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Rapper Changmo blends hit songs with orchestra in upcoming concert at Sejong Center

Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 17:20 Updated: 05 Mar. 2026, 19:33

Rapper Changmo speaks during a press conference at Sejong Arts Academy Circle Hall in central Seoul on March 4. [YONHAP]

Rapper Changmo will take the stage as both a hip-hop artist and a pianist at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno District, central Seoul, blending his hit songs with classical music in an orchestral concert in May.

The performance will take place on May 9 and 10 at the venue with about 3,000 seats, as part of the “2026 Sejong Concert Series I [Changmo: The Emperor].” Changmo will present both his signature hip-hop tracks and piano performances in a program that reinterprets his music with a 50-member orchestra.

“I never imagined that performing at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts would become part of my career.” Changmo, 31, whose real name is Ku Chang-mo, said during a news conference on Wednesday at the Sejong Center. "I dreamed of becoming a classical pianist when I was young, but had to give it up. Now something I once only dreamed of has become reality.”

Changmo also gave a “shout out,” a hip-hop expression of respect and gratitude, to Ahn Ho-sang, president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, who proposed the project and joined the news conference.

Changmo, who made his solo debut in 2014, rose to prominence as a rapper and music producer with hit songs such as “Maestro” (2016), “Meteor” (2019) and “Wish” (2019).

He won Record Producer of the Year at the 10th Gaon Chart Music Awards and Best R&B Hip-Hop at the 35th Golden Disc Awards in 2021, in addition to four prizes at the Korean Hip-hop Awards, including Artist of the Year in 2022.

The concert will combine Changmo’s hip-hop music with classical performance.

Rapper Changmo speaks during a press conference at Sejong Arts Academy Circle Hall in central Seoul on March 4. [YONHAP]

The first act, titled “The Dream,” will open with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” (1811), with Changmo performing on the piano. Changmo once hoped to pursue classical piano professionally.

“I had to give up my dream of becoming a pianist because of financial difficulties,” Changmo said. “It has been quite some time since I played the piano regularly. I cannot play every song, but I am practicing hard.

The second act, “The Voice,” will reinterpret Changmo’s major hip-hop songs through orchestral arrangements. The orchestration will be led by music director Lee Kwang-il, a composer affiliated with SM Classics, SM Entertainment’s classical music project that produces orchestral and crossover performances.

“I tried to move beyond simply recreating hip-hop and classical music,” Lee said. “I wanted to show a meeting of genres while structurally integrating them."

The third act, “The Emperor,” will combine elements from the first two acts, while the final act, “Finale,” will premiere a new song by Changmo performed with the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus.

Changmo also visited Beethoven’s grave in Vienna, Austria, in January ahead of his concert.

“I visited his grave to pay my respects, like offering New Year’s greetings,” he said. “I wrote a new song in Vienna, where the grave is located, and will premiere it at the Sejong Center.”

The concert will also mark the first hip-hop performance at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, which mainly hosts classical productions.

“This project is not just about putting popular music on the Grand Theater stage,” Ahn said. “We wanted to present Changmo’s music in a way that fits a performing arts venue. The concert will give audiences a new experience that reflects the openness and artistic spirit of a public theater.”

Ahn Ho-sang, president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, speaks during a press conference at Sejong Arts Academy Circle Hall in central Seoul on March 4. [YONHAP]

Changmo echoed the idea of blending genres in the upcoming performance.

“Both classical music and hip-hop are music,” Changmo said. “Classical composers and hip-hop producers share the same desire to create good music. I want to deliver a memorable performance so that even people who do not know of me will search for Changmo after the show."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HA NAM-HYUN [[email protected]]