In partnership with the Lotte Foundation for Arts and the BBC, HarrisonParrott Arts Partnerships & Tours managed the inaugural BBC Proms South Korea from 2 to 8 December. The seven-day festival featured nine performances at Lotte Concert Hall and Busan Cultural Centre with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of chief conductor Ryan Wigglesworth. Ben Palmer conducted the West End Musical Gala Prom, and performances included Choi Jae-hyuck and his Ensemble Blank, The Jazz Ambassadors Orchestra, and the Little Singers of Paris Boys’ Choir with conductor Vincent Thomas.

The festival was filled with repertoire from beloved classical works, alongside West End musicals, jazz, and chamber music, performed by both local and international stars.

The First Night of the Proms opened at Lotte Concert Hall with cellist Jaemin Han playing the world premiere of Donghoon Shin’s Nachtergebung Cello Concerto, alongside Unsuk Chin’s Subito con forza and Mahler’s Symphony No.5 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra, alongside Jaemin Han, then travelled to Busan on 3 December for their second concert at Busan Cultural Centre, featuring Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1, Chin’s Subito con forza, and Beethoven’s Symphony No.3. Also on 3 December, contemporary artist Choi Jae-hyuck and his Ensemble Blank collaborated with clarinettist Jerome Comte at Lotte Concert Hall. On 4 December, the festival embraced jazz with a Jarasum Jazz Night by The Jazz Ambassadors Orchestra and singer Lizz Wright. On 5 December, KBS Symphony Orchestra performed Brahms’ Double Concerto with soloists Jiyoon Lee and Hayoung Choi, under the baton of Sophie Dervaux.

Returning to Lotte Concert Hall on 6 December, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra presented a night of classic West End musicals under the baton of conductor Ben Palmer. The programme included toe-tapping favourites from musicals such as Oklahoma, Chicago, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Frozen, Beauty & the Beast, and more, performed by special guest soloists Hiba Elchikhe and Ben Forster. On 7 December, the Little Singers of Paris Boys’ Choir performed with their conductor Vincent Thomas. On the same day, cellist Jaemin Han was joined by soloists from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth on piano for a chamber music concert featuring works by French masters Debussy and Ravel.

In the Last Night of the Proms, violinist Daniel Lozakovich (replacing Hilary Hahn) and baritone Taehan Kim performed traditional and renowned repertoire, including Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, Maxwell Davies’ An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise, Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Wagner’s O, du mein holder Abendstern from Tannhäuser, and Verdi’s Ah, je meurs from Don Carlo, among other delights.

Outside of the concert halls, pre-concert talks took place.

HarrisonParrott Arts Partnerships & Tours has previously managed BBC Proms Japan in 2019 and 2022.