French National Orchestra to tour Korea, collaborate with pianist Shin Chang-yong

The Orchestre National de Metz Grand Est, a distinguished ensemble based in northeastern France, is set to embark on a tour of South Korea this September. The orchestra will perform in five cities, beginning with the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon on September 15, followed by dates in Seoul, Andong, Daegu, and Busan.

This tour, commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and Korea, is jointly organized by Labora Arts Planning and Young & ILEUM, with The Hankyoreh newspaper serving as the host for the Seoul performance. Founded in 1976, the Metz orchestra is one of 12 national orchestras designated by the French government. Its proximity to the borders of Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg has allowed it to absorb diverse European cultures, contributing to its unique musical identity. The orchestra, a source of pride for Metz, a UNESCO "Creative City of Music," is recognized as one of France's fastest-growing prestigious ensembles, performing approximately 90 concerts worldwide annually.

Under the direction of young maestro David Reiland, who serves as its music and artistic director, the orchestra is acclaimed for its skillful interpretation of lyrical repertoire and its delicate expressiveness. Reiland himself shares a significant connection with Korea, having led the Metz orchestra on its return to the country in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic. That tour included collaborations with violinist Yang In-mo across five cities. Reiland has also had a notable career in Korea, including the premiere of Kurt Weill's "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" with the National Opera in 2019 and his tenure as artistic director and chief conductor of the Korean Symphony Orchestra from 2022.

The program for the tour will feature Impressionist masterpieces such as Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" and "La Mer," alongside Ravel's "La Valse," known for its depiction of hidden madness beneath elegant dance. A highlight of the concerts will be the collaboration with pianist Shin Chang-yong for Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, a piece considered exceptionally difficult and often referred to as a "colossal mountain" for pianists. This concerto gained prominence when Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky Competition with it in 1958 and was later popularized in Korea by Lim Yun-chan's performance at the Van Cliburn Competition finals. Shin Chang-yong, who has previously received acclaim for his performance of this concerto in Korea, described it as a work demanding immense stamina, technical skill, and a relentless, breathless intensity for its 45-minute duration.