An international music festival, featuring composers, music directors, and musicians in and out of South Korea, will be held in Seoul next month, the event's organizers said Tuesday.

The Seoul International Music Festival, organized by the Korea Foundation, will run from May 22 through 30 at four major art halls in Seoul under the theme "All Together in Music."

The musicians performing in the festival include Poland's Krzysztof Penderecki, Maestro Ralf Gothoni of the English Chamber Orchestra and Finnish cellist Arto Noras.

The "Emperor Piano Trio," formed by South Korean violinist Kim So-ock, Chinese cellist Li Wei and Japanese pianist Naomi Iwase, will play for South Korean audiences for the first time.

Organizers of the festival plan to expand its size and establish it as an annual event, according to its director, Ryu Jae-joon.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2009)