KG Philharmonic holds opera gala at Seoul Arts Center, invites firefighters and police

The KG Philharmonic Orchestra, a youth ensemble operated by KG Group's Kwak Jae-seon Cultural Foundation, staged an opera gala at Seoul Arts Center, showcasing its young musicians while inviting firefighters, police officers and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) donors as a gesture of gratitude through the arts.

The orchestra announced Monday that it held the "World Class Vocalist Series 2026 K-Opera Gala" at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on June 19.

The concert marked the orchestra's fifth public performance since its founding in 2025. The KG Philharmonic Orchestra is a youth ensemble made up of young classical musicians who graduated from music schools in Korea and abroad.

The orchestra has built its stage experience through a New Year's concert, the World Class Vocalist Series and a Masterpiece Series featuring a collaboration with violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The June 19 program combined opera arias with Korean art songs, aiming to demonstrate both broad appeal and artistic polish.

Music director Seo Hui-tae conducted the performance. Soprano Kim Hyo-young, tenor Lee Gi-eop and baritone Park Samuel appeared as soloists, all introduced as next-generation Korean vocal artists active on the international stage.

The first half featured "Je crois entendre encore" from Bizet's opera "Les pêcheurs de perles," alongside arias and Italian songs by Gounod, Mozart, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. The second half turned to Korean repertoire, with performances of "Singosan Taryeong," "Ari Arirang" and the Korean art song "Sannoeul."

The full program comprised 16 pieces, pairing familiar operatic highlights with Korean melodies to make the concert accessible to general audiences as well as classical enthusiasts.

The event also carried a community outreach dimension. The Kwak Jae-seon Cultural Foundation invited firefighters and police officers who serve public safety, as well as WWF donors who have supported environmental conservation efforts.

The foundation said the invitations were intended to go beyond a one-off performance and extend comfort to different corners of society through the arts. It added that it plans to give young artists professional stage experience while broadening public access to high-quality classical music.

Corporate cultural foundations have increasingly been combining support for emerging artists with community outreach programs. Amid an economic slowdown and rising production costs, private sponsorship has drawn attention as a key channel for giving up-and-coming musicians opportunities to perform.

The orchestra also unveiled the inaugural issue of its magazine-style program book, "KGPO Encore," at the concert. The publication included program notes, tips on appreciating opera and behind-the-scenes stories from the performance.

"The KG Philharmonic Orchestra was founded to help young musicians spread their wings, rooted in KG Group's philosophy of sustainable management," a foundation official said. "We will continue to support the growth of young musicians and proactively reach out to those who are marginalized or in need of warmth, expanding our positive influence."