Vienna Philharmonic’s concertmaster Rainer Kuchl to perform in Korea

Violinist Rainer Kuchl, who held the principal concertmaster post at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for 45 years, is to perform in Korea this week.Having started his career at the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera in 1971 at the age of 20, Kuchl has performed with numerous acclaimed conductors, including Bohm, Bernstein, Karajan and Solti.Kuchl’s recital on Thursday at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul kicks off this year’s “Beautiful Thursday Kumho Art Hall Exclusive.” Violinist Rainer Kuchl

PerformanceJan. 16, 2018

[Herald Interview] How Younha ‘rescued’ herself, found her voice again

Ever since her K-pop career began in 2006, Younha has often been described as one of the most talented singer-songwriters of today. Due to her chameleon-like vocal abilities and masterful songwriting -- which crossed genres from ballad to rock to jazz -- a renowned music critic once said, “I’d like to advise female musician wannabes to study Younha, who is truly the best musician, equipped with perfect vocal, breathing, tone and stability.”The songstress, however, stopped crafting her own music

PerformanceJan. 16, 2018

Suzy to release EP ‘Faces of Love’

Suzy has lately been pursuing acting roles in drama series, but she is ready to shine as a singer once again with her new EP. Her management agency JYP Entertainment released details about Suzy’s new EP “Faces of Love” on Tuesday on its official social media account, including its track list, artworks and a video clip.  The track list of “Faces of Love” (JYP Entertainment)In black-and-white footage, Suzy explains the themes of the songs, using facial expressions and body movements. The EP featur

PerformanceJan. 16, 2018

Shopping fest for foreigners starts Thursday

Korea Grand Sale is to begin Thursday, providing discounts, gifts and services to foreign visitors in Korea. The shopping event also aims to promote the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. More than 52,000 stores representing 700 companies will participate in the event that runs until Feb. 28, offering discounts on beauty products, entertainment, accommodations, tourist sites and flights, the Visit Korea committee, in charge of hosting the annual nationwide shopping event, announced Monday. Openin

CultureJan. 16, 2018

[Video] Dreamers are doers

Shot by Lim Jeong-yeo / Edited by Lim Jeong-yeoBang Jin-hee is finally seeing her hotelier dream take shape.The 41-year-old mother of two teenage twins owns a clutch of pensions and villas in a secluded area near the Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. At the end of a narrow winding road stands six Analog 76 pensions and four Eastern Paris pool villas. “I always had it in the back of my mind that I would one day own a boutique hotel. Of course, a dream doesn’t take shape straight away.

PeopleJan. 16, 2018

Ko Hyun-jung, Lee Jin-wook ‘Return’ to solve murder mystery

Actors Ko Hyun-jung and Lee Jin-wook are to return to the small screen with the crime-thriller series “Return” on SBS. Written by rookie Choi Kyung-mi, the 16-episode series revolves around a murder case. The mistress of a man from the owner family of a conglomerate turns up dead and four elites become suspects.  Lee Jin-wook (left) and Ko Hyun-jung pose at a press conference Monday at the SBS building in Mok-dong, Seoul. (Yonhap)Ko plays a talented attorney who defends one of the suspects, the

TelevisionJan. 15, 2018

‘Black Panther’ cast, director to visit Korea

“Black Panther,” the latest edition of the multibillion-dollar Marvel superhero universe -- will premiere in Korea next month, with its director and cast set to visit the country.Walt Disney Korea announced Monday that Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o will visit alongside director Ryan Coogler. Boseman plays the titular character -- whose real name is T’Challa and is the king of the fictional African country of Wakanda -- while Jordan takes on the role of his nemesis, Kilmo

FilmJan. 15, 2018

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra to perform in Korea

The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by music director Jacek Kaspszyk, will perform Thursday at Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul.In 2016, the WPO performed in Korea along with the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition prize winners, including the competition’s first-prize winner Cho Seong-Jin.  Jacek Kaspszyk, music director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Vincero)This time, the Polish orchestra will perform with Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder, a prize winner at the Chopi

PerformanceJan. 15, 2018

[Next Wave] Wetter hopes to revive rock ’n’ roll spirit

From their punky hairstyles to outfits straight out of the 1980s, there is something clearly different, and special, about Wetter. Named after a hope to “wet” people with its music, the four-piece rock band is a rarity in the Korean music scene: Its music isn’t peppered with trendy synthesizers or studio technologies. The stripped-down sound heavily focuses on the pure sounds of the instruments themselves, echoing rock legends the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. “Rock, it’s about pursuing classi

PerformanceJan. 15, 2018

BoA sings ‘Man in the Mirror’ with Siedah Garrett

In honor of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, K-pop singer BoA will release a live rendition of “Man in the Mirror,” sung with the song’s writer Siedah Garrett.S.M. Entertainment announced Monday that “Man in the Mirror (Live)” will be released via local music streaming websites at 6 p.m. Tuesday. It is part of the agency’s SM Station project, which involves S.M. artists releasing a song every week.  BoA (right) and Siedah Garrett (S.M. Entertainment)Garrett, who jointly wrote the song with

