In a sign of recovery, SAC New Year's Eve Concert returns

The Seoul Arts Center’s New Year’s Eve concert is scheduled to return Dec. 31, the first time that the concert that marks the end of the year for many classical music lovers will be back on the stage since the last three years prior. Conductor Hong Seok-won, the artistic director of the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, will lead the Korean National Symphony Orchestra for the SAC’s year-end concert, an annual tradition that started in 1994. Joining onstage are pianist Shin Chang-yong

Dec. 21, 2022

Acclaimed soloists to perform with KBS Symphony Orchestra next year

KBS Symphony Orchestra and music director Pietari Inkinen unveiled a new program for the 2023 season with a list full of acclaimed soloists. The piano is at the forefront with half of the 12 regular concerts in the next season featuring internationally renowned pianists, including Van Cliburn Piano Competition-winning pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon, Pascal Roge, Alexei Volodin and Queen Elisabeth Competition-winning Anna Vinnitskaya, Alice Sara Ott and Fazil Say. Violinist virtuoso Gidon Kremer, Japanes

Dec. 20, 2022

‘Organ Odyssey’: Concert explores pipe organ inside and out

The “Organ Odyssey” -- an annual flagship concert series exploring the sounds and mechanisms of a pipe organ -- is set for the last concert of the year at 11 a.m., Wednesday at the Lotte Concert Hall, Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. For the special Christmas-themed concert, pianist and organist Cho Jae-hyuck, who also played in the 2017 edition, will perform signature music pieces for the organ, such as those by Bach and Dupre, highlighting the various tones of the instrument. Tenor K

Dec. 19, 2022

[Herald Review] Kim Sun-wook gives form to fire

What do you do when, just hours before you are about to leave the country, you get a phone call asking if you could conduct a choral symphony in just one week? Pianist and conductor Kim Sun-wook, receiving such a call from Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on his way to Incheon Airport on Dec. 7, asked for some time to think it over -- until he arrived at the airport. “In those 30-40 minutes, I probably did the most thinking ever in my 34-year life,” said Kim during a press meeting on Tue

Dec. 18, 2022

Intangible Cultural Heritage holder Ahn Sook-sun to perform ‘Chunhyangga’ pansori

Celebrated gugak musician Ahn Sook-sun is scheduled to perform pansori “Chunhyangga” at the National Theater of Korea, in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Dec. 31. The best-known pansori “Chunhyangga” tells a love tale between Chun-hyang, daughter of a courtesan, and Yi Mong-ryong, son of a magistrate. Ahn and four other pansori singers will perform the entire "Chunhyangga," which will take about 210 minutes. Coming on stage as the third pansori singer, Ahn will perform

Dec. 16, 2022

Two Korean winners of Queen Elisabeth Competition to perform in Belgium

Two Korean winners of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition will perform a special recital in Belgium on Saturday. Violinist Lim Ji-young, winner of the competition in 2015, and cellist Choi Ha-young, this year's winner, will take the stage at Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp, Belgium, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels. Both took the highest honors at one of the most prestigious competitions for up-and-coming classical musicians. Held in Brussels, it alternates each y

Dec. 15, 2022

[Herald Interview] Nah Youn-sun presents her own 'Waking World'

Jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun spent her first ever free year feeling anxious. As the pandemic persisted with no end in sight, the situation understandably became very daunting for a performer who hit the stage at least 100 times a year. Considering her new circumstances, she thought she might have to find a new occupation. “I felt isolated on an island, especially since the musicians I had worked with in the past 10 years were all foreigners. I was contemplating whether I should change jobs a

Dec. 13, 2022

167-year-old orchestra with young masters at the fore to perform in Korea

A 167-year-old historic French orchestra is set to perform in Korea this month with two young music masters at the fore. The Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, based in Strasbourg -- a French city on the border with on Germany -- will perform a repertoire that shows the musical connection between France and Russia, its music director Aziz Shokhakimov told reporters on Thursday. The orchestra will perform Bizet’s Carmen Suite No.1, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.2 and Mussorgsky&rsqu

Dec. 13, 2022

Which 'Nutcracker' to see this Christmas season?

The iconic ballet “The Nutcracker” returns for year-end magic on the stage this month. This year, one of the most beloved and widely performed classical ballets celebrates its 130th anniversary, first premiering at the Mariinsky Theater in Russia in 1892. Based on the children’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (1816) by German writer Ernst Hofmann, the heroine receives a nutcracker as a Christmas gift from her godfather. On Christmas Eve, she falls asleep

Dec. 12, 2022

[Herald Review] Jazz vocalist Woong San and musicians share message for environment

A jazz concert calling for action to save the environment took place on Nodeul Island, in Yongsan, central Seoul, Wednesday evening. Eleven jazz vocalists teamed up for the Seoul Green Art Festival, which is part of the Green Jazz Movement, led by Woong San. As a major jazz vocalist in the local and international scene for decades, the artist also serves as chair of the Korea Jazz Association. Opening the performance at Live House, Woong San said, “The project started when I thought &lsquo

