The House Concert's signature summer music festival, the July Festival, will meet audiences this year under the theme of French music.
The House Concert announced that it will hold the "2026 July Festival – Light of France" from July 1 to 31 at the Artists' House in Daehangno, Seoul. Since beginning with Beethoven in 2020, the July Festival has intensively explored specific composers including Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. This year, it expands into a new format that spotlights the music of major French composers.
This year's festival traces the lineage of 20th-century French music, centered on Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel and extending through Erik Satie, Les Six, Jean Françaix and Olivier Messiaen. Starting from the delicate colors of Impressionist music, the festival will present over the course of a month the various facets of French music as it expands into restraint, humor and experimental spirit.
Young conductors and emerging guest performers will take the stage for the opening and closing performances. At the opening performance on July 1, conductor Park Kang-hyun will lead Debussy's "Petite Suite" and Ravel's "Piano Concerto," with pianist Hong Seok-young as soloist. At the closing performance, Park Geun-tae, former resident conductor of the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, will conduct Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" and Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin," with pianist Lee Kwan-wook—who drew attention after advancing to the finals of the 2025 Chopin International Piano Competition—taking the stage.
The heart of the festival is the piano and chamber music series. Through major works by Debussy and Ravel as well as chamber programs of various ensembles, the festival will illuminate from multiple angles the colors and structures characteristic of French music. A vocal program is also prepared, introducing the linguistic beauty and expressive world of French music.
In the latter half, performances intensively exploring the world of Messiaen's works will follow. Through Messiaen's representative works, the festival will examine the pinnacle of modern French music and conclude its flow.
Programs beyond the performances are also varied. "Artist in Focus," which spotlights specific performers, "Open Sessions" where participating performers interact, and three lecture programs are prepared so that audiences can experience music in diverse ways.
This year's festival has expanded its scale beyond Seoul to the entire nation. Centered on the Artists' House in Daehangno, performances will be held at the Haman Culture and Arts Center in Gyeongnam, the Gochang Culture Center in Jeonbuk, the Yeongdo Culture and Arts Center in Busan, Cheonghak Bookstore in Miryang, the Cheongju House Concert, and Motus Art Hall in Seosan, expanding to a total of 24 performances across 9 regions.
The participating lineup is also splendid. Pianists Moon Ji-young, Park Jong-hae, Park Jae-hong, Choi Hyung-rok, Lee Kwan-wook, Sonya Bach and Jean-Baptiste Fonlupt will participate, along with violinists Paik Joo-young, Han Soo-jin and Kim Dong-hyun, cellists Moon Tae-guk, Shim Jun-ho and Kim Min-ji, flutists Cho Sung-hyun and Han Yeo-jin, and clarinetists Cho In-hyuk and Kim Sang-yoon. Young performers including Hong Seok-young, Park Hae-rim, Yoon Cham-in, An Yu-bin and An Seok-jin will also take the stage together.
The House Concert, which began in 2002 at the Yeonhui-dong home of composer Park Chang-soo, currently continues its regular performances at the Artists' House in Daehangno. The July Festival is a special project that extends the regular performances over a month, establishing itself as a music festival that deeply explores a single theme each year.
