The Seocho Symphony Orchestra, a resident ensemble of the Seocho Culture Foundation in Seoul's Seocho-gu, will bring its seven-year marathon to a close Thursday with the final concert of its "Complete Haydn Symphony Series" at Banpo Simsan Art Hall in the Simsan Memorial Cultural Center, the district announced.
Launched in 2020, the series set out to perform all 107 symphonies by Joseph Haydn — known as the "father of the symphony" — on a single stage. The project is believed to be the first of its kind in South Korea, and one of very few instances worldwide in which a single orchestra has performed a single composer's complete symphonic output at one venue.
The finale concert is titled "Complete Haydn Symphony Series 35 – London." Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su is scheduled to present a certificate of appreciation to Music Director Bae Jong-hun at the event to mark the completion of the full cycle. The Seocho Culture Foundation will also present certificates of appreciation to the five audience members with the most concert attendances, and will produce an archive video documenting the seven-year journey.
Building on the milestone, the district plans to seek a Guinness World Record for the achievement of a single orchestra performing all 107 Haydn symphonies live at a single venue. The district said it intends to use the recognition to raise the profile of Seocho-gu's cultural and artistic competitiveness at home and abroad, and to strengthen its standing as a hub of K-classical music.
Founded in 2016, the Seocho Symphony Orchestra has established itself as a leading cultural institution in the district through the Seoripul Music Festival and a range of other programmed performances. The orchestra has also carried K-classical music to international audiences through a world tour to countries that fought alongside South Korea in the Korean War, a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2023 marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice and the South Korea-US alliance, and a concert in Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom and Germany in 2025 commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation.
This year holds particular significance for the orchestra, as its 10th anniversary coincides with the completion of the Haydn cycle. In April, the ensemble was invited to the World AI Film Festival (WAIFF) in Cannes, France, where it performed a program blending AI and classical music under the theme "Symphony of AI & Human," showcasing Seocho's vision as an AI special zone on the international stage.
The concert has sold out amid strong interest from residents. For further information, contact the Seocho Culture Foundation's website or its performance project team.
"It is deeply meaningful to celebrate both the 10th anniversary of the Seocho Symphony Orchestra and the completion of all 107 Haydn symphonies together," District Mayor Jeon said. "We will continue to spare no effort in supporting our residents so they can enjoy high-quality cultural and artistic experiences in their everyday lives through world-class classical performances."
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