Szombathely, Hungary
On 25 September, the Savaria Symphony Orchestra welcomes audiences to Bartók Hall in Szombathely, Hungary, for an evening of compelling musical expression. Led by Samuel Couffignal, the orchestra is joined by internationally acclaimed pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, whose artistry brings exceptional depth and brilliance to this distinctive concert experienc
After completing his musical studies in France while participating in numerous masterclasses throughout Europe, Samuel Couffignal further refined his skills at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW), studying orchestral conducting and vocal conducting with Siméon Pironkoff and Andreas Henning.
Through the creation of his own projects and his boundless curiosity, Samuel Couffignal has gained extensive experience and developed a strong affinity for all types of repertoire, both instrumental and vocal, spanning all periods of music history. For more than 13 years, he served as Artistic Director of the orchestra Meltin’Cordes, which he founded. He has also collaborated with various soloists, including Éric Franceries, Thomas Ospital, Shin-Young Lee, and others.
Read MoreThroughout his musical journey, the young conductor has benefited from the valuable guidance of renowned figures such as Marie Jacquot, Vimbayi Kaziboni, Philippe Auguin, Jean-Bernard Matter, Marin Alsop, and Hossein Pishkar, among others. Recognized for his professionalism, Samuel Couffignal has been repeatedly invited to assist distinguished conductors with ensembles including the Wiener Symphoniker, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Orchestra, and the Klangforum Wien ensemble.
With a constant commitment to promoting contemporary music repertoire, he has collaborated with composers such as Franck Vaudray, German Toro Perez, Mark André, Anthony Girard, and Nava Hemyari, as well as with specialized ensembles including Platypus, PHACE, and Webern Ensemble Wien. In addition, he was selected as one of the conductors participating in the Ligeti100 project in Budapest in 2023 and has been invited to conduct at prestigious festivals such as Imago Dei, Vienna Summer Festival, and Festival Cavaillé-Coll.
As a guest conductor, he has worked with the Sofia Orchestra, the Luhansk Symphony Orchestra, and the Chernivtsi Orchestra, and will soon make his debut with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra in Hungary.
Aware of the universal values embodied by culture and the importance of its transmission, Samuel Couffignal regularly works as a lecturer for companies, associations, and universities, as well as a pedagogue in high-level masterclasses (Wiener Musik Seminar, Lysenko University of Lviv, Conservatoire de Paris, among others). Since November 2024, he has regularly conducted concerts in Ukraine (Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv), collaborating with the French Institute and the Alliance Française of Lviv.
A Savarez musician since 2019, Samuel Couffignal has supported various musicians and ensembles throughout Europe by providing material assistance. Since September 2023, he has been the conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Akademisches Symphonie Orchester der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien).
Yekwon Sunwoo has been hailed for his “unfailingly consistent excellence” (International Piano) and celebrated as "a pianist who commands a comprehensive technical arsenal that allows him to thunder without breaking a sweat" (Chicago Tribune). A powerful and virtuosic performer, he also, in his own words, "strives to reach for the truth and pure beauty in music.” The irst Korean Gold medallist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yekwon's 25/26 season includes appearances with Baltimore Symphony, NSO of Uzbekistan, Korean American Music Supporters' Association as well as recitals at Le French May Festival and at Seoul Arts Centre amongst others.
Recent highlights include concertos with the New York Philharmonic, Ann Arbor Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Armenian Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Macao Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Slovak Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris as well as recitals at the University of Michigan, Bechstein Hall and Carnegie Hall.
Read MoreIn previous seasons, he has performed as a soloist with the Munich Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev, Royal Danish Orchestra with Thomas Søndergard, Fort Worth and Tucson Symphonies, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, National Orchestra of Belgium, Sendai Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National Orchestra amongst others. Recital appearances include Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Salle Cortot, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and a tour of Japan.
An avid chamber musician, Yekwon's collaborators include Clara Jumi Kang, Sebastian Bohren, Benjamin Beilman, Linus Roth, Andrei lonita, Sebastian Bohren, lsang Enders, Tobias Feldmann, Gary Hoffman, Anne-Marie McDermott and the Jerusalem and Brentano Quartets. He has also toured Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama with the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation and performed at Chamber Music of Lincoln Center's Inside Chamber Music Lectures.
In addition to the Cliburn Gold Medal, Yekwon won irstprizes at the 2015 International German Piano Award, the 2014 Vendome Prize held at the Verbier Festival, the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition and the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition. Born in Anyang, South Korea, Yekwon began learning the piano at the age of 8 and made his recital and orchestral debuts in Seoul at 15. His teachers include Seymour Lipkin, Robert McDonald, Richard Goode and Bernd Goetzke.
In September 2023, Yekwon released his second album for Decca Universal Music Korea featuring works by Rachmaninov following his irstalbum in 2020 of works by Mozart. In 2017, Decca Gold released Cliburn Gold 2017 two weeks after Yekwon was awarded the Gold Medal and includes his award-winning performances of Ravel's La Valse and Rachmaninov's Second Piano Sonata.
The Savaria Symphony Orchestra is one of Hungary’s most distinguished and sought-after orchestras, based in Szombathely, a city with a rich musical and cultural heritage.
Founded in 1962 under the direction of conductor János Petró, the ensemble first operated as a chamber orchestra, giving concerts, educational performances and regional appearances. Over the decades, it gradually developed into a full symphony orchestra, and in 1974 it became a professional ensemble.
The orchestra’s repertoire embraces almost the entire spectrum of classical music, from Baroque and Classical works to the great Romantic symphonies, concertos and contemporary compositions. It has always placed special emphasis on the music of Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Hungarian contemporary composers. The orchestra has been associated with numerous Hungarian premieres, world premieres and composer portrait concerts, and it also has a rich oratorio and opera repertoire.
Read MoreAs an opera orchestra, the Savaria Symphony Orchestra has performed throughout Europe, presenting works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Donizetti, Bizet, Gounod, Verdi, Puccini, Carl Orff and Péter Eötvös. The orchestra has toured extensively across Europe and Asia, with performances in Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, Turkey, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Dubai and South Korea.
The ensemble has collaborated with many internationally renowned artists, including John Cage, Gidon Kremer, Zoltán Kocsis, Péter Eötvös, Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, Pavel Kogan, Ramón Vargas, Shlomo Mintz, Erika Miklósa and Tamás Vásáry. In 1986, the orchestra recorded John Cage’s Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras for Hungaroton, and has released numerous further vinyl and CD recordings with Hungarian and international labels.
The orchestra has received several prestigious awards, including the Bartók–Pásztory Prize in 1990 and the ARTISJUS Prize in 2001 for the promotion of works by Hungarian composers. In 2025, the ensemble was once again awarded the title of Nationally Qualified Orchestra for a five-year period, a distinction held by only eleven ensembles in Hungary.
Since 1975, the orchestra’s home has been the Bartók Hall in Szombathely, a concert venue created in the historic building of the city’s former synagogue. Known for its excellent acoustics and unique atmosphere, the hall hosts both rehearsals and concerts.
From June 2025, the orchestra has been led by Director Gergely Popa. Its Chief Conductor is Gregory Vajda, the internationally acclaimed Hungarian conductor, composer and clarinetist. He is Music Director of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in Alabama, USA, and has collaborated with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe and North America, including the Staatskapelle Dresden, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble InterContemporain and Klangforum Wien.
The Savaria Symphony Orchestra is not only a major artistic institution, but also a defining cultural force in Szombathely and the wider region. Through its concerts, educational programmes, international collaborations and commitment to both classical and contemporary music, the orchestra continues to represent the city’s musical excellence at home and abroad.
