The 2023 Asia tour began with two concerts in the South Korean capital of Seoul. What a start! Tickets for both concerts sold out in just 40 seconds; and the enthusiasm was evident in the audience. The Berliner Philharmoniker was warmly welcomed; and it has been some time since we last saw such a long queue for autographs. We look back at a successful start in Seoul.
The Berliner Philharmoniker have not been to South Korea since 2017. The long-awaited reunion was accordingly joyful. On the first evening, the orchestra played Mozart’s Symphony No. 29, Berg’s Three Orchestral Pieces op. 6 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. On the second evening, pianist Seong-Jin Cho joined the orchestra as soloist. He performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, followed by Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben on the programme.