Texu Kim (b. 1980): with/out – Concerto for four violins and orchestra (World Premiere)

     “with/out,” a concerto for four violinists and strings and percussion, addresses topics related to social distances (not social distancing) in contemporary society in three movements.

  The first movement is about "The Lonely Crowd," the title of a prominent sociology book by David Riesman published in 1950.  Interestingly, with all the new developments in contemporary society, including the instant connection among human beings via social media, we still face a similar (if not more intense) collective sentiment of loneliness.  Solitude is also a term familiar to musicians, which would add more personal layers to the performers.

  The second movement is about "being in the same boat" – on a bit darker side.  Some communities are tighter than others, which would make their members feel stuck.  This movement incorporates long unison and heterophony (related to Korean traditional music) passages, from which each player would struggle to deviate. It moves into a quadruple cadenza, inspired by the term "collective monologues" introduced by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. It is "a form of egocentric, unsocialized speech in which children talk among themselves without apparently communicating with each other in a meaningful way; that is, the statements of one child seem unrelated to the statements of the others." Unrelated individual cadenzas are interwoven, attempting to create a somewhat cohesive flow.

  Opening with joyful cheers, the finale focuses on the bright side of "being in the same boat" and specifically celebrates Sejong Soloists' 30th anniversary. Reflecting the soloists’ words on how they cherish their experiences with Sejong (when I asked them) and the kinship among their musicians, this movement would portray delightful tunes and energy.

I. lonesome and fluorescent

II. subdued and imploding

III. festive!!