The first Saya International Music Festival will be held for three days, from Sept. 18 to 20 next month, at Sayuwon in Gunwi, North Gyeongsang Province. Spots throughout the garden, tended along the slope of the mountain, become stages. The buildings designed by Seung H-Sang and Álvaro Siza, the forest that fills the space between them, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral' are placed in the same setting.
The stage does not stay under a roof.
The work at the center of the three days is the 'Pastoral.' Listeners will hear in an actual forest the piece in which Beethoven set a brook, birdsong and a rain shower to score. Because it is an outdoor venue, the reverberation of an indoor hall is hard to expect.
Seung H-Sang's building and Álvaro Siza's building do not hide the material qualities of gray concrete and stone. Audiences move between the buildings and the trees and spend three days there.
Sayuwon is a mountain garden created by planting trees while leaving the ridges and valleys as they are. The very sensation of walking differs from a garden laid out in neat sections on flat ground.
This is originally a place people come to see trees, and the soil around the roots hardens the more people tread on it. The festival is a way of opening the garden and also a way of using it. The schedule was cut off at three days.
Anyone planning to go had better check the weather first. The performances are held on a mountain, where slopes and walking paths continue, so choose shoes with low heels. Sayuwon will announce details including how to attend and ticket prices.
Event Information
Dates: Friday, Sept. 18 - Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026
Venue: Sayuwon, Gunwi, North Gyeongsang Province
