The Leader of Symphony Orchestras in Korea

Korea’s National Symphony Orchestra Leading the Classical Music Scene

Founded in 1956, the KBS Symphony Orchestra (KBSSO) is Korea’s national representative orchestra and a leading force in the development of classical music in the country. Beginning with its first Principal Conductor, Lim Won-sik, the orchestra has been guided by world-class conductors including Hong Yeon-taek, Won Kyung-su, Othmar Maga, Myung-Whun Chung, Dmitri Kitaenko, Yoel Levi, and Pietari Inkinen. In 2012, the orchestra was newly established as a foundation corporation with a professional arts management system.Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, the KBS Symphony Orchestra is advancing as a global orchestra through a balance of tradition and innovation. At the center of this transformation is Myung-Whun Chung, appointed as the 10th Music Director, who leads the orchestra’s artistic identity and long-term vision.

An Orchestra Inspiring the Public Anytime, Anywhere

With a broad repertoire ranging from large-scale symphonic works to chamber music, the KBSSO presents more than 100 performances each year, reaching over 100,000 audience members annually. In addition to its subsc[XSS_DECRE]ription concerts and special and invitational performances, the orchestra has expanded access to classical music through outreach concerts for culturally underserved communities and educational programs for young audiences. As Korea’s broadcasting orchestra, the KBSSO delivers performances nationwide through KBS television and radio, while also engaging audiences through regional music festivals and socially driven performances. In particular, as part of initiatives addressing Korea’s low birth rate, the orchestra presents outreach concerts for expectant mothers and their unborn children, expanding the social role of classical music.

A Global Orchestra in Harmony with the World

Since its founding, the KBS Symphony Orchestra has steadily built its international presence through continuous overseas activities. These include the release of a live recording on Deutsche Grammophon (DG), a commemorative concert marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, and a six-city tour in 2019 celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Poland. The orchestra further expanded its global engagement through a special performance at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. In 2023, the KBSSO participated in the Edinburgh International Festival, receiving a perfect five-star evaluation from official critics. In 2024, it became the first Asian orchestra to be invited by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Poland and the ?pilberk Festival in Brno, Czech Republic. In 2025, the orchestra presented a joint concert with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. These international exchanges demonstrate that the KBS Symphony Orchestra has established itself as a leading force in the global expansion of K-Classical music, beyond its role as Korea’s national orchestra.

A K-Classical Content Hub Leading the Digital Era

The KBS Symphony Orchestra continues to explore new possibilities for classical music in the digital environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its no-audience concerts broadcast across KBS platforms attracted more than 23,000 real-time viewers. The orchestra also launched Digital K-Hall, an online classical music archive providing high-quality content to the public.

Notably, the KBSSO’s YouTube channel became the first classical-music channel in Asia to surpass 200,000 subscribers, establishing itself as a leading platform for the popularization of classical music.