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Music of Stories 2025 Hic et Nunc! Music Festival - Bernard Werber x Sejong Soloists <The Time of Chimeras>
- Date 2025-08-27(Wed)
- Time19:30
- Venue Concert Hall
- AdmissionFor elementary school students and older
- Running Time (min.)90
- PriceR 150,000won / S 120,000won / A 90,000won / B 60,000won / C 30,000won
- HostSejong Soloists
- Inquiry02-584-5494
#sejongsoloists #BernardWerber #JasmineChoi #DenisSungho
> 공연/전시 > 진행·예정 프로그램
- ※ Age Restriction Notice
If proof of age cannot be provided, entry will not be permitted regardless of ticket possession or accompaniment by a guardian.
- Elementary school age and above: Born before 2018 (including those born in 2018) or elementary school students and above are permitted entry.
- Middle school age and above: Born before 2012 (including those born in 2012) or middle school students and above are permitted entry.
※ Ticket Purchase Guide (→)
※ If there is no event description in English, the page is available only in Korean.
In this case, please click the 국 button
at the upper-right of the page.
World-renowned novelist Bernard Werber appears on the classical concert stage for the first time.
With over 15 million copies of his books sold in Korea alone, Werber has adapted a script from his latest novel, Le Temps des Chimères, and takes the stage as narrator. Set in a near future where a new species called “chimeras” rule the sky, ocean, and underground world after a Third World War, the story imagines a dystopia in which these creatures repeat humanity’s past mistakes.
Werber’s narrative is paired with Chimera Suite, composed by Texu Kim and performed by Sejong Soloists, guitarist Denis Sungho, and flutist Jasmine Choi, creating a multidimensional artistic experience.
The second half features Sejong Soloists performing Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen, written in the final months of World War II as a deeply personal lament for the collapse of civilization.
Together, these works invite audiences to reflect on both past and future, and on the essence of what it means to be human.
Bernard Werber text and narrator
Bernard Werber is a French author renowned for his imaginative storytelling and philosophical depth. Born in 1961 in Toulouse, France, Werber began writing short stories at the age of seven, revealing an early talent for narrative craft. He later studied law before attending the Advanced School of Journalism in Paris, where he pursued a career in journalism. During this time, he contributed science articles—often focusing on ants—to various publications.
In 1991, after 120 revisions, Werber published his debut novel, Empire of the Ants. The book became an international sensation, launching his career and establishing him as one of France’s most inventive literary voices. Since then, he has authored numerous bestsellers, including Les Thanatonautes (The Thanatonauts), which follows an expedition to the afterlife; The God Trilogy, an exploration of divine beings shaping human destiny; Le Papillon des étoiles (The Butterfly of the Stars), a futuristic tale of a voyage to a new world; and Demain les chats (Tomorrow the Cats), which portrays human society through a feline lens.
Werber's works also include L’Arbre des possibles (The Tree of Possibilities), a short story collection brimming with alternate realities and speculative futures, and L'Encyclopédie du savoir relatif et absolu (The Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge), a compendium of provocative ideas and unconventional wisdom. His books have been translated into 35 languages and have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
Werber visited South Korea in 1994 and 2002, and was voted the country’s most beloved foreign author in a 2000 poll conducted by JoongAng Ilbo. In addition to his literary work, he wrote and directed the feature film Our Earthmen Friends (2007).
Sejong Soloists
Hailed by CNN as "one of the top ensembles of today,” Sejong Soloists has performed internationally on the world’s major stages, and on invitation from prestigious U.S. venues including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Since its inception 31 years ago, the orchestra has performed 700 concerts in more than 120 cities around the world. Sejong Soloists served as the Honorary Ambassador of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games and ensemble-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival for nine seasons.
Sejong Soloists was established as a string orchestra in New York in 1994, consisting of eleven young artists invited by Hyo Kang, renowned violin professor at the Juilliard School. Sejong Soloists has ventured and grown with bold performances and repertoires ranging from classics of the chamber music repertoire to a plethora of contemporary works, including 16 world premieres.
Jasmine Choi, flute
Jasmine Choi praised by The Korea Times as “the goddess of flute,” is a dynamic and innovative artist whose performances transcend traditional boundaries. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, Choi has held distinguished orchestral positions, including principal flute of the Vienna Symphony under Fabio Luisi and associate principal flute of the Cincinnati Symphony under Paavo Järvi, before establishing herself as a full-time soloist.
She has appeared with leading orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum, Berlin Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, and Seoul Philharmonic. Renowned for her versatility and exceptional musicality, Choi continues to captivate audiences across continents.
A passionate advocate for expanding the flute repertoire, Choi has premiered over 15 flute concertos written specifically for her. In addition to her performance career, she contributes regularly to publications such as Flute Talk (U.S.) and Auditorium (Korea), sharing her insights with flutists and music lovers worldwide.
As an educator, Choi has presented masterclasses at top institutions including The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Harvard University, and the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. She has been a featured teacher in the Henle Verlag Masterclass video series and has taught at the Sarasota Music Festival and as part of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra, inspiring and mentoring the next generation of flutists.
Denis Sungho guitar
Denis Sungho is a classical guitarist, composer, and producer known for his imaginative artistry and genre-defying approach. Blending the elegance of classical tradition with contemporary sensibilities, his music bridges his Korean heritage and European upbringing, creating a unique and compelling musical voice.
Born in Korea and adopted to Belgium at the age of nine months, Sungho began playing guitar at age seven and won his first competition at 14, earning recognition from the Belgian copyright society SABAM. He studied at the Royal Conservatories of Brussels and Mons, working with renowned teachers including Sergio Assad, Alberto Ponce, and primarily Odair Assad.
