Kia presents ‘Traveling Melody: Green Journey x Run Piano’

Kia announced on Friday (12th) that it held 'Traveling Melodies: Green Travel x Run Piano' on Wednesday (10th) at Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.

'Traveling Melodies: Green Travel x Run Piano (hereafter Green Travel x Run Piano)' is a travelling concert series organised by Kia in collaboration with 'Run Piano', a project team led by world-renowned pianist and Seoul National University professor Park Jong-hwa. The initiative was designed to expand opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy culture and the arts, and to create a platform for mutual understanding and communication through music.

Kia's 'Green Travel' is a social contribution programme that supports safe and convenient mobility for people with disabilities. Since its launch in 2012, it has operated 30 vehicles, including the Carnival, PV5 Passenger, and PV5 WAV, across eight regions nationwide. Over the past 15 years, more than 110,000 people with disabilities have used the service.

'Run Piano' is a project team that moves away from fixed stages to hold performances in streets, parks, and other locations, staging mobile concerts to overcome the accessibility limitations of classical music performances.

This concert, themed 'Boramae Forest Piano Concert on Tour', featured classical performances and discussions. In particular, a collaboration between Professor Park Jong-hwa and visually impaired pianist Mo Jae-min conveyed the value of diversity and coexistence born from the meeting of different experiences.

Specifically, three pieces were performed, carrying messages of hope, healing, and solidarity: ▲Chopin's Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31 and Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 ▲Schubert's Marche Militaire, among others.

The audience reflected on the value of coexistence that can be shared through the power of art, as they listened to the music of two pianists with different experiences and backgrounds.

After the performance, a session was held where Professor Park Jong-hwa and pianist Mo Jae-min directly engaged with the audience, discussing the power of music to connect people.

Drawing on his extensive stage experience both domestically and internationally, Professor Park Jong-hwa emphasised that art should be open to everyone, and conveyed that music can serve as a medium to transcend invisible barriers and foster mutual understanding.

'Green Travel x Run Piano' plans to present a total of three performances at various locations within the year, starting with this Boramae Forest Piano Concert on Tour.

Going forward, 'Green Travel x Run Piano' aims to expand opportunities for people with and without disabilities to communicate and empathise through music, contributing to the creation of a cultural and artistic environment that everyone can enjoy together.

Meanwhile, under its social contribution mission of 'contributing to a safe, free, and sustainable life for humanity', Kia is carrying out various social contribution initiatives both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, these include: ▲'Harmonium', which supports multicultural youth in their stable transition into society ▲'Move to You', which improves access to fresh food in rural and fishing communities ▲'Tidal Flat Vegetation Restoration', which plants and researches halophytes to protect tidal flat ecosystems ▲'Eco-friendly Livestock Manure Treatment', which addresses odour and water quality issues from livestock manure.

Internationally, Kia continues: ▲the 'Green Light Project', which addresses global socio-economic inequality, including in Africa ▲'The Ocean Cleanup', which collects and recycles marine plastic waste.