SEOUL, South Korea — Classical music fans in Seoul are getting an early taste of what promises to be a major Beethoven year as the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts prepares to host a highly anticipated concert pairing works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms.
The October 4, 2026 performance will bring together celebrated conductor Myung-Whun Chung, the KBS Symphony Orchestra and pianist Sunwook Kim for a program built around two giants of the classical repertoire.
The concert arrives ahead of a major anniversary year for Beethoven in 2027, when the classical music world will mark 200 years since the composer’s death in 1827.
Beethoven and Brahms take center stage
The Sejong Center program pairs two works that demonstrate the contrasting musical worlds of Beethoven and Brahms.
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 will feature Sunwook Kim as soloist, followed after intermission by Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73.
The pairing also highlights a major historical connection between the two composers.
Brahms, born in 1833, came of age in a musical world profoundly shaped by Beethoven. His own symphonic writing was frequently discussed in relation to Beethoven’s legacy, making the pairing particularly fitting as the anniversary of Beethoven’s death approaches.
A major Seoul classical-music event
The performance is especially notable because it brings together three prominent figures in Korean classical music: Chung, one of Korea’s most internationally recognized conductors; the KBS Symphony Orchestra; and pianist Sunwook Kim, who has maintained a long-running artistic relationship with Chung.
The Sejong Center describes the concert as a significant moment in Chung’s Korean orchestral career, coming toward the end of 2026 and ahead of his next major international chapter as music director of Teatro alla Scala.
That combination gives the concert significance beyond the repertoire itself.
Why 2027 matters for Beethoven
Beethoven died in Vienna in 1827, making 2027 the 200th anniversary of his death.
The anniversary is expected to generate major performances, recordings, festivals and educational programs internationally.
Seoul is already showing signs of that coming Beethoven focus. At the Seoul Arts Center, pianist Sunwook Kim’s schedule includes a Beethoven piano-sonata cycle beginning in January 2027 and continuing throughout the year.
The broader Korean classical scene is therefore positioning Beethoven’s music prominently as the anniversary approaches.
Brahms also remains firmly in the spotlight
The Beethoven anniversary does not mean Brahms is being pushed into the background.
Seoul’s concert calendar has featured substantial Brahms programming throughout 2026, including performances of his symphonies at the Sejong Arts Center and other major venues. The Sejong Arts Center’s 2026 schedule lists Brahms’ Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 and 4 among its orchestral programs.
That continuing interest makes the Beethoven-Brahms pairing especially timely.
A concert designed as a bridge between eras
The October performance can be viewed as more than an anniversary warm-up.
Beethoven represented a turning point between the Classical and Romantic eras, while Brahms emerged decades later as one of the composers most closely associated with the continuation and reinterpretation of the German symphonic tradition.
Putting their music together allows audiences to hear that musical conversation directly.
For Seoul’s classical-music community, the concert also offers a chance to experience two major works performed by an orchestra, conductor and soloist with strong international credentials.
Seoul prepares for a Beethoven year
As 2027 approaches, Beethoven’s music is likely to become an increasingly visible part of Korea’s cultural calendar.
The Sejong Center’s October concert gives audiences an early opportunity to experience that momentum, while other Korean venues are preparing their own Beethoven-related programs.
For classical-music fans, the anniversary is shaping up to be less about looking backward and more about rediscovering why Beethoven’s music continues to command international attention nearly two centuries after his death.
The countdown to Beethoven’s 200th death anniversary has begun—and Seoul is already setting the stage with a concert that brings Beethoven and Brahms together in one powerful musical statement.
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