NEWSLETTER_Vol. 34

The 9th Hic et Nunc! Music Festival unfolded across two weeks of music, literature, visual art, and new media, bringing together an exceptional group of international artists, including tenor Ian Bostridge, who reunited with Sejong Soloists for the first time in three years; conductor Hankyeol Yoon; visual artist Dávid Szauder; choreographer Karole Armitage; and pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, the first Asian woman to join the piano faculty at The Juilliard School. 

From Gustav Mahler’s enduring legacy and the profound musical language of György Kurtág to contemporary explorations in AI-based media art, this year’s festival brought different eras and artistic sensibilities into dialogue. 

Gustav Mahler by Sejong Soloists and Ian Bostridge

August 26, 2026｜Seoul Arts Center, Concert Hall

“Sejong Soloists’ steadfast commitment to bringing music of lasting value to audiences today continues to resonate strongly this year.”

— Asia Today

“By bringing the individual lines and colors of each instrument into clear relief, this meaningful performance looked beyond Mahler’s vast sonic landscape to rediscover the poetry at the heart of his songs.”

— Sisa Magazine

Commemorative Workshop for the 100th Anniversary of György Kurtág

György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente Workshop

August 27, 2026｜Platform-L Contemporary Art Center, Platform Live, Seoul
Leonard Fu, Violin and Yeree Suh, Soprano

“There is nothing accidental in Kurtág’s scores—not a single note, not even a rest. In an age when everything is consumed at ever greater speed, Kurtág shows us another way of moving through time: taking time to consider a single note and refining a work until it is complete. I believe this is precisely what we have the most to learn from him today. After all, art is ultimately less about how much we do than how deeply we are able to engage with it.”

— Yeree Suh, Bridge Economy 

Hic et Nunc! AI Salon with Visual Artist Dávid Szauder

August 25, 2026｜Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center Seoul

“In the Age of AI: Exploring the Purpose and Role of the Artist”

— Ji-woo Song, Journal of Music

Commemorative Concert for the 140th Anniversary of France–Korea Relations

Salon Concert Inspired by Marcel Proust

August 30, 2026｜L’Escape Hotel, 8F Event Hall, Seoul
Yeree Suh, Soprano; Leonard Fu, Violin; Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano; Sejong Soloists Quartet

“Proust’s words summon lost time through language, while music brings it back to life through the senses and emotions.”

— Jinha Kim, Journal of Music

“It was truly remarkable. It felt as though I had stepped into a Parisian music salon at the end of the 19th century. The performance was perfect.”

— French Audience Reaction

Young Virtuoso Series

David Bernat & Nina Bernat Duo — Korea Debut Recital

September 1, 2026｜Ilshin Hall, Seoul

“The three musicians—David Bernat, Nina Bernat, and Ilya Rashkovskiy—demonstrated an overwhelming level of virtuosity.”

“Nina Bernat handled the double bass with such agility and vitality, while drawing such brilliance and lyricism from the instrument, that it is difficult to imagine anyone today who possesses such mastery.” 

— Melos_Performance & Critical Review 

Juilliard Faculty in the Spotlight

Soyeon Kate Lee Piano Recital

September 2, 2026｜Seoul Arts Center,  IBK Chamber Hall

“A performance that demonstrated the artist’s ability to listen deeply to the composer’s unique voice and communicate it with clarity and conviction.” 

— Heesun Kim, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Music

Concert for Babies: Songs My Mother Taught Me

September 2, 2026｜Seoul Arts & Culture Education Center Seocho, Seoul Chamber Hall

Social Contribution Outreach Concert Series

September 3, 2026｜Haesung Girls’ High School / Sun Duk Won, Korea

Soyeon Kate Lee Piano Master Class

September 3, 2026｜Rubato Chamber Hall, Seoul

2026 Upcoming Performances