Hailed by German journalist Eleonore Buening as “one of the most beautiful concert halls anywhere”, Tongyeong Concert Hall was opened in 2014. Designed in shoe-box style with perfect acoustics, the 1300-seat hall with its seagull-shaped roof is one of the few Korean venues dedicated solely to classical music.

The idea of a home for the Tongyeong International Music Festival and a symbolic home for the music and legacy of Isang Yun was first conceived in 2006 the actual building was constructed by Daelim Company and took 7 years to complete.

Opening the new concert hall marked the beginning of a new era for Tongyeong city. Salvatore Sciarrino, reknown Italian artist and composer in resi dence at the Tongyeong Inter national Music Festival 2014 wrote on the occasion of the concert hall’s opening

“Molding a new generation is not only important to create a new future audience, but for the tradition of music in this country,” Sciarrino said. “We, as adults, know what tradition is, but tradition just doesn’t appear one day. There’s starting point of tradition, and I believe that day is today.”