Music and film lovers come together next month for the third Annual Sight of Sound Film & Music event in connection with the Dallas Chamber Symphony’s Season finale. South Korean Pianist Saetbyeol Kim will conclude the Dallas Chamber Symphony’s Season after being named the winner of the Dallas International Piano Competition 2015. The competition is hosted by the Dallas Chamber Symphony and is also in community partnership with the SMU Meadows School of the Arts.
Her engagement to perform with the DCS is part of her prize for winning the competition.
"It was meaningful winning the Dallas competition for me,” said Saetbyeol. “With the experience, I was able to have concerts during the last 12 months and I plan on competing in many more. I'm very excited to work with Dallas Chamber Symphony."
The Dallas International Piano Competition just completed its fourth year. The winner is selected by a jury of prominent concert pianists, who listen to concerto and solo performances over the course of the four-day event. A preliminary jury selects the pianists who perform during the live rounds from a video audition held in December.
The third Annual Sight of Sound Film & Music event is a bold event coupling new short silent films created by filmmakers world-wide to be played with classical music. The Dallas Chamber Symphony’s Artistic Director & Conductor Richard McKay will be conducting the Dallas Chamber Symphony’s season finale.
Sight of Sound was originally envisioned before the orchestra was officially established and according to McKay “It was an idea that was set to paper during the planning of the organization. Originally, I imagined it would be a natural extension of our film score series, which was debuted in our first season.”
Established during the second season in December 2013, Sight of Sound is a novel approach to setting film with music, because the contest effectively crowd-sources the visual art from filmmakers who are interested in having their original works debuted with live orchestra, in a major city and venue.
McKay said that all types of filmmakers are invited to submit films to music he has selected, or to pieces of their own choosing.
As for how Saetbyeol’s performance is tied in to the short films, McKay explained “The piano performance is really not tied in with the film. The concert format will feel more like a double bill. The first half will be “pops” oriented, with the orchestra performing to a number of short films, which were selected as finalists of Sight of Sound. During intermission, the audience can submit votes via text on which film will receive the audience choice award of $500.”
After intermission, the results will be announced, and then Saetbyeol will join the orchestra on stage.
McKay said that the second half of the concert will feel more like a traditional concert, with a Tchaikovsky’s familiar and very popular Piano Concerto No. 1.
Saetbyeol has also been awarded second prize at the Louisiana International Competition, gave a recital and master class in Barcelona, Spain this month and has a recital coming up in May at Carnegie Hall.
“All of our shows are excellent to attend,” McKay concluded. “What is particularly special about this event is that is provides a singular opportunity to experience a variety of short, original films with live music. You won’t see them anywhere else, and they’ve all been designed for screening with live orchestra. The concert is also the only opportunity to hear the winner of the DIPC 2015 perform. She is a phenomenal talent, who beat out 72 other pianists to claim the top prize. The program also features large orchestra — the largest group of musicians on stage all season — about 40 in all.”
When: April 19, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Dallas City Performance Hall - 2520 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas 75201
For more information call 214.449.1294 tickets can also be purchased online at https://www.dcsymphony.org/concert-tickets/201516-season-schedule/sight-of-sound-2016/