KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS 2025 - Jaha Koo <Haribo Kimchi> 21-25.05.2025 @Le Rideau Tickets & More Info: https://kfda.be/en/festivals/2025-edition/programme-2025/haribo-kimchi/  ©Bea Borgers The surprising flavour of seaweed soup, the sharp sound of a knife slicing cucumber, the hiss and sizzle of mushrooms on a scorching fire. With Haribo Kimchi, we find ourselves in a pojangmacha, a typical late-night snack bar seen on the streets of South Korea. There, we meet three characters—a snail, a gummy bear, and an eel—who take us on a culinary journey, exploring food as a shelter for those estranged from their roots. In a series of intimate and absurd anecdotes, they recount the evolution of kimchi culture, the bitter pain of unadulterated racism, the shame of desperate attempts to blend in with the crowd, and the indescribable umami taste of home. Following the success of his Hamartia Trilogy (2021), which delved into the far-reaching imperialism in East Asia, South Korean theatre maker and composer Jaha Koo returns to Kunstenfestivaldesarts. His patented hybrid style combines music, video, and robotic performers to craft a reflection on cultural assimilation with all its conflicts and paradoxes. In a gripping performance that plays with all the senses, he serves up personal stories marinated in sweet-and-sour melancholy.

[KCC On Stage] Composer & Pianist Chaeyeon Lee 23.04.2025 (Wed) 20:00 @ Korean Cultural Center *Free entrance / Reservation required   Reservations open at 2 PM today (1/4) via the link. KCC On Stage 2025: Discover 10 Korean Performing Arts at the KCC! In collaboration with Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, jazz composer and pianist Chaeyeon Lee is on stage at the Korean Cultural Center with bassist Robin Lisandru Couderc!  Chaeyeon Lee gets inspiration from various music genres such as Buddhist, traditional Korean, and classical music. She also uses storytelling and imagery as fuel in her compositions and performances. She aims to collaborate with various artistic disciplines, such as improvisation and combining electronic sounds and ambience with acoustic sounds, allowing audiences to reinterpret her music and interpret their own experiences. She has performed at major local venues including Jazz Station, Sounds, Sur La Place, Tour&Taxi and Flagey, officially invited by  Museum Nights, Brussels Jazzweekend, Femina Jazz Week and so on.  *Programmes and further information will be updated soon. 

[KCC On Stage] Violinist Esther Yang 25.03.2025 (Tue) 20:00 @ Korean Cultural Center *Free entrance / Reservation is required via the link. KCC On Stage: Discover Korean Performing Arts Every Month at KCC! In collaboration with Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, violinist Esther Yang is on stage at the Korean Cultural Center! Esther Yang has been gaining acknowledgement around the world through various concerts throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. She has been named a semifinalist in both the 2023 Premio Paganini Competition and the 2024 Windsor Festival International Competition. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Soovin Kim and Paul Biss, and recently completed her Master’s degree at The Juilliard School as a student of Joseph Lin. She is currently studying at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel as an Artist in Residence under the tutelage of Augustin Dumay. [Programme] W.A.Mozart Sonata for Violin and Piano No.18, G Major, K.301   J.Sibelius 4 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op.78 No.2 “Romance” Humoresque No.5, E-flat Major, Op.89 No.3 Humoresque No.6, g minor, Op.89 No.4 5 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op.81 No.3 "Valse"   L.Janáček Sonata for Violin and Piano, g-sharp minor, JW.VII/7 E.Ysaÿe Poeme Elegiaque, d minor, Op.12

