Young musicians from Korea and Germany come together to create a stage of friendship and harmony.
On July 17, the DKU Symphonic Band (conducted by Professor Gunyong Lee) held a cultural exchange concert with the State Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg from Germany (conductor Björn Bus) at Dankook University’s Nanpa Concert Hall.
Dankook invited the Baden-Württemberg Orchestra to campus for the concert during the orchestra’s visit to Korea to take part in the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles’ (WASBE) 20th International Conference. The joint concert at Dankook featured 122 musicians, 49 from DKU and 73 from Germany. More than six hundred people filled the concert hall. The packed audience included the Dankook Foundation’s Honorary Chairman, Choong-sik Chang, DKU President, Soon-Cheol An, internal and external guests, along with international and DKU students.
The concert started with an exhilarating samulnori (Korean percussion music) performance from students majoring in traditional Korean music that immediately grabbed the attention of the audience, especially foreign guests. Afterward, the Wind Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg performed Mathias Wehr’s ‘Earthen Echoes Unveiled,’ Alexandre Kosmicki’s ‘Danse Satanique,’ Christiaan Janssen’s ‘Capriccio,’ and Bert Appermont’s ‘a Brussels Requiem.’ Then, the DKU Symphonic Band delivered a beautiful combination of Philip Sparke’s ‘Hanover Festival’ and Robert E. Jager’s ‘Sinfornia Nobilissima.’ The 122 young and talented musicians from the two countries created magnificent harmony and a grand atmosphere that made the audience forget about the hot summer and rainy season.
“We were able to deliver a memorable performance and make unforgettable memories at the Dankook campus thanks to the special invitation from Dankook’s Honorary Chairman, Choong-sik Chang, who is well-versed in culture and known for his love for music,” said Ilka Hermann, the principal horn of the Baden-Württemberg Orchestra. She went on to express her “deepest gratitude to DKU officials, including the Dankook Foundation Chairman, Hosung Chang, DKU President An, and Professor Lee who helped organize the concert [over] the past six months.” The DKU Symphonic Band and Baden-Württemberg Orchestra also gave a joint performance of Alfred Reed’s ‘Armenian Dances Part 1,’ led by conductor Björn Bus, and John Barnes Chance’s ‘Variations on a Korean Folk Song,’ conducted by professor Gunyong Lee.
The concert ended with a performance of variations on Arirang, the traditional Korean folk song most loved by the Korean people. The audience held their breath as the notes of Arirang, played by the German principal clarinet, spread throughout the silent concert hall. When the song ended, the audience roared with applause and a standing ovation. It was a beautiful moment when people of different nationalities and ages were united by music.