCKWORKS AND FIREWORKS
No, this heading is not creative work on my part. Sunghyun Lee (b. 1995) chose the on-the-nose approach when naming his composition Clockworks and Fireworks, composed just last year for its explosive LA Phil premiere. Lee was mentored by Unsuk Chin and cites influences like Igor Stravinsky for this work but to me, this piece stands completely on its own merit. Percussive elements and frenetic energy move throughout the orchestra in almost surround sound. At times, I almost wished I brought hearing protection because Walt Disney Concert Hall could barely contain the volume.
Special shout out to the percussion section because Lee had them working hard for their paycheck this evening. The program notes included a long list of auxiliary percussion including glockenspiel, wah-wah tube, tin cans, waldteufel (yes, I had to google it), almglockens, anvils, vibraphones, fishing reel, thunder sheet, waterphone, cowbells, and a whip. Imagine the whimsy and the mayhem!
This piece would fit right into a Disney animated remake of ‘Fantasia’. Fantastical, colorful, and a delightful start to the evening.
The LA Phil’s Seoul Festival H’ON (Spirit)
If Clockworks belongs in ‘Fantasia’, Kay Kyurim Rhie’s (B. 1971) H’ON belongs in an A24 psychological thriller, where the composer is chasing her identity through disorienting permutations of ancient Korea and bustling Los Angeles.
Also composed within the last year for its LA Phil debut, H’ON utilizes similar harmonic and percussive elements to evoke an unsettled feeling.
The listener steps into Rhie’s experience as a western classical composer of Korean descent. Disjointed traditional melodies slip through fogs of cacophony, dissonance and classical harmonies. Rhie explores the feeling of almost remembering Korean motifs, almost resolving traditional Western Classical harmonies, almost being overwhelmed with sound. The piece is alive, with a rhythmic heartbeat in the percussion, actual whooshes of air in the brass that sound like wind in the trees.
The title H’ON literally translated means spirit, and Rhie’s spirit is expertly distilled into this work. Through the clamor and chaos, a dissonant but unified viola section ends the piece. H’ON never reaches a tonal resolution, leading the listener to wonder if the composer ever resolved her own feelings revolving around identity, culture, and her place in the world.
LOOK MA, A VIOLA CONCERTO!
Gentle reader, I will try to contain myself. This next piece is basically my Superbowl. But first a bit of context.
The viola is the slightly bigger, much less glamorous first cousin of the violin. The viola is a highly imperfect instrument– it is not nearly as bright as a violin and not half as robust as a cello. It minds its place in the orchestra humbly, bridging the gap between high and low voices.
I personally can’t remember the last time the LA Phil featured a viola concerto and a quick google search indicates maybe ten years ago?
Of course, composer Texu Kim and violist/ absolute diva Yura Lee didn’t care about any of that. Kim’s piece, originally performed in 2014 by Lee herself, was masterfully crafted for the viola. Traditional Korean lullabies, morose themes of death and mourning, and dark melodies sing on the sonorous lower registers of the instrument. Kim utilizes the full range of the instrument with red hot glissandi (slides), lightning fast notes and high harmonics that violists rarely get to indulge in. Kim gives the viola space to breathe– often it is the only instrument playing, or its sound emerges from the rest of the orchestra like it’s taking flight.
I have so much about Yura Lee’s performance, but let’s start with the fit. Rather than the standard floor length gown soloists often wear on stage, Lee emerged in a delightful Issey Miyaki neon colorblock knit dress and sculptural Universal Nude block heels. In an Instagram story the following day, Lee shared that she wore the shoes in homage to the oppression that Korean women historically experienced, a very thoughtful but somber touch.
I am a longtime admirer of Yura Lee. She’s one of the few world-class musicians who can claim equal mastery of the violin and the viola. Her touring schedule is always packed and she’s resident faculty at USC Thornton School of Music. She also shreds on a viola. Bow hair definitely flew and at one point, while Lee did her best impression of an electric guitar on the uppermost register of the viola, I heard someone softly “whoo” from the audience. I couldn’t blame them. Sue me for being biased, but this concerto was a high point in the program for me.
BEGGING FOR AN ENCORE at the LA PHIL’S SEOUL FESTIVAL
The grand finale was Johannes Brahms’ (1833-1897) Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor, OP. 15, a definite crowd pleaser. The piece was composed in 1858 and was one of his first-performed symphonic works.
Better minds have analyzed this piece before me so I won’t reinvent the wheel here, but it features Brahms’ signature lush strings, romantic melodies and gorgeous displays of virtuosity.
More familiar harmonic territory allowed me to step outside of the music more and appreciate the musicians at work here. Conductor Hankyeol Yoon led the orchestra expressively, the music written all over his gestures and expressions. Yoon and soloist Sunwook Kim collaborated as if drawn together by magnets. Yoon would lean over the podium towards Kim, Kim would lock eyes with Yoon at the perfect moment.
And for his part, Sunwook Kim is the definition of South Korea’s finest. He’s performed for the likes of the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, and of course the LA Phil. He was the first Asian winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition. He also recorded a piano concerto by Unsuk Chin in 2014 that I look forward to putting in my listening rotation.
There’s often something new in something familiar. Unlike the other pieces on the program, Brahms’ concerto was premiered over one hundred years ago in Germany, but it was the perfect canvas to showcase one of South Korea’s finest pianists. Kim had to come back onstage four times to acknowledge the uproarious standing ovation he received from the crowd, and it was well deserved!
FINAL THOUGHTS on the LA Phil’s Seoul Festival
This concert program was dense, and definitely deserves the two article treatment.
I highly recommend checking out fellow guest contributor Mi Ran Choi’s article that dives into the influences and history behind the music we listened to that evening (the influence of Korean traditional sounds on classical music was kind of their Masters’ thesis, they really know their stuff).
Now listen– the LA Phil wrapped up their Seoul Festival concert series on Sunday, and I’m sorry you missed, it was a hell of a time. I urge you to celebrate the festival’s mission by looking up the artists that were featured and listening to recordings or even buying tickets to their upcoming performances. Every artist listed has a busy 2025/2026 schedule lined up.
The Hollywood Bowl season also kicks off this week. South Korean piano sensation Seong-Jin Cho performs Ravel’s Piano Concerto In G on Aug. 5. Other highlights include the Blue Note Jazz Festival (June 14-15) and Classical Pride, which celebrates queer artists! Now more than ever, I urge you to discover and amplify minority voices across all disciplines, especially in classical music.
About the Author:
Ioana Istrate
Ioana Istrate, aka Viola Vedette, is a Los Angeles-based violist, educator, and published pinup model.
She is a proud Herb Alpert Scholar completing her Associate’s Degree in Viola Performance at Los Angeles City College.
Miss Vedette is most passionate about bringing the glitz and glam back to classical music. She also boasts a robust recording career, with credits on several works including a Grammy-nominated album. In addition, she acts as strings coordinator and violist for award winning musical Silhouettes of Scarlet. Outside of music and modeling she also enjoys taking naps with her pitbull, harassing her fiancé with the worst dad jokes and hunting for new additions to her ever-expanding collection of plushies. A true pinup girl through and through, she never leaves the house without a red lippie. You can find her on all social media @viola_vedette.
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