Korea Opera Festival to promote diversity

Aiming to promote interest in the local opera scene, the 10th edition of the Korea Opera Festival will run May 17 to June 9.The festival, now in its 10th edition, hopes to show a wide spectrum of operas, rather than reproducing money-making pieces. “This festival is about providing opera companies an opportunity to perform and, for the audience, it is a chance to watch high quality performances at a discounted price,” Lee So-young, head of the organizing committee, said at a press conference hel

April 29, 2019

Chin Un-suk appointed composer-in-residence at Elbphilharmonie Orchestra

Composer Chin Un-suk, 58, winner of the 2019 Bach Award, has been named composer-in-residence of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. The orchestra, based at the iconic Elbphilharmonie Hamburg concert hall in Germany, announced it had invited Chin as composer-in-residence for the 2019-20 season at a press conference Friday for the inauguration of Chief Conductor Alan Gilbert. Unsuk Chin (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)The orchestra will explore Chin’s musical universe this season through seven progr

April 29, 2019

Opposites attract, predictably, in ‘An Ugly Man & Beautiful Woman’

Two lovers destined for each other is a popular cliche in the romance genre. The phrase “and they lived happily ever after” is the stock ending.The first-ever theater adaptation of Belgian writer Amelie Nothomb’s novel “Riquet a la houppe” (“Riquet with the Tuft”), a Seoul Arts Center production that runs there through May 19, features a man and a woman destined to meet, but it leaves out the details of their life together.In “Riquet a la houppe,” a 2016 update of 17th-century French writer Char

April 29, 2019

BTS' 'Map of the Soul: Persona' comes in at 3rd on Billboard 200 chart

"Map of the Soul: Persona," the latest, record-breaking album of K-pop boy band BTS, came in at 3rd on the Billboard 200 main album chart for this week, one week after it debuted at No. 1, the Billboard website said."BTS' 'Map of the Soul: Persona' slips from No. 1 to No. 3 in its second week, scoring 57,000 (equivalent album) units," (Yonhap)Billboard said in an article posted on Sunday (US time) ahead of its official release of the weekly chart dated May 4.A week earlier, the BTS album, the op

April 29, 2019

Met Opera soprano to perform ‘Tosca’ concert opera

The Metropolitan Opera’s Jennifer Rowley, who has been performing “Tosca” at the Met since the 2017-18 season, will take to the stage Tuesday at the Seoul Arts Center in a concert performance of the Puccini opera. “This is my debut here, so I am excited to bring my ‘Tosca’ to Seoul,” the soprano said at a press conference Thursday at the center. “Tosca” is one of the three major operas by Puccini, along with “La Boheme” and “Madama Butterfly.” Soprano Jennifer Rowley speaks during a press confer

April 29, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' tops 3 mil. viewers on 3rd day in South Korea

Marvel's latest superhero blockbuster, "Avengers: Endgame," recorded more than 3 million admissions in South Korean cinemas in three days after hitting local screens, official data showed Saturday.  It drew 1.04 million viewers on Friday alone, increasing the total number to 3.21 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.  (Yonhap)The movie took up 84.4 percent of all seats at cinemas nationwide and 79.7 percent of all screens available in the country on the day.   "Endgame," t

April 27, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' tops 2 million admissions on second day

"Avengers: Endgame," the finale of the Marvel "Avengers" series, drew more than 2 million moviegoers in two days upon hitting local screens, data shows Friday.The superhero film had sold 2.17 million tickets by Thursday, on the second day of its release in South Korea, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.The movie took up 83.3 percent of all seats at cinemas nationwide and 78.4 percent of all screens available in the country. (Yonhap)The film's ticket sales are expected to grow at

April 26, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Avengers: Endgame(US)Opened April 24Action, Adventure, FantasyDirected by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo After the devastating events of “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe. The Curse of La Llorona (US)Opened April 17Horror, Mystery, Thriller In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night -- and children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mo

April 26, 2019

[Herald Interview] Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn talks band, K-pop, future plans

Being in a band is cool, especially if the band is Linkin Park. The iconic American rock band has produced numerous hits, including “In the End” and “Numb,” since its debut in 1996 and boasts a long list of awards. Since the tragic loss of its vocalist Chester Bennington in 2017, the band is on hiatus. Still, the band exists and Joe Hahn has been part of its miraculous journey through the years, standing in the back as the DJ. The 42-year-old Korean-American artist is now stepping forward in Sou

April 26, 2019

A late start, but a quick jump to the top

Until high school, An Jae-yong, 26 and principal dancer at Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, had never thought of becoming a ballerino.An was a student interested in many things. He liked sports, music, drawing and other activities.  Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s principal dancer An Jae-yong performs in the Jean-Christophe Maillot production of “Cinderella.” (Alice Blangero)He had many dreams. Once, he wanted to be a professional snowboarder, but decided to become a plastic surgeon after watching a doc

