[Herald Interview] 'Dancing with P' explores dance's legacy after death of Pina Bausch

“Dear members of Tanztheater Wuppertal, I am Lee Kyung-sung, a theater director from South Korea.” The play “Dancing with P” opens with this letter Lee wrote in the summer of 2021 to the renowned German dance company founded by Pina Bausch (1940-2009), the legendary figure who transformed the landscape of contemporary dance. “After Pina passed away in 2009, I often saw her works performed on stage, because Tanztheater Wuppertal was still touring worldwide. While it

Oct. 3, 2024

Will trot bring a breath of fresh air to K-pop?

As K-pop continues its significant expansion in the global market, another genre has been surging rapidly in the domestic music industry: Trot. Following the remarkable success of some trot singers, major K-pop powerhouses are diving into the unexpected combination of trot and K-pop. Trot -- part of the Korean popular music scene since the 1930s -- is a genre characterized by lively rhythms and abundant use of vibrato, the lyrics often catering to the sentiments of the older generations, However

Oct. 2, 2024

Traditional music orchestra festival to bring regional flair, cross-genre collaborations

The second edition of the Korean Traditional Music Orchestra Festival is set to kick off on Oct. 15 with more audience-friendly repertoire and collaborations with performers from other genres. The festival, launched last year in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, will run through Oct. 26 at the Sejong Center’s M Theater in Seoul. During a press conference Monday, Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of the Sejong Center, Park Bum-hoon, composer and

Oct. 1, 2024

Ukraine's Odesa Philharmonic comes to Korea with message of hope, peace

The Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra, a renowned Ukrainian orchestra founded in 1937, will make its Korean debut at the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center Aram Concert Hall on Wednesday. Under the baton of conductor Hobart Earl, who has led the orchestra for 32 years and has been honored by the Ukrainian government as a People's Artist, the 75-member orchestra will perform music of hope beyond the pain of the ongoing war. Many of the orchestra members are women because of a ban on men leaving the cou

Sept. 30, 2024

Brit pop legend Oasis to perform in Seoul next year

The legendary Britpop band Oasis, which disbanded due to conflicts between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, will perform in Korea for the first time in 16 years after a dramatic reunion. According to the foreign media outlet NME, Oasis will embark on a world tour in 2025 after completing its UK tour. The band will hold reunion concerts in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Santiago and Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to

Sept. 30, 2024

National Theater of Korea to screen recent plays from Europe

The National Theater of Korea brings recent acclaimed international drama productions to the screen in Seoul as part of its NTOK Live Plus program. From Oct. 16 to 20, three productions -- including two premieres and a rescreening of "Ibsen House" -- will be screened at the National Theater’s Daloreum Theater in Seoul. Director Rupert Goold’s "Dear England," which will be screened Oct. 15 and 19, is a critically acclaimed play that won the Best New Play and Best S

Sept. 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean ballet sensation Jeon Min-chul pours his heart into dancing

For Jeon Min-chul, the 20-year-old sensation who has captured the hearts of Korean ballet fans, dancing has been at the center of his world. Asked about hobbies outside of dance, he struggled to find an answer. “That’s actually the hardest question for me. I think I’ve spent all the time I could’ve used for hobbies on dancing. From high school on, it’s all I thought about. Ballet reflects the time and effort you put into it, so I didn’t have the energy for any

Sept. 24, 2024

'Shazam!' to bring multidisciplinary spectacle of dance, circus, visual magic

World-renowned French director and choreographer Philippe Decoufle, known as a pioneer of imaginative multidisciplinary performances, is returning to Korea with his masterpiece "Shazam!" Since its 1998 premiere commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "Shazam!" has been performed over 200 times at major theaters worldwide. One of the iconic and steady hits of Decoufle's DCA Company, "Shazam!" is scheduled to be performed at the LG Arts Ce

Sept. 24, 2024

[Herald Review] Olivia Rodrigo thrills Korean fans with endless energy

American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo captivated the audience with her boundless energy for the first time in South Korea. As part of the Guts World Tour, she held concerts on Friday and Saturday at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, drawing a total of 15,000. Wearing a sparkling silver two-piece outfit, the 21-year-old opened the show by performing a series of hit songs, including “Bad Idea Right?,” “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” and “Vampire.” S

Sept. 22, 2024

Last words of Korean independence fighter inspire ballet

The long-running ballet production "Ahn Jung-geun: A Dance in the Heaven" will be performed at the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center this weekend. The ballet tells the story of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), taking inspiration from Ahn’s final words before his execution in Lushun Prison, China, in March 1910. He was convicted for assassinating Ito Hirobumi, a former Japanese prime minister and the first governor-general of Korea during Japanese col

