For its first stage, the genre chosen was neither opera nor a large-scale symphonic concert, but German art song. Baek looked for a field that would not overlap with the classical programs other cultural foundations were already running while making use of her own training. She noted in particular that art songs, despite their artistic value, are rarely performed in full in Korea. "A few pieces, like 'Der Lindenbaum' from Schubert's 'Winterreise,' are well known, but there is almost no chance to hear an entire song cycle as a single work. It's music of high quality, and I thought it would be good to introduce it properly to Korean audiences."
Those ideas turned into actual performances. At the foundation's first concert in 2024, she chose a young European vocalist over an already famous star performer. A midsummer "Winterreise" featuring German baritone Benjamin Appl drew praise as "a rare and refreshing program." This year's second concert, pairing world-renowned baritone Matthias Goerne with pianist Sunwoo Yekwon, also closed to a full house.
Baek's next step is a "culture and arts platform" that goes beyond individual programs. She plans to link the Southeast Asian arts network the foundation has built over more than a decade with Korean cultural institutions to create a venue for continuous exchange.
To that end, the foundation is accelerating partnerships with outside arts organizations. After signing a memorandum of understanding with the Asia Culture Center (ACC) to develop and promote exchange in Asian culture and the arts, it recently joined hands with the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. With the Seoul foundation, it agreed to cooperate on discovering promising artists in the basic arts, supporting creative work, and Korea-ASEAN cultural exchange. The partnership will broaden to include creative support linking artist studios and arts education centers, joint projects, and building artist networks.
Baek intends to grow the foundation's cultural programs in balance, extending from the humanities, literature, and fine art it has cultivated into music. "I hope the programs won't operate separately but connect with one another so we can reach more artists and audiences," she said. "We will encompass literature, art, and music and expand our role as a platform for cultural and artistic exchange."
