Global Economic Times

K-Classic's Bold Leap onto the World Stage: Global Performance Planner Yoo So-bang: KO YONG-CHUL Reporter / Updated : 2025-06-19 18:23:00

'Gyeongju International Music Festival' Held in Celebration of Gyeongju's Bid to Host the 2025 APEC Summit

Yoo So-bang, CEO of SBU & Partners

"If it doesn't work, make it work." This phrase serves as a guiding principle that permeates the life and philosophy of global performance planner Yoo So-bang. Having settled in Austria 25 years ago, when her four-year-old daughter was admitted to the National University of Music, she has silently served as a cultural and artistic bridge between Korea and Europe, elevating the status of K-Classic on the world stage. Behind the valuable achievements of planning and successfully executing performances, her dedication to helping Korean artists shine on bigger stages and "Vincero (triumph)" at last, delivers profound emotion and inspiration.

A Destiny Born of Coincidence, and a Sense of Mission

Yoo So-bang's life took a turning point with the accidental event of her four-year-old daughter's admission as the youngest student to the preliminary school of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. Yoo, who had majored in vocal music but had to give up her dream due to her parents' dissuasion, saw her unfulfilled dream and potential in her daughter, who started playing the violin at her brother's recommendation. When her daughter was unexpectedly accepted after a professor from the gifted program at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna told her, "I will nurture her, stay in Austria," she unhesitatingly chose a life in a foreign country. Although she initially only planned to stay for two years, Austria's artistic support system, which offers top-tier music education completely free of charge, kept her there for 25 years.

Yoo, who had poured everything into supporting her daughter, realized when her daughter turned 15 that it was time for her to forge her own musical path and prepared for her independence. Her experience of raising her daughter to become a world-class musician gave her a new vision as a performance planner. Her daughter's advice, "Korean people always get good results in competitions, but don't let it stop there. Mom, I hope you do something to help them grow," became the decisive catalyst for Yoo to propose a Korean official partnership for the 'Queen Elisabeth Competition.' Thus, her personal experiences and interaction with her daughter led to the grand mission of globalizing K-Classic.

Conductor Chung Myung-whun performing with the KBS Symphony Orchestra at the 2025 Gyeongju International Music Festival

'Queen Elisabeth Competition' Partnership and 'Winners Concert': Wings for Korean Artists
The 'Queen Elisabeth International Competition,' named after the Belgian Queen, is considered one of the 'Big 3' classical music competitions, along with the Chopin Competition and the Tchaikovsky Competition. It garners immense interest from the Belgian public, with the finals even being broadcast live on terrestrial television. Especially since the 2010s, Korean performers have remarkably stood out, with 25-30% of preliminary participants being Korean. Belgian public broadcaster RTBF even highlighted the potential of Korean classical music by producing the documentary 'The Secret of Korean Music' in 2012, followed by 'K-Classic Generation' in 2020.

Yoo So-bang aimed to help competition winners gain substantial performance opportunities and grow. After numerous efforts, she successfully secured an official Korean partnership for the 'Queen Elisabeth International Competition,' launching the 'Winners Concert' in 2019. By providing opportunities for competition winners to perform not only in Seoul but also in various regional venues, she supports them in gaining crucial 'stage experience,' which is most important in their growth after the competition. Starting with five performances, the 'Winners Concert' has now successfully established itself, with plans for 10 performances, significantly contributing to the growth of Korean artists. This is a realization of Yoo's philosophy that "the competition is merely a gateway; the process of maturing after bearing fruit is even more important."

Pioneer of Cultural Exchange: A Bridge Connecting Korea and Europe

Over the past 25 years of living in Europe, Yoo So-bang has achieved unprecedented results in cultural exchange between Korea and Europe. She has facilitated numerous invitations for Korean national and municipal organizations to perform at renowned overseas festivals, and has successfully arranged performances by high-caliber international musicians in Korea, as well as collaborations with Korean performers.

A particularly notable achievement was her initiative in 2016, which led to Korea being selected as the guest country for the 'Bruckner Festival,' one of Austria's three major festivals. This resulted in the grand introduction of over 500 excellent Korean musicians, including the KBS Symphony Orchestra, pianist Son Yeol-eum, the Korean Symphony Orchestra, and the National Chorus, to the European stage. Most importantly, the fact that Korean performers were able to showcase Korean music with fair guarantees and treatment without having to pay for venue rentals or promotion fees marked a significant turning point in elevating Korea's status as a cultural powerhouse.

In addition, she took the lead in introducing top-tier American and European musicians to Korea by planning ensembles with concertmasters and principal members of the world's top three orchestras – the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. She also contributed to the successful attraction of the National Museum of Korea's Egyptian Civilization exhibition 'Pharaohs and Mummies' and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's 'Picasso and Modern Art' exhibition, fostering diverse cultural exchanges beyond performing arts. In recognition of these contributions, she became the first Korean woman to receive the Austrian President's Gold Medal of Honor and the Republic of Korea Government's National Order of Cultural Merit, officially acknowledging her accomplishments.

Pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon delivering a splendid performance at the 2025 Gyeongju International Music Festival

COVID-19 Pandemic: Turning Crisis into Opportunity

For Yoo So-bang, who operates on a global stage, the COVID-19 pandemic presented the biggest crisis. In 2020 alone, she was directly hit with the cancellation of 80-100 performances, but she did not despair and sought new possibilities within the crisis. Considering the successful completion of the 'Vienna Philharmonic Members Ensemble' New Year's concert as a stroke of luck, she resolved complex issues such as flight ticket refunds for cancelled performances.

COVID-19 brought her 'patience' and a 'change in perspective.' She paused her busy life of traveling between Korea and Europe, taking a breath to contemplate how to deal with the rapidly changing external circumstances. In particular, she broke her prejudice against online broadcasts and realized that online streaming of a project held in Jeju Island could satisfy the artistic desires of the audience. She stated, "While COVID itself is causing us immense suffering, our transformation and growth within it are positive," emphasizing growth through crisis.

She cited the cancellation of the Austrian 'ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra' performance, which was scheduled for its first visit to Korea in 25 years, as the most regrettable. It was a large-scale project that involved a preparation period of about two years and mobilized around 100 participants, but it was ultimately canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. However, during this process, the Austrian broadcasting company expressed their willingness to proceed with the performance even paying additional costs, stating, "We are very proud that our broadcast orchestra is performing in Korea during such a difficult time for the whole world." This anecdote deeply moved Yoo and reconfirmed the strong mutual trust between them.

Challenges and Future Vision of Korean Classical Music

Yoo So-bang highly praises the outstanding skills of Korean classical musicians but laments that despite sweeping competitions worldwide, they rarely get performance opportunities in Europe. She points out the subtle difference between 'perfect music' showcased in competitions and 'soulful music' embraced by Europeans, emphasizing that Korean musicians need to deepen their artistic breadth through more diverse opportunities. To this end, she actively helps Korean musicians advance abroad, for example, by proposing to foreign orchestras to give opportunities to Korean artists.

Her ultimate goal is to showcase the most Korean elements on the world stage. Her experience at the 1st 'Asia International Festival' held in Sochi, Russia, in 2023, where the Gwangju City Changgeuk Troupe performed the changgeuk Heungboga, traditional dance, and samulnori, receiving a standing ovation, solidified her conviction that "the most Korean is the most global." She plans to continue her efforts to promote the beauty of traditional Korean art to the world.

Soprano Im Sun-hae and violinist Kim Seo-hyun performing with the APEC21 Ensemble Orchestra (Conducted by Yoon Kook-lee)

Successful Hosting of the 'Gyeongju International Music Festival' in Celebration of Gyeongju's Bid to Host the 2025 APEC Summit

The '2025 Gyeongju International Music Festival,' commemorating the successful bid to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju, is another international event achieved by Yoo So-bang. Held for three days from June 13th to 15th at the Hwarang Hall of the Gyeongju Arts Center, this festival became a platform for global harmony and exchange through culture and art.

On the first day of the festival, Friday, June 13th, the KBS Symphony Orchestra, led by the living legend and world-renowned maestro Chung Myung-whun, graced the stage and opened the festival. Pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon, who has emerged as a young maestro having swept the world's top three competitions, collaborated, deeply moving the audience. Their collaboration, a meeting of Gyeongju's historical significance where Hwarang warriors pursued their dreams and dignified classical music, served as an opportunity to further elevate the status of Korean culture on the international stage.

On the second day of the festival, Saturday, June 14th, a special performance by the APEC Ensemble Orchestra, comprised of principal soloists representing the 21 APEC member economies and led by conductor Yoon Kook-lee, unfolded. This stage, where artists from diverse cultural backgrounds across the Asia-Pacific region united through music, created a meaningful time artistically embodying the APEC spirit of 'connectivity' and 'cooperation.' Soprano Im Sun-hae and violinist Kim Seo-hyun collaborated, showcasing cultural diversity with a varied program including Vivaldi's 'Sonata for Strings' as well as medleys of Asian and Pacific folk songs.

On the final day of the festival, Sunday, June 15th, the Ulsan City Symphony Orchestra performed alongside an international chamber music ensemble. The conducting was led by world-renowned conductor Sascha Goetzel, who is active on major world stages including the Vienna Symphony and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Notably, Sumi Jo, Korea's representative world-class soprano and a Grammy Award winner, made an appearance, delivering a moving performance. Sascha Goetzel's delicate and dynamic conducting, the Ulsan City Symphony Orchestra's solid performance, and Sumi Jo's overwhelming vocals combined to offer an unforgettable musical experience to the audience. The final day's concert featured comfortable yet brilliant pieces, such as the overture to Johann Strauss II's operetta 'Die Fledermaus,' providing a delightful and high-quality classical music experience that concluded the festival.

Yoo So-bang emphasizes to parents who wish to raise their children into excellent artists that "children are independent beings," and advises that "music played from self-feeling, not educated music, moves people's hearts." Her life and philosophy will serve as the foundation for K-Classic to shine brighter on the world stage and for Korean artists to grow into true artists. The vision of Korea that Yoo So-bang dreams of in the world is a beautiful future where talented Korean musicians lead the world and the musical status of Korea is further elevated.

Conductor Sascha Goetzel demonstrating his skill with the Ulsan City Symphony at the 2025 APEC International Music Festival