Sept. 20, 2024

Coldplay to perform in Korea next April

Coldplay returns to Korea in April next year, with what is expected to be the largest-ever performance by an overseas artist in the country. The band's last performance in Korea took place eight years ago. The band will hold four concerts on April 16, 18, 19 and 22, 2025, at Goyang Stadium, which can accommodate some 40,000 spectators per show. Coldplay, consisting of Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, has sold over 100 million records worldwide since its debut in

Sept. 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Director Yossef K. Junghan brings audience into theater experience with improvisation

When a rocket scientist with obsessive-compulsive disorder meets a woman grieving the loss of her father, their unexpected encounter blossoms into sympathy, love and shared healing as they navigate their traumas. At the heart of their journey is dance, which becomes a powerful catalyst for their connection. The two-person romantic comedy play, “Rendezvous,” written and directed by South Korean director Yossef K. Junghan, kicked off in August at the LG Arts Center in Seoul. Kim first

Sept. 17, 2024

Top overseas music acts heading to Korea

The latter half of 2024 and early 2025 will be full of performances of popular overseas artists. For one, American R&B singer Ne-Yo is coming to Korea. Concert organizer Dream Maker Entertainment announced that "Ne-Yo Champagne & Roses 2024 in Seoul" will be held on Oct. 16 at the Hwajeong Gymnasium at Korea University in Seoul. Ne-Yo gained recognition even before his debut by composing songs for Mary J. Blige and Beyonce. He rose to stardom with his first full-length album, &

Sept. 15, 2024

Spectacle of street, aerial wonders awaits at Seoul Street Arts Festival

The 2024 Seoul Street Arts Festival will take place in downtown Seoul, across Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon and Mugyo-ro areas during the three-day Chuseok holiday, from Monday to Wednesday. Over 300 artists from Korea and abroad from eight countries, including Spain, Italy and Japan will participate in this outdoor celebration, showcasing 24 programs -- including street theater, dance, circus acts, traditional performances, large-scale installations and interactive art pieces. The festival will o

Sept. 11, 2024

Linkin Park regroups after 7 years, to hold concert in Korea

Linkin Park has announced the band's comeback, along with the release of a new album with new members in November and a concert in South Korea for the first time in 13 years. The band has added vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, and on Friday released a new single titled “The Emptiness Machine.” Armstrong was previously a co-vocalist for Dead Sara, while Brittain has worked as a producer for artists such as Illenium and One Ok Rock. Linkin Park’s upcoming

Sept. 8, 2024

K-festa looks to boost Korea's performing arts market

The Culture Ministry on Friday announced it is introducing K-Stage Festa as a festival that aims to gather attention for the nation’s vibrant yet struggling performing arts scene. From Oct. 4 to Nov. 10, a total of 140 theater, dance and classical music performances will be introduced under the banner of K-Stage Festa across various venues, such as the National Theater of Korea, the Seoul Arts Center, Cheong Wa Dae Heliport and regional cultural and art centers. A special series will also

Sept. 8, 2024

[Off the Pages] 'Underground' blends sound and darkness in immersive audio experience

The immersive theater experience “Underground” transports audiences into an entirely new dimension of sensory storytelling -- a captivating, pitch-dark descent into the unknown. Based on acclaimed Korean science fiction author Kim Bo-young's short story “Underground” (featured in her collection “The Fifth Sense” in 2022), the Wooran Foundation’s production plunges viewers deep into a labyrinthine underground set in a dystopian future. “Undergr

Sept. 4, 2024

'River and Liver' sets stage for surrealism in Seoul

The National Theater Company of Korea is set to stage the surrealist "River and Liver" from Sept. 27 to Oct. 19 at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul. Written by Dong I-hyang, the play won the 14th Cha Beom-seok Award in 2020. The script was recognized for its rhythmic, ping-pong-like dialogue, fragmented scenes and surreal situations. The story centers on L, a middle-aged woman living in an old home overlooking the Han River with her husband, O. Her life takes a bizarre turn as strange o

Sept. 3, 2024

Singer-songwriter Lee Juck to drop new album

Singer-songwriter Lee Juck, known for his warm lyrics and melodies, is releasing a new album after four years. The album "I Hate Alcohol" will be released at the end of September, according to Lee Juck's agency Music Farm Entertainment. His sixth studio album "Trace" was released in 2020. The album release will be followed by a concert entitled "Lee Juck's Songs" taking place Oct. 17 to 20 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Sept. 2, 2024

Isabelle Huppert set for Asian premiere of play 'Mary Said What She Said' in Korea

Award-winning French actress Isabelle Huppert will make her first stage appearance in Korea this November. Huppert will star in the one-woman play “Mary Said What She Said,” which is set to have its Asian premiere at the Seongnam Arts Center Opera House in Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 1-2. Written by Darryl Pinckney and based on the letters of Mary, Queen of Scots, the monologue in three parts follows Mary as she confronts the forces shaping her fate while, accused of treason by Elizabeth

Sept. 1, 2024