Cellist Lee Jung-ran to hold recital 'Lament'

By Park Jin-hai

Cellist Lee Jung-ran will hold the cello recital "Lament" next week at the Seoul Arts Center, where she will explore sorrow and solace through her music.

Lee is recognized as one of Korea's foremost cellists, having achieved prominence in international competitions such as the Pablo Casals International Award in 2000 and the first prize at the Isangyun Competition in 2006. The string music magazine The Strad praised her as a "performer with brilliant technique and poetic and sensual lyricism."

A guest professor at Yonsei University and an active member of Ensemble OPUS, Lee believes that music is the most primitive and pure art form expressing human emotions beyond time. She wants to focus on conveying the emotion of deep sorrow through the recital, as a medium for forming empathy between the audience and the performer.

Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovskiy will accompany her, playing the repertoire consisting of works by Jean Sibelius, Ryu Jea-joon and Edvard Grieg.

In particular, "Sonata per violoncello e pianoforte No.3" by Korean composer Ryu is a piece dedicated to the legendary cellist Arto Noras to commemorate his 80th birthday. Ryu, who has formed a long-standing friendship and deep bond with the Finnish cellist, tells the story of the maestro's life through this sonata. The first movement begins with a calm and warm melody, developing into sadness with a sense of detachment, while the second movement shows overflowing energy with fast and dazzling movements, concluding with the passionate third and fourth movements.

The "Lament" recital will be held at the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center at 8 p.m. on March 15. Tickets are priced between 30,000 ($20) and 60,000 won.