July Festival Kicks Off; Musical 'The Days' Features Songs of Kim Kwang-seok

[Anchor]

The July Festival, a concert series held every day throughout the month of July by The House Concert, has officially begun. Meanwhile, the original musical "The Days," featuring the hit songs of the late singer Kim Kwang-seok, is currently being performed.

Culture and Arts Correspondent Kim Soo-hyun reports.

[Reporter]

[2026 July Festival / Through July 31 / Artist House, Daehak-ro]

The July Festival, hosted by The House Concert, presents a feast of music without a single day of rest throughout the month of July.

While the festival has previously focused on specific composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, Bartók, and Schubert, this year's theme is "The Light of France," featuring a diverse range of 20th-century French music.

The opening and closing performances are filled with orchestral music featuring collaborations between young conductors and emerging musicians.

At the opening performance, the July Festival Orchestra, conducted by Park Gang-hyun, featured a collaboration with pianist Hong Seok-young, performing works by Debussy and Ravel.

In an intimate space where the number of orchestra members is nearly equal to the number of audience members, the musicians, positioned right in front of the audience as if they could be touched, showcased the unique rhythm and color of French music.

The centerpiece of this year's festival is the piano and chamber music series, which provides a broad overview of the flow of 20th-century French music, including works by Eric Satie, Les Six, and Messiaen, in addition to Debussy and Ravel.

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[Musical 'The Days' / Through August 23 / D-Cube Link Arts Center]

The original jukebox musical "The Days," created with the songs of Kim Kwang-seok, has returned for its seventh season this year, which marks the 30th anniversary of the singer's passing.

Set in the Blue House Security Service, the story unfolds by crossing between the past and the present, following the disappearance of security guard Moo-young and a mysterious woman during the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China in 1992, and the efforts of Security Chief Jung-hak to track them down.

While Kim Kwang-seok's music is primarily composed of lyrical ballads, the songs are newly arranged for the musical, offering a completely different feel.

The role of Jung-hak is played by Um Ki-joon, Ryu Sooyoung, Choi Jin-hyuk, and Kim Jung-hyun, while the role of Moo-young is played by Park Gyu-won, Yoon Siyoon, Sandeul, and Yoo Seon-ho.

Throughout the month of July, the production will alternate between "Sing-along Weeks," where the audience joins the actors in singing Kim Kwang-seok's hit songs during the curtain call, and "Mini Live Concerts," where the cast performs key musical numbers before the show begins.

(Video Editing: Wi Won-yang)

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