Named a “Rising Star” by the European Concert Hall Organization (ECHO), Sungho has performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Martha Argerich Festival in Lugano—where he was the first guitarist ever invited. His acclaimed recording of works by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer was hailed by KLASSIK magazine (Germany) as a “historic performance.”
In addition to his classical work, Sungho has collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres, including soprano Sumi Jo, pop icons Insooni, Anna Tsuchiya, Bum-Soo Kim, and pianist Sun-Joo Park. As a producer, he organized Korea’s first New Year’s concert featuring the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta and served as artistic director for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
He currently performs internationally between Europe and Korea and plays a guitar crafted by Thomas Humphrey.
Total seats 2,505
- General seats2,481
- Wheelchair seats24
Concert Halla concert hall built as the first concert hall in Korea.
The Concert Hall is the first of its kind built exclusively for concerts in Korea. The horseshoe shaped hall with 2,505 seats and three stories is acclaimed for its ideal acoustics by numerous artists who have a performance here.
Remodeled and renovated in 2005,Concert Hall demonstrates its superb sound in every concert.
Seating Charts
By clicking the seats circled in red in the seating chart,
you can see an actual view of the stage from your chosen seat.
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1F 1,508 seats
- General seats1,226
- Wheelchair seats8
- Choir seats274
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2F 568 seats
- General seats552
- Wheelchair seats16
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3F 433 seats
- General seats 429
All performances, except for children-specific ones, are suitable for elementary school students and older. If proof of age cannot be provided, entry will not be permitted regardless of ticket possession or accompaniment by a guardian. (Excluding performances aimed at children.)
We encourage travel by public transport because you may not be able to enter the venue before the performance start time due to parking lot congestion.
(ticket exchange or refund is not available for delays in entering the venue caused by parking lot congestion)
The maximum number of tickets allowed to be purchased per online order (pc, mobile) is 10. If you would like to purchase more than 10 tickets for a group, please call the Service Plaza (1668-1352)
Lost tickets are non-refundable or non-exchangeable as tickets are value instrument papers
We are not responsible for the tickets by individual transactions other than purchase through specified ticketing system or Service Plaza
| Classification | Cancellation fee | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 days before the event | No charge | ||
| 9 days to 1 day before the event | 10% of paid amount | In case of tickets purchased up to 3 days before the performance, there will be no cancellation fee if cancelled on the day of the purchase (call: ~20:00 / visit Service Plaza: ~20:00(Tue~Sun), ~18:00(Mon) / homepage or mobile: ~23:59) |
|
| On the day of the event | Seoul Arts Center’s planned event | 90% of paid amount | 2 hours before the event starts (Non refundable at Box Office) |
| Rental event | Non refundable | 1 day before the event | |
※ Cancellation Fees for Exhibition Tickets:
- Tickets with Time Slots: Cancellation fees apply according to the same standards as for rental performances at the Seoul Arts Center
- General Exhibition Tickets: There is no cancellation fee until 7 days after ticket purchase, and a 10% cancellation fee is charged from the 8th day onwards.
Credit card (or check card)
Payable up to the event day
- * Homepage(PC/Mobile)
- * Box Office
- * Service Plaza (Information & Tickets)
Virtual account
Payable up to 5 days before the event day
- * Homepage(PC/Mobile)
Refund by payment methods ※ A refund is only possible with the same payment method as used in booking
- Credit card (or check card)
Approval cancellation by credit card company
- * Within 4 to 5 days from the requested date
- * Under the rules of refund by relevant credit card company
- * Cancellation fee will be charged to customer’s credit card
- Virtual account
Refund to the account in the name which the reservation is made in
- * Within 2 working days from the requested date
- * Refund after deducting cancellation fee
Booking online
To cancel a reservation, a customer can check the reservation details in My Page on the website or through Service Plaza (1668-1352)
Phone booking
To cancel a reservation, a customer can check the reservation details in My Page on the website or through Service Plaza (1668-1352).
If a customer received booked tickets through visiting Service Plaza or mail delivery.
A customer must return tickets to Service Plaza until one (1) day before event day to get a refund. (Service Plaza Operating Times : Mon 09:00~18:00 / Tue~Sun- 09:00~20:00)
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※ Partial Cancellation
- Partial Cancellation is allowed EXCEPT FOR the tickets paid by gift card, and special offer like ‘buy one get one free’ ticket. For more information and inquiry, please call Service Plaza (1668-1352)
Box Office
- * Ticket pickup at venue on the event day
- * It operates one and a half hours prior to the start of a performance through its intermission
- * Without a break, it operates until 30 minutes after the start of the performance
Service Plaza
- * Located in the Vitamin Station
- * Operating Times : Mon 09:00~18:00/Tue-Sun 09:00~20:00 (All the year around)
- * Inquiry: 1668-1352
- * Not for tickets booked through other ticket agency’s sales channel
Ticket Delivery
- * Mail delivery request: available only for a ticket booked no later than 2 weeks (14 days) before event day
- * Delivery charge: prepayment KRW 3,200 per delivery
- * Time it takes a ticket to arrive: within 5 working days from mail delivery request
Note for receiving a ticket
- Customers who have benefited from discounts (e.g. discount coupons and membership discounts, special discounts for the disabled, national merits, SAC Teens, noble members, students, seniors and last-minute tickets) must be able to present proof of eligibility when collecting discounted tickets. If a customer fails to present such certification, he or she must pay for the full ticket price to enter the venue.
- The Box Office is very crowded when an event is about to begin. We strongly recommend collecting your ticket at least 30 minutes before the performance starts.