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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Sejong Soloists Feature Paula Zahn and Masterpiece Instruments

A Korea Foundation Special Concert, “Violin Stories with Paula Zahn and the Sejong Soloists,” was staged at the Hoam Art Center on March 18, 2009. For an attendance of distinguished figures and guests, along with local enthusiasts of classical music, the concert featured Sejong, the New Yorkbased ensemble, and Paula Zahn, as guest performer.



Sejong Ensemble
Since its founding in 1995 by Professor Hyo Kang of the Julliard School of New York, the Sejong ensemble has delighted audiences worldwide with more than 350 concert performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Highly acclaimed as “one of the world’s best ensembles” by the CNN network, Sejong arranged a “Violin Stories” program for the special concert hosted by the Korea Foundation. Of note, the ensemble’s musical talent was further accentuated by the use of masterpiece violins, which included creations by the worldrenowned Italian masters Antonio Stradivari and Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu.
The concert opened with a presentation of Hayden’s Notturno in F major, and then a solo performance by violinist Frank Huang of John Corigliano’s Red Violin Caprices on an ex-Cobbett Stradivarius, and Primavera Porteno composed by A. Piazzolla, which had been featured in “The Red Violin.” Thereafter, Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 (Gypsy Airs) was performed with a “Ruby,” made in 1708. Characterized by a contrast of the deliberate and animated melodies of Hungarian gypsy music, Zigeunerweisen led the audience on a fascinating musical journey, based on violinist ChenXi’s emotional rendition.



Longtime Relationship
The concer t was highl ighted by the guest performer, Paula Zahn, a former CNN anchor person and current host of “Sunday Arts” on PBS. Her relationship with Sejong dates back to some ten years when she accepted a request from the ensemble to emcee a special concert. Impressed by the exceptional talent and passion of the Sejong performers, she arranged for the ensemble’s appearance at a special Christmas concert in 2002, while she was working for CNN. Paula Zahn is herself an accomplished cellist, who started to play the cello at the age of five. She went on to debut with the New York Pops Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall, in 1992, and has also performed there with the Sejong ensemble, in 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Masterpiece Instruments
The evening’s feast of classical music, played on masterpiece violins, continued with violinist Yang Jiin’s performance of “Estrellita” (Little Star) composed by musical prodigy Manuel Ponce and arranged by Heifetz, on a Pietro Guarneri violin produced in 1735. The lyrical tones of Estrellita were followed by a solo performance of Legend Op. 17, by Kyoto Takezawa, on a Wieniawski. Named after the renowned Polish violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski, the Wieniawski is a famed violin that reveals the exquisite balance of Guarneri instruments. The magnificent encounter of such a masterpiece instrument and a foremost violinist cannot be adequately described in words alone. As for Paula Zahn’s appearance at center stage, she performed “Morning of the Carnival” from the “Black Orpheus” soundtrack, together with the Sejong members. Her musical talent was all the more impressive, in light of her successful career in journalism. After the program concluded with a presentation of Elgar’s “Introduction and Allegro” for s, the appreciative audience gave an enthusiastic and lengthy round of applause for such a marvelous musical experience.

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