Korea National Opera to perform Korean premiere of Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The Korea National Opera will bring Benjamin Britten's opera "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to the stage next month, marking the Korean premiere of the production. In a production meeting held Monday at the Seoul Arts Center, the KNO introduced the work, the production team and the cast of the opera with a libretto adapted from William Shakespeare's play. Britten's opera premiered in 1960 at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. The story revolves around the adventures o

March 12, 2024

Heritage agency renamed ahead of May revamp

South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration will be renamed the Korea Heritage Service effective May 17, a CHA official said Monday. The name change, part of larger efforts to overhaul the agency, was passed by the National Assembly in April 2023. “The change from ‘administration’ to ‘service’ is meant to show we want to get closer to the people and have them feel the same as well when they think of us,” a senior CHA official said of the decision. Oth

March 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] Pianist Lang Lang celebrates French music, female composers in latest album

In bringing to life a long-envisioned French project, celebrated pianist Lang Lang stumbled upon a wealth of intriguing discoveries, spanning from the works of five female French composers to even the world of Taekwondo, a Korean martial art. He said he wanted to do a French project for a long time, but it wasn't until he encountered Saint-Saens' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22, “which is underrated despite its excellence,” that he decided to mak

March 11, 2024

TikTok-Universal Music Group dispute: an opportunity for rookies?

Universal Music Group, one of the largest global music publishing companies, has pulled music created by its artists and songwriters from TikTok beginning February, as their licensing agreement had expired. This move comes in an effort by UMG to help its artists and songwriters attain fair compensation from TikTok. “TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay. Today, as an indication of how l

March 10, 2024

[Well-curated] Unique interior decor, aviation museum and silent cafe

Decorate your space with colorful, unique props If you have recently moved into a new place, you may be looking for unique trinkets and small decorations to brighten up your space. Segment, a company that sells interior-related products from around the world, has opened an offline showroom. The two-story building, which is about a 10-minute walk from Naebang Station on Subway Line No. 7, is full of colorful interior decoration items from more than 100 domestic and foreign brands. On the building

March 8, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

WE Hotel offers new spring-themed program WE Hotel, a premium health resort located in Seogwipo, southern Jeju Island, is offering a new program for the upcoming spring season from March 15 to April 15. “Walk Under Cherry Blossom” presents visitors the chance for a one-night stay in a superior room, free breakfast buffet, cherry blossom tea with the Korean honey snack yakgwa as well as a wellness program for two guests. Visitors can make their choice from a total of four wellness pro

March 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] Yoon Hankyeol aims to be validated by fellow conductors

After winning the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award at the Salzburger Festspiele in Salzburg, Austria in August 2023, conductor Yoon Hankyeol said he felt a sense of relief that he no longer needed to participate in such competitions. “Fortunately, it wasn’t the case for the Karajan competition, but more often than not, there are occasions where the performance is influenced by the judges, audience members, or those present in the room, rather than fully showcasing oneself,&

March 7, 2024

English version of Korean musical 'Marie Curie' to make historic West End debut

The English edition of the Korean musical “Marie Curie” is set to hit West End in June, making history as the first Korean original musical produced by a Korean production company to be staged there. Produced by Kang Byung-won and LIVE Corp., the English premier involves a British creative team, including director Sarah Meadows, music director Emma Fraser and choreographer Joanna Goodwin. Fraser also worked on English lyrics adaptation, while the English book adaptation and literal T

March 5, 2024

April event in Boston to mark Goryeo relic’s return: CHA official

A ceremony marking the return to South Korea of long-sought 14th-century Buddhist antiques from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will take place at the US museum sometime during the first week of April, according to an official at Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Discussions are still underway on finalizing the date, the official added, saying the CHA chief might join a Buddhist monk expected to travel to Boston for the ceremony. The official declined to elaborate further

March 4, 2024

Culture Ministry to relax regulations in pro-business move

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday a series of tasks aimed at improving regulations, including allowing Korean nationals access to urban accommodations with live-in hosts previously reserved for foreign nationals, relaxing the fixed book price system and enhancing the administrative penalty exemption system to protect small businesses from deceptive practices by minors. With its vision of creating "a free and creative global cultural powerhouse,” the minist

