Four esteemed concertmasters will gather to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sejong Soloists at the Seoul Arts Center on Saturday. Frank Huang, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, David Chen, concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Andrew Wan, concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Cho, concertmaster of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, all share a significant connection: they are alumni of the Sejong Soloists, an ensemble founded 30 years ago by Kang Hyo, a renowned Juilliard professor.

Since its inception in 1994, the Sejong Soloists have garnered international acclaim for their exceptional performances, having played over 700 concerts in more than 120 cities.

The four concertmasters will perform Korean composer Kim Texu’s “With/out” on Saturday, marking its Asian premiere as part of the Hic et Nunc! Musical Festival, an annual event founded and backed by the Sejong Soloists.

Huang said during a press conference on Wednesday that the Sejong Soloists are "what can happen when people from different training backgrounds and diverse ideas come together to create something magical and work toward a common goal with the highest levels of artistry.” He recalled how the ensemble’s democratic process, which operated without a conductor or specific guidance on how to play a piece, was both novel and educational.

“Everybody had ideas that they could chip in. Of course, there were a lot of disagreements sometimes but learning about how to navigate these different ideas and how to unify different concepts into a goal that was common to us all. This particular style of rehearsing has helped me more than anything in my career. I think I applied this approach on a much larger scale,” Huang noted.

Chen, who is also pursuing a conducting career, said, “The Sejong Soloists have always been synonymous with brilliant virtuosity and immaculate ensemble sound. Remarkably, after 30 years, these qualities remain unchanged.”

On how the Sejong Soloists have been able to continue for 30 years, Kang Kyung-won, the director of the Sejong Soloists, stressed the ensemble’s commitment to its mission. “Since the ensemble’s inception 30 years ago, our goal has been to provide valuable experiences to young musicians through practice and performance and to challenge ourselves with pieces that others do not attempt. While maintaining this commitment is more challenging than starting, we will continue to uphold this direction in the future.”

The Hic et Nunc! Musical Festival, which runs from Friday through Sept. 2, showcases unique programs including the world premiere of a piece titled “Flow Symphony” by MIT music and media professor and composer Tod Machover, utilizing generative AI, and world-renowned musicians who have been part of the Sejong Soloists.

The festival will feature a total of 49 musicians and the 20 members of the Sejong Soloists, performing at venues in Seoul such as the Seoul Arts Center, JCC Art Center, Cosmos Art Hall, KAIST and the Uncommon Gallery.