[KCC On Stage] Soprano Sunhae Im 14.03.2025 (Fri) 20:00 @ Korean Cultural Center *Free entrance / Reservation required via the link / Sold-out  KCC On Stage: Discover Korean Performing Arts Every Month at KCC! “Among the best actor-singers I know” - René Jacobs, conductor “She has a golden voice” - Philippe Herreweghe, conductor “A splendidly bright soprano” - The New York Times With a mesmerising voice and an irresistible stage presence, Sunhae Im is one of the world’s leading artists of her repertoire today. Ms. Im has appeared with many of the greatest conductors, performers, and opera companies of our time. Celebrating 25 years since her debut, Sunhae Im was born in Korea and studied with No-kyung Park at Seoul National University before continuing her training with Roland Hermann at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She made a remarkable concert debut with Philippe Herreweghe in 1999, followed by her opera debut at the Frankfurt Opera in 2000. That same year, she was recognised as a finalist in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium. From 2001 to 2003, she was a member of the Hannover State Opera, Now based in Berlin, she enjoys an international career as a freelance singer, performing on the most prestigious stages worldwide. [Programme] Nanpa Hong (1898-1941) The Spring Girl - lyrics by Eunsang Yi Sunnam Kim (1917-1983) San Yoo Hwa (Wild Flowers on the Mountains) - lyrics by Sowol Kim Isang Yun (1917-1995) Swing - lyrics by Sangok Kim Inpyeong Jeon (1945- ) Madam Bbaengdeok - from Pansori Simcheongga Wonju Lee (1979- ) Yi Hwa Woo (Falling Pear Blossom) - lyrics by Mae Chang Il Hoon Son (1990- ) Wish - lyrics by Taejoo Ra Jeongjun Ahn (1929-2009) Ari Arirang - based on Korean traditional folk song Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Dream with Me - lyrics by Leonard Bernstein A Little Bit in Love - lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green George Gershwin (1898-1937) The Man I Love - lyrics by Ira Gershwin Summertime - lyrics by Dorothy Heyward, DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin IL HOON SON, PIANO Il Hoon Son is renowned for blending music and games in his innovative Musical Game Series. His works, including 20 Questions and Rhythm Bomb, have been premiered by notable ensembles such as the Amsterdam Piano Quartet and Het Nieuw Ensemble. He has showcased his works internationally and received acclaim from prominent festivals and theaters. Orchestras and musicians such as the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra, Atheneum Kamerorkest Den Haag, conductor Ed Spanjaard, Ryan Bancroft have commissioned works from him. His compositions are performed at the Seoul Arts Center, Tokyo Suntory Hall, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, and Internationales Carillon Festival Berlin. Most recently, he released an album titled In Early Spring in collaboration with cellist Hoechan Lee. HOECHAN LEE, CELLO Hoechan Lee was admitted to the Korea National University of Arts as a gifted student and later completed advanced studies in Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Musikhochschule Lübeck, and Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. He has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonisches Orchester Lübeck, and so on. His festival appearances span Korea and Europe, including the Tongyeong International Music Festival and Naantali Music Festival, as well as performances in Germany, Austria, and Italy. He currently teaches at Yonsei University and major arts institutions while serving as an Artist Committee member of Ensemble Blank. Additionally, he has released the albums Letter and In Early Spring, continuing to expand his musical endeavors across various fields.

Jan. 13. 2025 / 2~7 PM @ Korean Cultural Center Free entrance / No reservation required *The Korean Cultural Center to Belgium & the EU is hosting Hayoung Choi's masterclass in collaboration with the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. Hayoung Choi South Korean cellist Hayoung Choi, born in Bielefeld (Germany) in 1998, won the first prize at the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition for Cello, as well as at the 3rd Krzysztof Penderecki International Cello Competition and the Johannes Brahms International Competition. She was also named the inaugural recipient of the FENDI Music Award. She made her debut at age twelve with Camerata Salzburg and has performed at festivals like the Amsterdam Cello Biennale and Kronberg Cello Festival. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists like Sir András Schiff, Gidon Kremer, and Mitsuko Uchida. Choi studied at the Purcell School and later earned her degrees at the Kronberg Academy, under Prof. Frans Helmerson and Prof. Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. She plays the 1707 Ex-Starker Joseph filius Guarneri cello, generously loaned by an anonymous benefactor. **This masterclass is co-organized by Olsi Leka, cello professor at the KCB and Section leader at the Belgian National Orchestra.