London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Seong-Jin Cho artist portrait, plus Yeol Eum Son and Clara-Jumi Kang in Barbican 25/26 classical season

For those keen to lock down their diary commitments well in advance, the Barbican has just announced its September 2025 – July 2026 classical music season. For Seong-jin Cho fans, you have four opportunities to see him – including two performances of Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto – in what is billed as an Artist Portrait. … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho: A Ravel-athon, at the Barbican

A sold-out hall greeted Seong-Jin Cho’s Barbican debut in 2023. His much-anticipated return navigates a scintillating all-Ravel programme, saluting the composer in his 150th anniversary year. Bookended by the early serenade and the last piano suite, which honours his inheritance, Ravel’s piano music is laid before us, from the wistful Pavane that made his name, … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho plays Beethoven 4

Seong-Jin Cho plays Beethoven’s poetic Fourth Piano Concerto. You can’t keep inspiration down. Michael Tippett heard the chugging of a steamboat on a Swiss lake, and his Second Symphony burst into vibrant, bustling life. Wagner wrestled with faith and philosophy, and created music that seems to hover, glowing, in mid-air. And Ludwig van Beethoven sat … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho plays Shostakovich

Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 Chopin Piano Competition, adds his ‘breathtaking nimbleness’ to the Philharmonia Orchestra in Shostakovich’s playful concerto. Cho has gone from strength to strength since winning the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015. Performing with the Philharmonia at last year’s Edinburgh International Festival, he won praise from The Scotsman for his … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho plays the Barbican

Piano sensation Seong-Jin Cho brings his musical refinement to a solo programme of Baroque dance music and the Romantic composers inspired by it. Baroque music is closely intertwined with dance and Seong-Jin brings together works inspired by its energy and rhythmic drive. Handel supposedly describes the beats of a foundry in his Suite; years later, … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho plays the Emperor at the Edinburgh Festival

Philharmonia Orchestra Santtu-Matias Rouvali Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5 ‘Emperor’ Shostakovich: Symphony No 10 At the end of his first season as current Principal Conductor, inspirational young Finn Santtu-Matias Rouvali brings two mighty works of heroism and vision to the first of the Philharmonia’s concerts at this year’s International Festival. Outstanding … [Read More]

Seong-jin Cho returns to the Wigmore

At the time of posting, this concert is virtually sold out – he has a very enthusiastic following: Seong-Jin Cho Monday 25 October 2021 7:30PM Wigmore Hall | 36 Wigmore Street | London W1U 2BP Tickets £40 £35 £30 £25 £16 | Book tickets This concert will be approximately 2 hours in duration, including an … [Read More]

Seong-Jin Cho plays Prokofiev at the Proms

The second of three Proms this year featuring Korean performers: Prom 48: Rachmaninov, Prokofiev + Silvestri 19:30 Sat 24 Aug 2019 Royal Albert Hall Tickets £9.50 to £52 (plus booking fee) | Book tickets Seong-Jin Cho: piano BBC Symphony Orchestra Cristian Măcelaru: conductor Constantin Silvestri: Three Pieces for strings (11 mins) Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto … [Read More]

Brief review: Seong-jin Cho’s Rachmaninov at the Barbican

I can’t help feeling slightly disappointed at Seong-jin Cho’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto at the Barbican at the end of March. There was no shortage of virtuoso filligree fingerwork and moments of poetry, but somehow the performance as a whole lacked passion and fire. Perhaps part of the problem was rapport between orchestra … [Read More]

Seong-jin Cho plays Rachmaninov at the Barbican

Hear from the teenage Shostakovich in this all-Russian programme with conductor Gianandrea Noseda. Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto opens quietly enough, but this simple and beguiling beginning quickly gives way what is in fact one of the most technically demanding concertos in the classical piano repertoire. Its lush and romantic elegance is followed by Balakirev’s Islamey, … [Read More]

Seong-jin Cho plays Chopin in Oxford

This one will be popular: Seong-Jin Cho & the Oxford Philharmonic Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Sunday, 29 July 2018 – 20:00 Tickets: £42.00 £30.00 £20.00 £10.00 | Book tickets CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’ Seong-Jin Cho piano Marios Papadopoulos conductor … [Read More]

Event news: Seong-jin Cho’s St John’s Smith Square debut

Seong-jin Cho gives his first London recital after winning the International Chopin Piano Competition in October last year. Allocated seats for this all-Chopin programme sold out pretty quickly, but at the time of writing there are still some unreserved seats upstairs. Chopin Piano Competition Winner Seong-Jin Cho, piano Friday 11 March 2016, 7:30pm St John’s … [Read More]