Seoul Arts Center to spend 5 billion won on seasonal orchestra for young musicians

The Seoul Arts Center will spend 5 billion won ($3.7 million) on a new 60-member orchestra composed of young musicians next year, a project that the music world is greeting with both hope and concern.

The arts center submitted the plan Thursday to the office of Rep. Cho Eun-hee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, as part of an initiative to give young musicians jobs and a stage.

The orchestra is a new project led by Seoul Arts Center President Chang Han-na, who took office in April. The orchestra will pay each member 2.5 million won a month.

"We will provide young artists jobs and a stage to perform on, and strengthen their skills as professional performers through mentoring and master classes," the arts center said in the plan.

Recruitment is set to begin in January of next year, with open auditions held on site in four regions, and final selections are expected around April. The orchestra will make its debut at the finale of the 2027 Symphony Festival at the Seoul Arts Center on April 24. After other performances, including a concert with pianist Lang Lang in June, it will disband in November or December.

"It is a seasonal orchestra that recruits members for each season," the arts center said. "We aim to hold at least three performances a month with a wide repertoire over the year, and we are also considering turning the recruitment process into broadcast and video content."

The 5 billion won price tag is large for the arts center. Its annual budget ran from 50 billion won to 62.1 billion won between 2023 and 2025, according to Alio, the government's disclosure system for public institutions.

Musicians' salaries account for 1.5 billion won of the 5 billion won, enough to pay 60 members 2.5 million won a month for 10 months. Performance costs and repertoire production for the 12 planned concerts will take 1.8 billion won, and auditions and operations 700 million won. The rest covers member training and support, employer social insurance contributions and the production of performance videos.

While the intention behind the plan is sound, some have expressed concern over the practicality of a short-lived ensemble.

"An orchestra needs time to reach a certain level of cohesion," Han Jeong-ho, an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University's Graduate School of Business and CEO of the classical music management company Etoile Classic, said.

"This new work extends to performances nationwide, and how it will fit with the Seoul Arts Center's existing functions needs to be reviewed thoroughly."

PPP Rep. Cho, who sits on the parliamentary committee that oversees the arts center, pointed to a more practical problem.

"The orchestra is meant to create jobs for young people, but its period of activity is short," Cho said. "That puts realistic limits on entrusting it even with pit performances for the full-length operas and ballets the Seoul Arts Center produces itself."

Others worry about the arts center funding a costly new project from its own budget. The center posted a net loss of 4.5 billion won last year and has an accumulated deficit of 82.4 billion won.

"The Korean National Symphony Orchestra is already in residence at the Seoul Arts Center, so the functions overlap," composer Ryu Jea-joon said. "If a new president and board come to see this orchestra as a burden after Chang's term ends, its future cannot be guaranteed."

BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]