April 25, 2019

‘Avengers 4’ sets new first-day attendance record

The eagerly awaited “Avengers: Endgame” drew more than 1.27 million viewers on the first day of its release in South Korea to set a new record, data showed Wednesday.According to the data from the Korean Film Council, the US film set the new high as of 6:40 p.m., beating the previous record of 1.24 million posted by the Korean action fantasy “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days” on Aug. 1 last year.The movie passed the 1 million mark at about 11:30 a.m., the fastest pace ever for a film shown

April 24, 2019

[Herald Review] Avengers assemble for the glorious ‘Endgame’

My only real regret about “Avengers: Endgame” is that I watched it in a country where it is considered rude to burst into applause during a screening: There were several moments in this damn-near perfect film that deserved a standing ovation.The last installment in the “Infinity” saga -- the first 22 films about the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- was the sort of culmination that the final film in any series should be. It had the catharsis and the wistful and loving farewell of “The Lord of the Rin

April 24, 2019

SSF entertains Seoul with classical music

For the next two weeks, the capital city will be filled with classical music as the Seoul Spring Festival returns. The 14th edition of the annual event began Tuesday and continues through May 4. Led by violinist Kang Dong-suk, the festival takes place this year in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province under the theme of “Music & Gastronomy.” Linking culinary culture with music, each performance features a theme related to gastronomy. For instance, performances are titled “Starter,” “Continental Cuisine,”

April 23, 2019

With new album, soprano Sumi Jo shares ode to ‘Mother’

Soprano Sumi Jo, a star in Korea’s classical music scene, recently released the album “Mother,” dedicated to her mom. The 57-year-old is one of the most beloved sopranos in Korea. She has won a Grammy award and released more than 40 albums across a wide spectrum of music since her debut in 1986 in Korea. “I dreamed of making an album for all the mothers in the world,” Jo said at a press conference held Tuesday at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas.  Soprano Sumi Jo poses for photos during a pre

April 23, 2019

S. Korean studio receives best visual effects award at Beijing film fest

South Korean visual effects house Dexter Studios said Tuesday that it has received the best visual effects award for the Chinese blockbuster "The Wandering Earth" at the Beijing International Film Festival.The company scooped the prize jointly with other VFX studios behind the Chinese sci-fi movie, including More VFX and Pixomondo, during the closing ceremony of the eight-day festival Saturday. (Beijing International Film Festival)"We were credited with our VFX techniques in the Chinese film mar

April 23, 2019

Ed Sheeran rocks Incheon

After a nearly two-year delay, pop superstar Ed Sheeran finally took the stage in Korea on Sunday, electrifying 25,000 fans gathered at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon. He dove right in as the audience collectively felt pumped up. A wait sparked by a bicycle accident seemed to have only upped the anticipation, as fans appeared happy to see their hero.“It’s good to be back, thanks for having me!” Sheeran exclaimed after opening with his nostalgic number “Castle on the Hill.”He then went

April 23, 2019

BTS 'Boy with Luv' ranks 8th on Billboard singles chart

BTS' latest "Boy with Luv" clinched the eighth spot on Billboard's main singles chart, making it the highest-charted K-pop act ever, the US Billboard magazine said Tuesday."BTS' 'Boy With Luv,' featuring Halsey, vaults onto the Hot 100 at No. 8, marking the septet's second top 10 and the highest-charting entry for a K-pop group," it said. "It surpasses BTS' own 'Fake Love,' which debuted and peaked at No. 10 in June 2018.""Boy With Luv" is the main track of the group's new EP "Map of the Soul: P

April 23, 2019

TWICE expands to US cities with release of new album ‘Fancy You’

Chart-smashing K-pop girl band TWICE is gearing up for their first solo concerts in United States cities with the release of their new album, “Fancy You,” on Monday.　The six-track album marks a major stylistic change for the five-year-old girl group, whose shining and cheering music and dance have appealed widely to fans at home and abroad. 　TWICE was the first K-pop girl band to throw concerts at Japanese domes, which accommodated a total of about 50,000 fans in the neighboring country. (Yonhap

April 22, 2019

Bong Joon-ho’s new film ‘Parasite,’ Cannes nominee, to show extremes of Korean society

Film director Bong Joon-ho’s new work “Parasite,” slated to compete at Cannes this year, features two ordinary families in different situations. Bong’s new film has been included in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival’s feature selection, marking the director’s second time competing for the Palme d’Or, following “Okja” in 2017. “Parasite” (CJ ENM)Film director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at The Westin Chosun Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) Film director Bong Joon-ho sp

April 22, 2019

BTS becomes 1st band since Beatles to score 3 Billboard No. 1 albums in single year

K-pop boy band BTS has scored its third No. 1 on the main Billboard 200 album chart, becoming the first group since the Beatles to earn three No. 1s in less than a year, Billboard said."Map of the Soul: Persona," BTS' latest seven-track album released April 12, debuted atop the Billboard 200 for the week of April 27, the website of the music magazine said Sunday (US time), officially confirming the result after it reported last week that the band was "bound for No. 1."In the week ending April 19

April 22, 2019