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Korean Quartet Performs in India, Pakistan

The atmosphere at the TaTa Theatre, one of the best performance facilities in Mumbai, India, was very distracting on November 21 as the Korean quartet was having a last-minute rehearsal right before their first performance. Many of the local staff members ─ and there were more than necessary ─ had volunteered to help and were ceaselessly making noise. There was so much noise that they were actually disturbing the rehearsal, but Professor Kim Hyun-mi, the first violinist, gave us a signal not to stop them. They were, after all, trying to help us, and we thought it better to accept their hospitality in their way.

As the performance time came closer, however, the tension hovering over the four quartet members and their accompanying pianist Professor Kim Keum-bong, grew stronger. The theater was somewhat large for a chamber music performance. The concert in Mumbai was the first of the classical music performances touring the three Southwest Asian countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the need for success was a burden on the ps.

Indian Audience Called for an Encore
Performance at Kolkata, IndiaQuartet 21, dispatched by the Foundation to Southwest Asia, had already received recognition at home and abroad and had practiced for several months before the tour, so there was no doubt about the quality of the musicians.

When Schumann's Piano Quintet (Op. 44 in E flat major) was played as the last piece of the performance, Consul General Chung Dong-il of the Korean Consulate Agency in Mumbai, a supporter of the event, gave the thumbs-up sign to the ps. The audience stood up and called for an encore.

For more than ten years, the Korea Foundation has sent Korean performing arts troupes all over the world. Most performances, however, involved Korea's traditional music and dance. Quartet 21's performance in Southwest Asia presented a new direction for the Foundation's cultural exchange support program.

The performance in the ancient city of Kolkata, in eastern India, also received an enthusiastic response from the local audience. Kolkata's fame as India's most cultural city was evident in the audience's deep absorption in the quartet's music. GD Birla Sabhagar, where the concert was held, is an impressive venue. Classical musicians from Germany, Finland and Belgium staged a performance to celebrate European Cultural Week in the very same place, one month before the performance of Quartet 21.

Quartet 21 returned to Korea after their performances in India because Pakistan and Bangladesh were still in Ramadan. The Quartet left for Islamabad, Pakistan, the third city of the tour, on December 8. Despite heavy snow, our flight departed as scheduled and, ten hours later, we finally arrived via Beijing at the Islamabad International Airport, basking in the much warmer weather.

Music Symbolized Friendship with Pakistan
Quartet 21 rehearsal in Pakistan (Korean Embassy in Pakistan)We decided to have a rehearsal for the Islamabad concert at the downtown Korean Embassy. The theater for the performance was not available, which turned out to be a blessing. There was a comfortable, quiet place appropriate for practice in the embassy. Having prepared for the concert in Pakistan at the Korean Embassy for several months, I was hopeful that it would be a success. But I wondered how an Islamic audience might respond to our performance.

It was difficult to find any vacant seats at the Islamabad Club long before the performance began. It was even more difficult to start the performance on time because of a rush of newspaper and broadcasting people as well as audience. Naturally, their response to the performance was enthusiastic. The Nation, Pakistan's daily newspaper, reported that the Korean musicians' music and smiles symbolized the friendship between Pakistan and Korea in their twentieth year of diplomatic relations. Although it was somewhat regretful that camera flashes and noises did not stop throughout the performance, we were grateful for the local interest in our performance.

Korean Day in Bangladesh
After a concert in Karachi, following the one in Islamabad, we headed for Bangladesh, the last country of the tour. We used a reception hall at the Korean Embassy in Bangladesh for our performance because it was difficult to find another suitable place for classical music. The hall was somewhat inconvenient because it was not built for musical performance. Both the musicians and audience, however, found the concert very satisfying. The audience enjoyed a rare performance of classical music, while the musicians were grateful for the local audience's passionate reaction.

The hall was very crowded. Twenty high-ranking Bangladeshi government officials and leaders of cultural and commercial sectors were in attendance to celebrate thirty years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Bangladesh. A friendly atmosphere was maintained throughout the performance. When the quartet played a traditional Korean tune, Gyeongbokgung Taryeong, as an encore, the audience was quite excited. A Korean buffet was offered to the audience at the embassy garden after the performance. The audience enjoyed the opportunity to taste Korean food alongside members of Quartet 21. It was truly a Korean Day.

Power of Art Bridges People's Hearts
I believe that Korean artists and foreign audiences can share feelings through performance and that this is the biggest gain from overseas performances. Such sharing is the beginning of understanding other people's hearts, beyond their looks and ways of living.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the five musicians, Kim Hyun-mi, Jang Hye-ra, We Chan-joo, Park Kyung-ok and Kim Keum-bong, who gave wonderful performances despite sometimes unsatisfactory conditions, including schedules, weather and performance facilities. A member of the group told me that she came to think of their tour as a mission. Many thanks for her thought. Finally, Korean ambassadors to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and embassy staff members also contributed behind the scenes to each successful performance. Thank you all for a successful tour.

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