Maestro Gum Nanse leads concert in LA to celebrate 70 years of Korea-U.S. alliance

As they harmonized the climax of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” he burst out with a pointed comment. “This part should sound like you’re having a heart attack!” He passionately directed the orchestra, blending Korean and English.

Gum traveled to Los Angeles two days ago for the “Peace Concert Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Alliance with Maestro Gum Nanse.” The concert, organized by the Seoul National University Alumni Association (Chairman Kim Jong-Sup, Chairman of Samick Musical Instruments), will take place at Disney Concert Hall on June 28.

The artistic director of the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra arrived with approximately 40 musicians, and he added around 20 American musicians to create harmonies between musicians from both countries.

“Everyone is a professional, and the harmony is excellent,” Gum said with a laugh. “Personally, this is my first performance in LA in 10 years, and I want it to be a great success.”

The concert will feature highlights from Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen (prelude, habanera, overture, flower song, gypsy song, and finale), as well as George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Bizet’s The Girl from Arles Suite No. 2.

“I’m excited to be a part of the 70th-anniversary celebration of the U.S.-ROK alliance,” Gum said. “It means a lot to me that the funds raised from the event will be used to create scholarships and inspire a love for Korea.”

“I’m the kind of person who wants the audience to be happy, to the point of saying, ‘Music is a service industry.’ This is the ‘Gum Nanse style,'” he added. “I want the concert attendees to think, ‘Oh, I’m glad I came,’ and inspire them to contribute through donations.”

BY JEONGIL RYU    [support@koreadaily.com]