Seo, Diamond, and Brahms
Presented by Korean Cultural Center New York & New York Classical Players
Friday, March 21, 2025, 7:30 PM
Korean Cultural Center New York
(122 E 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016)
Tickets: FREE (Pre-registration is Required)
* RSVP and seating are on a first-come, first-served basis.
*Limited same-day standby tickets available.
◆ PROGRAM
Juri SEO / Songbird (premiere)
David DIAMOND / Rounds for String Orchestra
BRAHMS / Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102 (Arr. Yoomi Paick)
◆ ARTISTS
Dongmin Kim, conductor
Bella Hristova, violin
Carter Brey, cello
An evening of music unfolds with the innovative New York Classical Players. Under the direction of music director Dongmin Kim, the program includes the premiere performance of "Songbird" by distinguished Korean-American composer Juri Seo, a professor at Princeton University, followed by David Diamond’s vibrant "Rounds." The night culminates with Brahms’ iconic "Double Concerto," featuring soloists Bella Hristova and returning cellist Carter Brey. A captivating mix of contemporary and romantic music awaits, set against a breathtaking backdrop.
▲ Juri Seo (Composer)
Juri Seo is a Korean-born American composer and pianist based in Princeton, New Jersey. She seeks to write music that encompasses extreme contrast through compositions that are unified and fluid, yet complex. She merges many of the fascinating aspects of music from the past century—in particular its expanded timbral palette and unorthodox approach to structure—with a deep love of functional tonality, counterpoint, and classical form. With its fast-changing tempi and dynamics, her music explores the serious and the humorous, the lyrical and the violent, the tranquil and the obsessive. She hopes to create music that loves, that makes a positive change in the world—however small—through the people who are willing to listen.
Her composition honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress, a Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and the Andrew Imbrie Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship, the Ilshin Composer Prize, and the Otto Eckstein Fellowship from Tanglewood. She has received commissions from prominent organizations including the Fromm Foundation, the Barlow Endowment, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Goethe Institut, and Tanglewood. She has released three portrait albums: Toy Store with Carrier Records, and Mostly Piano and Respiri with Innova Recordings. She holds a D.M.A. (Dissertation: Jonathan Harvey's String Quartets, 2013) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she studied with Reynold Tharp. She has also attended the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome, first year of corsi di perfezionamento with Ivan Fedele) and Yonsei University (Seoul, B.M.). She is Associate Professor of Music at Princeton University.
▲ Dongmin Kim (Conductor)
Dongmin Kim is quickly establishing himself as one of the most inspiring and versatile conductors. He is the Music Director of the celebrated and innovative New York Classical Players (NYCP), a chamber orchestra comprised of today's most gifted instrumentalists. His recent and upcoming engagements on the world's prestigious stages include the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Herbst Theatre, Faulkner Performing Arts Center, Seoul Arts Center, and Lotte Concert Hall, to name a few.
Since founding NYCP in 2010, Mr. Kim has led around 250 concerts in the NYC metro area, three international tours from Asia to South America, a residency at Brown University, a statewide residency with seven state universities in Arkansas, and a US national tour with superstar soprano Sumi Jo. He led NYCP, stepping in at the last minute to take over the canceled English Chamber Orchestra's US tour, turning it into a great success.
Mr. Kim's career highlights include a guest appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and sold- out performances of The Magic Flute with the Seoul Arts Center Festival Orchestra. Most recently, he was invited by the Seoul Arts Center to conduct the KT Symphony Orchestra, and returned to the Round Top Music Festival to work with the Texas Festival Orchestra. His successful engagement the Round Top has led to another invitation for the summer of 2025. He has also been on the podium with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Minnesota Orchestra. Baltimore Symphony. Indianapolis Symphony. Jacksonville Symphony, San Antonio Symphony. Virginia Symphony, and Winnipeg Symphony, among others.
Mr. Kim collaborates with some of the world's renowned artists, including Miriam Fried, Donald Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Cho-Liang Lin, Pamela Frank, Carter Brey, Charles Neidich, Peter Wiley, Carol Wincenc, Kun-Woo Paik, HaeSun Paik, Chee-Yun, Stefan Jackiw, Yeol Eun Son, Clara Jumi Kang. Hsin-Yun Huang. Richard O'Neill. Jasmine Choi. and Kyung Sun Lee.
He was a proud recipient of the prestigious Herbert von Karajan Fellowship, selected by the members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which resulted in a residency at the distinguished Salzburg Music Festival. Mr. Kim was on the conducting staff at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as the Schmidt Conducting Fellow. working with Raymond Leppard, Mario Venzago, Christoph Poppen, Lynn Harrell, André Watts, Garrick Ohlsson, and Lang Lang.
As a keen advocate of contemporary music, Mr. Kim has performed with leading composers such as George Crumb, Samuel Adler, Harrison Birtwistle. Jennifer Higdon, Dobrinka Tabakova, Vivian Fung, Eric Nathan, and Texu Kim. He recently recorded a series of chamber orchestra pieces by legendary composer Samuel Adler. released on Toccata Classics, which was hailed by Pizzicato Magazine Luxembourg. He also recorded with Haeran Hong. the first Asian winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, for Korean Art Songs for Warner Classics.
A noted violinist, Mr. Kim has served in principal viola positions, including with the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. As a recitalist and chamber musician. Mr. Kim has performed throughout the United States, South America, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
A native of Seoul, Mr. Kim studied Orchestral Conducting and Viola at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His musical mentors include Kurt Masur, Janos Starker, Alan de Vertich, Leonard Slatkin. Imre Pallo, Thomas Baldner, and David Effron. Mr. Kim resides in New York City with his wife, Sally.
◆ New York Classical Players
New York Classical Players (NYCP) is an ensemble dedicated to the highest standards of artistry, collaboration, and virtuosity. Inspired by the belief that access to musical excellence is an essential human right, NYCP presents all concerts free of charge.
NYCP celebrates fifteen years of igniting New York City’s soul with the magic of music. What began as a vision has grown into a powerful legacy of artistic passion and community spirit. Driven by the belief that music is a right, not a luxury, we recommit to offering unparalleled, free classical performances to every New Yorker, because music is the heartbeat of our shared humanity.