Hanwha Youth Orchestra kicks off 2026 season, bridging arts education gaps

Hanwha Group announced Wednesday that it has completed recruitment for the 2026 class of its flagship social contribution program, the Hanwha Youth Orchestra, and held the first session on April 14. Around 60 new members will receive music education over approximately one year.

Now in its 13th year, the Hanwha Youth Orchestra is a music education program run jointly by Hanwha Group and the Korea Mecenat Association. It provides fully subsidized instruction to elementary, middle and high school students in Cheonan and Cheongju who have limited access to classical music, with the aim of closing gaps in arts education.

The program is rooted in the philosophy of "El Sistema," the Venezuelan social music education model launched in 1975. El Sistema goes beyond teaching musical technique — its goal is to help marginalized youth build self-esteem and a sense of community, and to grow into active participants in their own lives.

President Lee Jae Myung referenced El Sistema at a meeting with artists and cultural figures last June, saying policy-level support for music education targeting young people is needed. Members receive structured instrument lessons from professional instructors and experience the values of cooperation and communication through ensemble performance. Some graduates have gone on to enroll in music colleges.

Beyond the Hanwha Youth Orchestra, Hanwha Group continues its youth-focused social contribution work through three additional programs: "Clean School," which creates eco-friendly after-school care spaces at elementary schools; "Pebbles in Space," a space-science talent development project for middle school students; and the "Hanwha Science Challenge," a science competition program for high school students.