Concert for Peace 2025 brings global musicians together in Seoul

Rina Choi performs on the sohaegeum during "Beautiful Country" by Han Tae-soo at the Concert for Peace 2025 in Seoul on September 30. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - The Concert for Peace 2025 took place on September 30 at Youngsan Art Hall in Seoul, with musicians from several countries performing together to highlight the role of culture in building dialogue. This was the third edition of the series, which began in Hiroshima and Osaka, and has become a platform for showing how music can cross borders and speak to shared human values.

 Musicians from the Child Citizen Orchestra and international guest performers take the stage at the Concert for Peace 2025 in Seoul on September 30. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
At the heart of the event was the Child Citizen Orchestra, founded in 2006 by Brazilian Judge João Targino. The orchestra was created to give underprivileged youth in Brazil access to musical training while also providing paths to inclusion and social development. Over the past two decades, it has reached more than 1,000 young people, and its international tours have carried a message that music can be a tool of both personal growth and cultural diplomacy.

 Musicians from the Child Citizen Orchestra and international guest performers take the stage at the Concert for Peace 2025 in Seoul on September 30. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Brazilian Ambassador to South Korea Márcia Donner Abreu, speaking at the concert, called the orchestra’s journey "an inspiring example of how culture can foster solidarity among peoples." She noted that the Seoul performance was especially symbolic because it included young musicians from South and North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Iran. "By coming together, you show us that music is more than performance — it is a common language for mutual understanding," she said.

 Musicians from the Child Citizen Orchestra and international guest performers take the stage at the Concert for Peace 2025 in Seoul on September 30.
Judge Targino, who opened the evening, described the concert as a "roadmap of hope." He said war is "the failure of humanity itself" and stressed that music can remind people of the need to overcome divisions. He thanked his wife, Mirina, and Ambassador Abreu for their support, and recognized the cooperation of the Ministry of Unification of South Korea and other partners who made the event possible.
 
Park Sae-jin Reporter swatchsjp@ajunews.com