PerformanceJan. 15, 2018

BTS holds New Year meeting with global fan club Army

K-pop sensation BTS held a successful fan event called “Happy Ever After” at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, its agency Big Hit Entertainment said Monday. BTS shared many happy memories with members of Army, which stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth. Popular comedian-talk show host Kim Saeng-min accompanied the seven members throughout the talk session.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The group wore special uniforms for the event and staged performances that have not been s

PerformanceJan. 15, 2018

Artist ‘instantly sews’ thoughts, feelings into rag dolls

Rag doll maker and artist Moon Jung-whe does more than sew fabric into objects -- she reveals her inner thoughts and feelings through her creations. Moon, who has created more than 200 rag dolls, calls them “instant dolls.” She came up with the term herself, as the dolls are a way of instantly expressing her feelings, beyond being the execution of intricate art. “When I went to Hawaii, I made a doll using local fabrics, sketching my impression of the island,” Moon said. “By making the ‘instant d

Arts & DesignJan. 15, 2018

2AM’s Jo Kwon fires back at article mocking him

Jo Kwon of 2AM slammed an article with a headline that mocked the singer.On Thursday, Jo posted to his Twitter account a screen capture of a headline of a local media report, with a caption that said “I’ve been ignoring all the gossip and malicious comments about me, but this is surely the lowest of low among the articles I’ve seen.” (Jo Kwon`s Twitter)The headline read, “Jo Kwon, Is this real? Do you want to date this man? Sorry, I’m a married man,” along with a photo of the singer dressed as a

PerformanceJan. 14, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin awarded 8th Kumho Musician Award

Pianist Cho Seong-jin has been awarded the eighth Kumho Musician Award by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the organization said Sunday.  Pianist Cho Seong-jin (left) poses with Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo at the eighth Kumho Musician Award ceremony in Seoul on Friday. (Kumho Asiana)“It is a great pleasure to present the award at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei,” Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo said during the award ceremony held Friday. “I am very proud of Cho Seong-jin, who ha

PerformanceJan. 14, 2018

Tongyeong Int’l Music Fest 2018 to continue legacy of Yun I-sang

Tongyeong International Music Festival 2018 seeks to continue the legacy of the late Tongyeong composer Yun I-sang, known for his attempts to bridge the music of Europe and Asia as well as his experiments with different styles and sounds. This year’s TIMF will be held from March 30 to April 8, under the theme of “Returning Home.” World-renowned musicians from Korea and abroad will join the annual music festival to introduce musical works by Yun I-sang, as well as those of Western legends. (TIMF

PerformanceJan. 14, 2018

Incheon Airport’s new terminal features French artist Xavier Veilhan

Adding poetic elements to the public space was French artist Xavier Veilhan’s goal in creating “Great Mobiles” installed at the entrance of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2.Veilhan is best known for his angular sculptures, as well as “Studio Venezia,” a giant recording studio that transformed the 1912 French Pavilion, introduced at the Venice Biennale 2017.“Great Mobiles” consists of two mobiles that stretch 18.5 meters wide, hanging near the two entrances of the newly built second terminal.  Xavier

Arts & DesignJan. 14, 2018

[Trending] #JoSeho, weather forecaster

Comedian Jo Se-ho unexpectedly took over as MBC News’ weatherman Thursday causing a stir on social media. Dressed as General Winter -- Korea’s traditional answer to Jack Frost -- Jo started to report the weather around Yeouido metro station in Seoul.  Jo Se-ho (MBC)“I wore this costume to depict the extreme cold weather,” Jo said. He even brought a pair of wet jeans, which froze solid in the winter weather. The mercury on Thursday morning plummeted to minus 15 degrees Celsius in Seoul. “I want t

TelevisionJan. 14, 2018

[Herald Review] Do ask, do tell

“It looks weird because you’re new here, but just wait and see, sir. It’ll feel natural soon enough.” The military is an odd place. Because of its sheer size and the fact that soldiers are required to obey their superiors without question, it is very difficult for someone to change something, no matter how justified the attempt. This makes it especially hard for someone to blow the whistle on irregularities, even multi-trillion won misappropriations. “The Discloser” -- directed by the late Hong

FilmJan. 14, 2018

Park Bo-gum to star in “Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast”

Actor Park Bo-gum will star in the second season of the JTBC reality show “Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast” as a temporary employee. According to the show’s production staff Saturday, Park has been cast as a three-day assistant for Lee Hyo-ri and Lee Sang-soon, a celebrity couple who run a guest house on Jeju Island.  Actor Park Bo-gum (Blossom Entertainment)The staff said that the casting was made based on viewers’ opinions and the fact that the actor has been a longtime fan of Fin.K.L, a 1990s K-pop g

PerformanceJan. 14, 2018

G-Dragon to open new cafe, bowling alley on Jeju Island

K-pop icon G-Dragon, well-known for his entrepreneurial spirit, will open his own cafe and a bowling alley on Jeju Island, his agency YG Entertainment said Saturday.According to the agency, GD Cafe and the bowling alley will open in February and March, respectively, as a part of Jeju Shinhwa World, an integrated resort complex. Featuring design ideas of the Big Bang frontman, the cafe was inspired by the logo of his fashion brand Peaceminusone, while the bowling alley, which includes a lounge pu

PerformanceJan. 14, 2018