A majestic resonance of 4,576 pipes flows into the movements of six dancers… Masterpiece ballets once heard from orchestras are reborn through the pipe organ.

Pianist and organist Jae-Hyuk Cho spans everything from pipe organ soloes to a unique ballet collaboration, with the grand finale already completely sold out.
From a forest of meditation and immersive gallery exhibitions to workshop experiences: Welcome to the Bucheon Art Center Universe.

BUCHEON — The Bucheon Art Center (CEO Park Eun-hye) is hosting the festival "Sound of BAC: Organ Universe" on October 9 (Friday) and October 10 (Saturday). The festival’s grand finale will be headlined by pianist and organist Jae-Hyuk Cho. Titled "Finale Concert: Organ with Ballet," the performance unites the magnificent resonance of 4,576 organ pipes with the graceful choreography of six ballet dancers. Starting with a solo performance that highlights the inherent charm of the instrument itself, the concert reimagines classic ballet scores traditionally performed by orchestras through the rich colors of the pipe organ, transforming "music to be heard" into "music to be seen." Priced at a uniform 10,000 KRW, the final concert has generated immense anticipation, with all seats selling out early.

When Cho's Organ Meets Ballet: The 4,576 Pipe Organ Tones Become "Dance"

Held at 7:00 PM on October 10 at the Bucheon Art Center Concert Hall, the Finale Concert demonstrates just how diverse a world a single instrument can create. Jae-Hyuk Cho, who moves effortlessly between the piano and the pipe organ, sits before the center's colossal pipe organ, weaving melodies that set six dancers into motion.

Part 1 focuses purely on the pipe organ as an instrument. Through Cho’s performance, audiences experience the instrument's expansive spectrum, ranging from delicate, intimate tones to grandiose vibrations that fill the entire concert hall. Part 2 shifts the theatrical landscape. Orchestral ballet masterpieces are newly interpreted through the organ's color palette, translating these melodies into the physical expressions of six dancers. It is a moment where sounds originating from 4,576 pipes transform into movement, fusing music and dance into a single seamless scene.

At the center of the stage is Jae-Hyuk Cho, an artist who has continually crossed boundaries between the piano and pipe organ. Having earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School and his doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, he has performed on major global stages including Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Elbphilharmonie. He has also maintained cross-genre collaborations, including with the Korean National Ballet, and recorded an organ solo album at La Madeleine in Paris, continually fueling his musical exploration of the pipe organ.

For audiences who primarily remember Cho as a pianist, this concert serves as a definitive introduction to his world as an organist. It brings together the multi-tonal versatility of the pipe organ, Cho's extensive musical exploration of both piano and organ, and the expressive depth of ballet.

Six Dancers Led by Hae-Min Hwang: Tracing Organ Melodies Through Movement

The ballet performances, designed to bring the pipe organ’s melodies to life, are led by ballet director Hae-Min Hwang, who served as a principal dancer for the Universal Ballet for 15 years. Hwang, who has played leading roles in Sim Chung, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Oneogin, currently works as a guest rehearsal director for the Korean National Ballet.

Among the six dancers, premier dancers include Hee-hyun Kim, a soloist with the Korean National Ballet from 2009 to 2022, and Sol-ji Choi, a winner of the 2003 Korea Pro-Ballet Association award and former Korean National Ballet dancer.

This performance is exceptionally unique because a pipe organ, rather than a full orchestra, drives the ballet score. Sounds streaming from thousands of pipes flow directly into the dancers' fingertips and bodies, allowing the senses of "hearing" music and "seeing" movement to intersect on a single stage. This extraordinary encounter between Jae-Hyuk Cho’s pipe organ and the six dancers brings a striking conclusion to the two-day Sound of BAC: Organ Universe.

Overwhelming Even the Grand Organ: Four Organists in a Single Breath

Ahead of the finale, four organists—Soo-Young Choi, Hyun-Jung Kim, Ha-Young Yang, and Jun-Byung Park—will serve as audience guides for the Organ Universe program, running four times on October 9 and 10 (at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM). These four accomplished artists, active on domestic and international stages, will lead live demonstrations over roughly 50 minutes, unpacking everything from concert hall acoustics and the physics of how 4,576 pipes produce sound to actual playing techniques.

Unlike conventional recitals featuring a single organist, this program expands performance formats from solos to duets and a four-person ensemble. With each musician handling different keyboards and sections, they build a unified breath, blending various manuals, pedals, and distinct tonal colors into a single piece of music. Audiences can trace which performer carries the theme and what tonal colors are being added by ear, while visually tracking the hands and feet of four musicians moving across the colossal instrument.

Jun-Byung Park, who collaborates with three others on a single organ, shared his anticipation: "With precisely eight hands and feet playing the organ, the organ itself might end up overwhelmed by the performers!" Hyun-Jung Kim highlighted the process of four distinct individuals letting go of their personal rhythms to create a "single breath," while Ha-Young Yang compared the ensemble to an orchestra where diverse instruments complete one unified music.

Audiences will also experience "sound shaped by space" firsthand. By actually moving acoustic reflectors, banner curtains, and other concert hall mechanisms, visitors can compare how acoustics change depending on the environment. A special event invites young audience members directly onto the stage to "awaken" the giant pipe organ, making this complex and unfamiliar instrument approachable through performance, commentary, and live demonstration.

When Kept Keys Turn Sound Into Video: Rest, Play, and Create Another "Organ"
The organ's resonance filling the concert hall transforms into relaxation, exhibition, and hands-on experiences for visitors. A Forest of Meditation with the Organ offers a space to pause and rest, carried by pipe organ music outside the traditional confines of seated concert viewing.

In the gallery, Odyssey for BAC turns visitors into performers. Pressing the keys of an exhibited physical organ prompts a system to recognize the played notes, triggering reactive graphics projected across silk curtains. A single note starting at the fingertips is no longer confined to the ear; it visually transforms into imagery before the visitor's eyes. Depending on which keys the audience presses, the generated graphics shift, offering an interactive experience where participants create and visually confirm pipe organ sounds.

At the Arts Studio, MUSIC & STITCH features diverse craft workshops centered around the organ. Visitors can enjoy performances in the concert hall, rest with music in the meditation forest, press keys directly in the gallery, and craft items by hand in the studio. By engaging with a single pipe organ through multiple senses and methods, the entire Bucheon Art Center connects into a unified "Organ Universe."

A stamp tour is also underway to add an extra layer of exploration across the venue. Visitors who complete stamps at all designated spots will receive coffee drip bags courtesy of the festival sponsor, DFD Group. Beyond simply viewing performances, audiences can journey through exhibition, relaxation, and experience zones to fully complete the Sound of BAC: Organ Universe experience.

For detailed information regarding ticketing, participation methods, special festival events, and schedules, please visit the Bucheon Art Center official website (www.bac.or.kr) or official social media channels.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]