Foreign Orchestras Cancel Korean Tours

Amid the financial downturn, several big overseas orchestras scheduled to perform in South Korea this year have CANCELLED, boohoo:

• April: Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra with maestro Chung Myung-whun called it quits; also cancelled Japan tour
• May: Korean sponsors uninvited thePittsburgh Symphony due to the terrible exchange rate.
• October: Cincinnati Symphony's Korean debut with flutist Choi Na-kyung is cancalled; also called off Taiwan tour, but Japan tour remains intact. Facing financial troubles, the American ensemble was forced to cut 20 percent from salaries for orchestra members, said Vincero, the local concert organizer.
• December: Dmitiri Kitajenko-led Vienna Symphonywithdrew plans to tour Korea and China.

Until recently, orchestra performances were the cream of the crop among classical concerts here, as they often attracted generous corporate sponsorship and high ticket sales. But such concerts are now a mounting concern for organizers, as unfavorable exchange rates raise guarantees and airfare, while corporate sponsorship and profits are dwindling.

Last fall, in spite of successful ticket sales and positive reviews, organizers of the La Scala Opera Theater Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts suffered a deficit due to the weak won. As various Asian tours are being called off, European and North American orchestras and music management agencies are also suffering.

But!

Tours by the Northern Sinfonia, led by Thomas Zehetmair featuring pianist Lim Dong-hyek as soloist on March 29, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, with violinist Kwun Hyuk-joo on April 16, remain intact.

Concertgoers can also look forward to performances by domestic troupes such as the Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony and Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Seoul Arts Center is hosting the Orchestra Festival all throughout April.