Opening Festival for Nakdong Art Center, West Busan’s Premier Classical Music Venue
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Opening Festival for Nakdong Art Center, West Busan’s Premier Classical Music Venue
□ The Nakdong Art Center hosted its grand opening concert on January 10, 2026, at 17:00.
○ As the inaugural site in West Busan devoted to classical music, the Nakdong Art Center spans three floors above ground and one below and comprises a 987-seat concert hall for classical recitals and 292-seat ensemble theater designed as a versatile space. Even before its official debut, trials exploring different genres—concerto, opera, choral pieces, chamber repertoire, and vocal music—drew intense interest and sold out quickly.
○ On January 10, 2026, approximately 1,000 people, including locals and key figures within the arts community, gathered in the concert hall.
□ The grand opening concert started with congratulatory video messages from residents and Busan-based creative artists, followed by participation from regional performers. The program featured ▲ Part 1: Original Symphony and ▲ Part 2: Symphony No. 8 by Mahler.
□ Through March 5, the opening festival will highlight in-house productions and presentations by globally acclaimed musicians, while promoting locally led projects to further solidify a robust artistic ecosystem.
○ A total of 20 works across 27 sessions will be showcased in the concert hall and the ensemble theater, such as ▲ Aida, entirely handled internally from planning to casting and staging, and ▲ international acts performed by WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Koln from Germany and The King’s Singers, a world-class a cappella group.
○ Additional distinguished local lineups will feature: ▲ ‘Future Generation Classical Concert,’ a collaboration between Busan high school and college students and the Nakdong Art Center Festival Orchestra, ▲ ‘Nakdong Expands the Classical Realm’ by the Busan Symphony Orchestra, a 140-member private orchestra, and ▲ ‘Nakdong’s Breeze Plays the Piano’ by top pianists.
□ The Nakdong Art Center was built by the Korea Land & Housing Corporation with a budget of 63 billion won and subsequently donated to the city under the Myeongji District Cultural Complex Cooperation Agreement. ▲ Construction began in 2021 and was completed in May 2025. ▲ Management was entrusted to Gangseo-gu in May 2025. ▲ Pilot operations were conducted during the latter half of 2025.
□ Busan intends to implement multifaceted measures to establish the Nakdong Art Center as a landmark in West Busan and a regional hub for the performing arts.
○ To ensure early recognition as an artistic focal point and strengthen stability and professionalism, Busan will coordinate thoroughly with Gangseo-gu.
○ The city will also support facility upgrades for performance quality, provide operational infrastructure, and encourage creative activities rooted in local identity, delivering compelling offerings to citizens.
□ Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked, “The Nakdong Art Center is not just the first classical-dedicated hall in West Busan, but it also represents opportunities for homegrown artists to thrive and for the public to engage with refined cultural content. With the Nakdong Art Center standing as a new icon in the Nakdonggang River area, we remain committed to making it a cornerstone of a cultural environment that nurtures young talent’s aspirations and enriches citizens’ daily lives.”
Nakdong Art Center
○ Address: 141 Myeongjigukje 1-ro, Gangseo-gu
○ Phone: 051-970-2771
○ Website: https://bsgangseo.go.kr/nac/main.do
○ Directions: https://bsgangseo.go.kr/nac/portal/contents.do?mid=0503040000
○ By Bus
3005 (Express): Get off at National Assembly Busan Library entrance
128-1, 3, Gangseo 8: Get off at Myeongji 1-dong Community Service Center
Gangseo 8: Get off at The Sharp First World II
128-1, 3, Gangseo 21: Get off at The Sharp First World · Gangseo Tax Office
