Founding Story

 

It all began with a yellow German book—Jürgen Uhde’s Beethoven: 32 Klaviersonaten—that I discovered during my first Beethoven cycle at Kumho Art in Seoul. In its pages, I found the most practical and inspiring guide to Beethoven’s sonatas that I wanted to share with students in Korea. Finally, a decade later, I could form a small translation team, and in 2016, Seoul National University Press published our first volume.

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As the publishing landscape changed, work on further volumes did not proceed. Yet the collective study of this book was too enriching to abandon. Our gatherings evolved into a colloquium, growing to nearly forty members who called themselves “Beethovenian.”

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In the summer of 2023, I made the bittersweet decision to leave my tenured position of 24 years at Seoul National University and join the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. When I relocated to Baltimore, the Beethovenian spirit moved with me.

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In early 2026, Beethovenian Collective was founded in Baltimore, with chapters in the Twin Cities and San Diego. The organization continues its affiliation with Beethovenian Korea.

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Why Beethovenian

 

Ludwig van Beethoven is impossible to capture in one sentence. That is part of the reason why there are countless scholars, composers, performers, and music lovers alike—who have spent lifetimes exploring him. His life, his era, his music were all pure drama. He was an architect of the highest order, yet his genius lay in building immense musical structures from the simplest means. His mind was consistently unique and bold, though never without conflict and struggle. That mastery paved the way for the future of classical music.​​​​​

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HieYon Choi

Founder & Artistic Director​