Cho Seong-Jin (Berliner Philharmoniker official website)
Pianist Cho Seong-Jin has been named the artist-in-residence of the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic for the 2024-25 season.
The announcement of the appointment posted on the German orchestra's website on Wednesday said Cho will present five programs during his residency, which includes programs with the Berlin Philharmonic, collaborations with members of the orchestra, chamber music concerts and a solo recital featuring the complete piano works of Maurice Ravel.
In October this year, Cho will perform Dmitri Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 35 with the Berlin Philharmonic. In December, he will perform with members of the Berlin Philharmonic to present chamber music pieces by Johannes Brahms, Gyorgy Ligeti and Bela Bartok.
In January next year, Cho will perform with the Karajan Academy, a prestigious music academy that trains young musicians. In this performance, he will introduce a piece by Korean composer Shin Dong-hoon, "My Shadow," with a string orchestra. He will also perform works by Beethoven and Chopin.
In March, Cho will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as the "Emperor Concerto." The following month he will hold a solo recital performing the complete piano works of the French composer Ravel.
In an interview published on the Berlin Philharmonic website, Cho expressed his joy at becoming the artist-in-residence. "It was like paradise for me because I could curate the program however I wanted," he said.
On his plan to perform all of Ravel’s piano works in one evening, Cho admitted it would be a challenge, both mentally and physically, but stressed that he had always dreamed of the program. He added that the program would be a nice way to pay tribute to Ravel, as 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
Cho called his profession a “lifelong journey,” emphasizing that he would endeavor to polish his musical depth rather than setting an ultimate goal.
Cho made history in October 2015 by becoming the first Korean and the third Asian to win the International Chopin Piano Competition.
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