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Nakdong Art Center Opens with Grand Inaugural Concert, the First Classical Music Venue in Western Busan

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that the City will hold the inaugural concert for Nakdong Art Center, the first dedicated classical music venue in western Busan, at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow (January 10).

Nakdong Art Center is a three-story building above ground with one basement level, featuring a dedicated classical Concert Hall (987 seats)—the first of its kind in western Busan—and a multipurpose venue, the Ensemble Theater (292 seats). Even before its official opening, the Center drew strong public attention, with a series of trial performances—ranging from classical concertos, opera, choral works, chamber music, to vocal recitals—selling out one after another.

At 5:00 p.m. tomorrow (January 10), the inaugural concert will take place at the Nakdong Art Center Concert Hall, with around 1,000 people expected to attend, including key figures from the arts community and citizens.

The program will begin with congratulatory video messages from citizens and artists, followed by performances by local artists. The concert will proceed in two parts: Part 1: an original symphonic work, and Part 2: Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.

For the inaugural concert, an original symphonic work titled Nakdong River Fanfare, themed around the history and life of the Nakdong River, will receive its world premiere. In addition, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, being performed for the first time outside the Seoul Capital Area, will be presented by the Nakdong Art Center Festival Orchestra (NAFO)—composed of local performers—and more than 330 artists from throughout the Nakdong River basin, including Busan, Gimhae, and Changwon, to complete the stage together.

Beginning with the inaugural concert, the Opening Festival will run through March 5, featuring a broad lineup ranging from in-house productions to international guest performances. The festival will also operate programs led by local artists, contributing to the revitalization of the local arts ecosystem.

From January 10 to March 5, a total of 20 productions and 27 performances will be staged across the Nakdong Art Center Concert Hall and Ensemble Theater. Highlights include the Center’s own opera production Aida, completed entirely through internal capabilities—from planning and production to stage technology and casting—as well as performances by Germany’s Cologne WDR Radio Orchestra and the world-renowned a cappella group The King’s Singers, who will visit Korea to take the stage.

The festival will also present a variety of performances featuring artists from across the region, including: the Future Generation Classical Concerto Concert, a joint performance by high school and university music majors in Busan and the Nakdong Art Center Festival Orchestra (NAFO); A New Classical World Opened by Nakdong, performed by the Busan Symphony Orchestra, a private orchestra comprised of more than 140 musicians; and Songs of the Nakdong Breeze: Piano in Song, featuring leading pianists from Busan, among many others.

Nakdong Art Center was built by the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) at a cost of KRW 63 billion under the “Mutual Cooperation Agreement for the Construction of a Cultural Complex Facility in the Myeongji District,” and was donated to Busan Metropolitan City through a contribution-in-kind arrangement. Construction began in 2021, the facility was completed in May 2025, and its management and operation were delegated to Gangseo-gu. Following a pilot operation in the second half of 2025, the Center is now officially opening.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City plans to promote comprehensive operational support measures so that Nakdong Art Center can firmly establish itself as a flagship cultural facility in western Busan and serve as a hub for local culture.

The City will work in cooperation with Gangseo-gu to support overall operations and implement practical measures to enhance stability and professionalism in facility management, helping the Center take root early as a key cultural base for western Busan.

Accordingly, Busan Metropolitan City will support facility upgrades to maintain high-quality performances and help establish a solid operational foundation for smooth management. At the same time, the City will also expand support in the arts promotion sector so that programs encouraging creative activities by local artists and providing citizens with high-quality cultural experiences can continue to be offered on an ongoing basis.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Nakdong Art Center is more than a symbolic first dedicated classical concert hall in western Busan—it is a valuable achievement that provides local artists with opportunities for growth and offers citizens the leisure and richness of a higher quality of life.” He added, “We will devote our utmost efforts to ensure that this space nurtures the dreams of young artists, brings inspiration to citizens’ everyday lives, becomes a centerpiece of the cultural ecosystem, and stands as a new landmark along the Nakdong River.”