The sound of Polish music

The Polish Embassy in Seoul hosted a reception on Oct. 16 after the closing concert of the 18th Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF), where Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbanski, artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic, led the SIMF Orchestra at Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa District, southern Seoul.

Poland was the festival’s featured country this year, partly to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Polish composer Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (1876-1909). The program included Karlowicz's symphonic poem “Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecim,” Op. 12, a violin concerto by SIMF Artistic Director Ryu Jae-joon, a Korean composer who studied under Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki and has received Poland’s Gloria Artis medal from its culture minister.

“Indeed, this is the true spirit of the Seoul International Music Festival: collaboration across continents and cultures, which helps us to fully appreciate that despite the diversity, music is a carrier of universal values,” said Polish Ambassador Bartosz Wisniewski at the reception.

BY SEO JI-EUN   [[email protected]]