March 4, 2024

Han Kang's 'I Do Not Bid Farewell' clinches second French award

Korean writer Han Kang's latest novel "I Do Not Bid Farewell" has won a French literary award, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea said Friday. The novel took home the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature for her "restrained expression and the universality of its themes,” the award's organizer said Friday (French time). The French was translated by Choi Kyung-ran and Pierre Bisiou into French, with support by LTIK and published in 2023. Its English

March 1, 2024

[Well-curated] Learn Hangeul with Pinkfong, get a caricature done and treat yourself to expensive dessert

Learn Hangeul with Pinkfong If you have young children, nephews or nieces who are Pinkfong fans, head to Pinkfong Hangeul Playground at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul with them this weekend. The Pinkfong Hangeul Playground, which opened Monday, is an offline experience area, with photo zone, media zone and study zone teaching visitors Hangeul, the Korean writing system. Children can take selfies with Pinkfong characters at the photo zone and enjoy a special animation at the

March 1, 2024

[Graphic News] Cultural heritage and assets outside of South Korea

More than 240,000 Korean artifacts are currently located outside of the country including those that have been stolen, plundered and sold or given as gifts. According to Korean Cultural Heritage Administration and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 803 museums and art galleries in 29 countries around the world hold an estimated 246,304 artifacts as of January. This was a slight increase compared to January last year (229,655 artifacts). By country, Japan held the highest number

March 1, 2024

CJ Cultural Foundation announces support for music, film, musical creators

CJ Cultural Foundation is currently accepting works from aspiring artists, in a bid to help them enter the entertainment market. The annual contest is part of the foundation's efforts to support artists in marginalized sectors such as independent musicians, short film directors and musical creators. CJ Cultural Foundation said it is accepting music files or videos from aspiring music makers for its indie musician support program, titled "Tune Up," until March 20. Works can be subm

Feb. 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Heading toward 20th anniversary, Novus String Quartet continues to stay current

Nine years ago this month, the Novus String Quartet was featured in The Korea Herald’s “Up and Coming” series. Nearly a decade later, they continue to evolve. “At that time, we were just making the transition from the mixed life of a student and a performer into a professional performer. Now we are professional performers who also pursue teaching careers,” violinist Kim Jae-young, the leader of the quartet, told The Korea Herald during an interview on Monday. Kim an

Feb. 27, 2024

West Bank museum showcases Gaza 'artistic demonstration' against war

BIRZEIT, Palestinian Territories - At a museum in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Gazan works on display are proclaimed to be an "ongoing artistic demonstration" in solidarity with the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. "This is not an exhibition," reads the sign at the entrance to the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, near Ramallah, showcasing art and heritage from the Gaza Strip. Alongside contemporary pieces, the works include old, traditional paintings and costumes, as well

Feb. 27, 2024

'K-classical league' needed to create healthy classical music scene

South Korea has become a heaven for classical music prodigies but for sustainable growth, a '"K-classical league" would be more conducive, according to classical music experts during a forum on Friday. Hosted by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, which has been supporting talented young musicians since 2009, the forum dealt with various issues concerning fostering classical music talent. “Because now South Korea has become a heaven for prodigies, they are trying to

Feb. 26, 2024

UNESCO workshop on writing cultural heritage reports convenes in Jeonju

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday convened a five-day international meeting on empowering countries to write up better progress reports on protecting cultural heritage, in line with a UNESCO convention. About 100 government officials and UNESCO representatives from 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific region will discuss improving their collective submission of progress reports, mandated every six years under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Je

Feb. 26, 2024

Sneak peeks of pianist Lim Yunchan's debut album on Decca heighten expectations

When pianist Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, attended the press conference for Apple Music Classical on Jan. 29, he performed three of Chopin Etudes: Op. 25, No. 1 “Aeolian Harp;” Op. 10, No. 5 “Black Keys;” and Op. 25, No. 11 "Winter Wind." For his playlist exclusively unveiled on the Apple Music Classical app, the 19-year-old pianist featured Chopin 12 Etudes by Ignaz Friedman among other artists

Feb. 25, 2024

[Weekender] Discover the joys of life without a smartphone

In December, college student Kang Min-gu was preparing for his final exams when he decided to put his cell phone in a special type of locker called the "Room of Immersion." Once items are placed in the cylinder, also called a "smartphone prison," and a timer is set, it can only be opened before the time is up by breaking it. Kang, who majors in Korean medicine, meant to set a timer for 60 minutes so he could focus on his studies. But when he realized he had accidentally s

Feb. 24, 2024