The House Concert: Chamber music in Seoul

Despite the location–uberwealthy Dogok-dong, an area of Gangnam-gu in Seoul–Park Chang-soo’s The House Concerts (하우스콘서트) are inexpensive, simple and welcoming. Almost every week for the past ten years Park, a pianist himself, has hosted chamber music concerts (house concert, get it?) covering a variety of genres—traditional Korean music (국악, etc), Jazz, classical music, experimental, and so on. Usually on Fridays at 8pm, these intimate concerts cost 20,000 won and do not require reservations. Audience members arrive a bit early, pull-up a cushion and sit on the hard-wood floor. Last summer The House Concert also organised a nationwide “One Day Festival” with small-scale concerts held in towns and cities across South Korea–in Gangneung, Iksan, Gimhae, and more.

Most of these House Concerts are poorly advertised, except in Korean. I will try to post upcoming concerts often. There is a bit in English here and here.

Where: Concerts take place in Yul House (율 하우스), in the lower floor of Sukjeon building (석전빌딩) next to Dogok 2-dong community service centre. The nearest subway station is Maebong(매봉) on line 3 (exit no.4). Map.

Transportation      Subway: Maebong Stations (매봉역) exit 4. Walk around 400m south (see map)
Bus: Buses that go to the area include: N37 (blue), 402 (blue), 4319 (green): get off at Maebong Station stop.
141 (blue) get off at Dogok Gaepo Hanshin Apartments (도곡동개포한신아파트)
4412 (green), 641 (blue) get off at Seocho Senior Welfare Centre (Seocho noin buk ji gwan 서초노인복지관)
3012 (green) get off at Maebong Station Yangjae Choi Hospital (Maebong-nyeok yangjae jae-eui-won 매봉역양재최의원)
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An upcomming concert to check out  >>>
Trio Clono: Jang Jong-seon (장종선) Clarinet, Keal Hee Jung(길희정) Cello, Yu Ju-yeon (유주연) Piano

When: Friday, Feb. 21st, 8pm
Where: Yul House (율 하우스), Dogok-dong, Seoul
Who can attend: anyone
Ticket price: 20,000won
Concert length: unknown
Contact: 010-2223-7061

PROGRAM
Adolf Schreiner (1847-1921) – Immer Kleiner (Always Smaller, a humorous fantasy) for Clarinet and Piano
Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856)– Fantasie stuecke for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)– Klarinetten Trio
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)– Four seasons of Buenos Aires, Winter and Spring

Jang Jongsun studied music at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf and the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. He completed a post-graduate course at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg and has won several national and international competitions. He has performed as principal clarinetist at home and abroad and is funded by a scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD.

Keal Hee Jung graduated from the National School of Music in Duesseldorf with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She was supported by the Yehudi Menuhin Scholarship Foundation and worked as a cellist at Germany’s Mendelssohn Festival and was a participant at the Ticino Musica masterclasses in Lugano, Switzerland. She plays with the KBS Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble TIMF and teaches at Sunwha Arts School.

Yu Ju-yeon is a graduate of Yonsei University College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. She has given solo and chamber music recitals at the Sejong Center, Seoul Arts Center and Carnegie Hall. She currently works as an accompanist at Yewon Arts School.

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If you go, let us know how it was  (: