Korean Cultural Institute – KBS Symphony Orchestra Quintet  

Church Window Mask

Saturday 12 August 7.30pm

Since its establishment in 1956, the KBS Symphony Orchestra (KBSSO) has been leading the growth of the classical music community in Korea with its high-caliber performances.

  • Getting here

    We are at 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street, about 200 yards from Piccadilly Circus.

  • The orchestra performs over 100 concerts annually, including its highly-praised subscription series, seasonal and thematic concerts, invitational concerts for local cities and corporations, and cultural outreach activities that bring classical music to every corner of Korea. The KBSSO’s much-admired music is also regularly broadcast on TV and radio, enabling the Korean public to enjoy classical music no matter the time or place.

    A number of world-class conductors have led the orchestra over the decades, starting with Lim Won-sik, the inaugural chief conductor, and including Hong Yeon-taek, Won Kyung-su, Othmar Maga, Chung Myung-whun, Dmitri Kitaenko, and Yoel Levi. Pietari Inkinen was appointed the ninth music director of the KBSSO in 2022, raising expectations for its growth from the nation’s foremost musical institution into one of the top orchestras worldwide. The orchestra now serves as the driving force of classical music in Korea.

    KBSSO was established in 1956 under the Korean Broadcasting System, the leading public broadcaster in Korea at the time. Having been acquired by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Public Information in 1969 as a national institute, the orchestra returned to its original home at KBS in 1981.

    S. Kim / Hommage a Antal Dorati for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello

    Ⅰ. La Cigale
    Ⅱ. Romance
    Ⅲ. Lettre d'amour
    Ⅳ. Berceuse
    Ⅴ. A.D.

    G. Finzi / Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet, Op.21
    A. Borodin / String Quartet No. 2 in D Major

    Ⅰ. Allegro moderato
    Ⅱ. Scherzo. Allegro
    Ⅲ. Notturno. Andante
    Ⅳ. Finale: Andante — Vivace