Dec. 8, 2022

With new all-Korean crossover album, Sumi Jo shows relentless energy

In releasing an all-Korean crossover album “In Love: Korean Love Poem,” internationally acclaimed soprano Sumi Jo said Tuesday that she hopes that the genre of Korean art songs, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, can be enjoyed more globally like K-pop. “Korean art songs were introduced a century ago, but people still find Korean art songs difficult. I paid a lot of attention to the singing method and arrangement and poured all my passion, soul and time into it

Dec. 6, 2022

Soprano Jo Sumi says new Korean-language album 'In Love' transcends time

Famed South Korean soprano Jo Sumi said Tuesday her new Korean-language crossover album "In Love" contains elements of the past, present and future to deliver the beautiful emotions of falling in love. The Grammy-winning singer said she had a hard time selecting 11 Korean tracks for the love-themed album released on Warner Classics as she wanted to introduce a wide range of Korean songs by contemporary composers in her own style. "It is a compact collection of Korea's past, p

Dec. 6, 2022

Lim Yun-chan, Gwangju Symphony live recording album sells more than 10,000 in two days

The live recording album of pianist Lim Yun-chan and the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra became a "platinum-selling" album within hours of its release, Universal Music announced Wednesday. “Beethoven, Isang Yun, Barber” sold more than 10,000 copies upon its release Monday, a testimony to Lim’s skyrocketing popularity. A platinum-seller had been expected as presales of the album had reached nearly 10,000, according to an official at Universal Music on Wednesday. In Korea,

Nov. 30, 2022

Kumho Art Hall selects pianist Kim Su-yeon as artist-in-residence for 2023

Pianist Kim Su Yeon has been selected as Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence, according to the Kumho Cultural Foundation, the operator of the venue, on Tuesday. As the artist-in-residence, Kim will present four performances under the theme “Melodies: Paintings and Music” throughout next year. Kim’s first concert will take place on Jan. 5 at the venue’s New Year’s concert “Sketch.” She will return with “Blending” on April 27 and &ldqu

Nov. 29, 2022

Jazz musicians, artists team up for environment

Jazz vocalists have teamed up with artists from different fields to launch the Green Jazz Movement. Leading the movement is Woong San, a major jazz artist in the local scene for decades, who also serves as chairman of the Korea Jazz Association. Ten other jazz vocalists -- Lee Ju-mi, Cho Jung-hee, Lee Dae-won, Park Ra-on, Kim Hyo-jung, Kim Maria, Kim Min-hee, Nam Ye-ji, You Sa-rang and Park Jae-hong -- have joined forces to highlight a number of environmental issues. The release of the campaign

Nov. 28, 2022

With new album, Lim Yun-chan shows his direction as pianist

The steps that 18-year-old pianist Lim Yun-chan are taking after his sensational win at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June are perhaps far from the expectations of many. Instead of releasing his own album, his first work post-competition is a collaboration with the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra. He has also refused to play what he performed at the competition during his upcoming Seoul recital on Dec. 10. During a press conference on Monday, Lim shared the unique thought pr

Nov. 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] German pianist Christopher Park on making connection with music

Anyone who is familiar with Korean surnames would assume that the German pianist Christopher Park has some Korean roots. And, indeed, he has. He was born to a German mother and a Korean American father in 1987, but it wasn’t until 2009 that he was able to make his first trip to South Korea. The opportunity came through a chance encounter of Park’s elementary school teacher and Pete Song, who runs a classical music production company, Pete Music, on a train in Germany in 2008. Upon he

Nov. 25, 2022

Lee Seung-gi demands disclosure of streaming revenue payment history to agency

Days after singer and actor Lee Seung-gi became embroiled in a payment dispute with his longtime agency, Lee’s legal representative demanded Hook Entertainment disclose all payments for digital streams of his songs since his debut. According to local online media outlet Dispatch on Monday, the singer has not received a single payment for his songs’ digital streams or downloads of his songs on online music platforms. The report claimed that Lee made some 9.6 billion won ($7.27 million

Nov. 24, 2022

[Herald Interview] Musician Yang Bang-ean aims for another peak after marking 25th anniversary

Yang Bang-ean, a composer, pianist and producer born and based in Japan who holds Korean citizenship, frequently used the words “development” or “evolution” when answering reporters' questions on Monday. When he decided to rearrange “Echoes,” which he composed in the early 2000s, for his new album, it was because he “had to develop further this personally important piece.” The 62-year-old also said he wants daily evolution and to keep showin

Nov. 21, 2022

[Herald Interview] Eyeing immortality, TransFixion puts out another soccer anthem

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday, South Korea united to cheer for the national team, chanting and singing songs together. Local artists release World Cup-themed songs every season to add to the festive spirit. “For Victory” and “The Shouts of Reds” are among the popular cheering songs released by veteran modern rock band TransFixion. “We went on a hiatus for about four years after releasing our debut album ‘Come Back to Me' in 2002

Nov. 21, 2022