Artiste: Yekwon Sunwoo

Two contemporary works pave the way for a big Tchaikovsky pairing at the Seoul Arts Center, with Yekwon Sunwoo joining the Hong Kong Philharmonic for the First Piano Concerto. 

Like the grainy intensity of a high-contrast black-and-white photograph, these rugged edges accentuated Mahler’s expressive extremes, reaffirming the conductor’s innate flair for crafting a grand aesthetic narrative within the symphony’s expansive architecture.

The ballet culminates with fouettés, bravura leaps from the oversized ensemble and a rousing finish with all 44 dancers onstage. It was an exuberant end to an intelligent, satisfying production, both of thought and movement.

José Luis Gomez saves the day for the RSNO at Usher Hall. 

With concerts featuring Myung-whun Chung at the piano, Pinchas Zukerman leading from the podium, and inventive programming from Chief Conductor Andrea Battistoni, the Tokyo Philharmonic’s 2025 season straddles many divides.