Yeowoorak fest aims to introduce a world of different sounds

Yeowoorak Festival, an annual gugak, or traditional Korean music, event, will return to the National Theater of Korea from July 2 to 24, after being held online last year. Now in its 12th year, the festival has established itself as a grounds for new experiments in gugak. And this year, the festival breaks away from having an artistic director and music director, and instead appointed a creative director to head the festival. Park Woo-jae, an acclaimed geomungo player was named as this year&rs

June 18, 2021

Musical ‘Beetlejuice’ opening postponed to late June

The opening of the licensed Korean-language musical “Beetlejuice” -- a production based on Tim Burton’s iconic film -- will be postponed to June 29 for technical improvements, according to CJ ENM, the co-producer of the show. Describing the musical as a tech-heavy show, an official from the entertainment company told The Korea Herald, “We have decided to move back the opening date after concluding that we need more time to thoroughly prepare the technical elements for

June 16, 2021

2021 Music in PyeongChang fest hopes to bring spirit of being alive center stage

The 18th Music in PyeongChang is set to kick off July 28 with performances around Gangwon Province, including the festival’s main venue, Pyeongchang Alpensia Resort’s concert hall. Under the theme “san (alive),” a total of 13 concerts will be held this year, along with two special concerts, seven touring concerts, and master classes conducted by artists participating in the festival. “The word ‘san,’ can be interpreted as ‘alive,’ or &lsq

June 15, 2021

S. Korean composer first in Asia to win Claudio Abbado Composition Prize

South Korean composer Shin Dong-hoon has won the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize, a prestigious award from the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, organizers announced on Monday. Shin, 37, is the first Asian winner and the sixth recipient of the prize, named after Italy’s legendary conductor Claudio Abbado, who also served as the artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic. The award is given to young composers with outstanding talents, but does not designate a specific date or

June 15, 2021

[Herald interview] Yu Jun-sang is ready for show about death

“Beetlejuice” tells a fun, humorous and exciting story about loneliness and death, said actor Yu Jun-sang who plays the eponymous character in the Korean-language version of the musical. Yu, who deftly moves between the small screen, the silver screen and the stage, plays the iconic Beetlejuice character, a green haired ghost who has been in existence for 9.8 billion years and is obsessed with life. Wishing to befriend a couple who recently became ghosts in an accidental death, h

June 9, 2021

Coldplay unveils 'Higher Power' music video featuring Korean dance company

British rock band Coldplay has unveiled a music video for its new song "Higher Power" featuring South Korean dance group Ambiguous Dance Company. The 4 minute, 16 second clip, uploaded on the band's official YouTube channel on Tuesday (local time), shows lead singer Chris Martin dancing alongside members of the Korean dance group. The music video by award-winning director Dave Meyers is a short science-fiction film set in a devastated future city. The dancers appear as hologram image

June 9, 2021

Pianist Son Yeol-eum to perform at Myeong-dong Cathedral

Concert pianist Son Yeol-eum will hold a recital dedicated to medical staff serving on the COVID-19 front lines at the Myeong-dong Cathedral on Monday. The cathedral under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul invited Son, the joint second prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011, to perform. The concert, held in support of those hit by the pandemic, will be attended by some 150 health care workers at COVID-19 facilities. “I wish to deliver the warmest comfo

June 8, 2021

[Video] New public music library opens in Uijeongbu

A new public music library has opened in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, just some 25 kilometers north of Seoul, the first of its kind built by a local government. To most Koreans, Uijeongbu is synonymous with the US Army, as the city has hosted the American military since the 1950-53 Korean War. While most of the troops have now been moved to Pyeongtaek in southern Gyeonggi Province where the largest overseas US military base is located, the sound of Western pop music was long common across

June 8, 2021

[Herald Interview] Relating to Shostakovich in pandemic times

Novus String Quartet, a leading chamber music act, is set for a groundbreaking project, performing the complete cycle of Shostakovich’s 15 string quartets. The chamber music act -- consisting of violinists Kim Jae-young and Kim Young-uk, violist Kim Kyu-hyun and cellist Lee Won-hae -- will perform the 15 string quartets written by the Russian musician Shostakovich (1906-1975), on four consecutive days of June 16-19 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. “We were reckless,&rdq

June 7, 2021

Singers celebrate 50 years of ‘Morning Dew’

Artists across the musical spectrum, including Wendy of Red Velvet, Taeil of NCT, Leenalchi and Han Young-ae, are honoring singer Kim Min-ki with covers of his best-known song “Morning Dew” and more. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of “Morning Dew” that was written, composed and sung by Kim, the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation has created an 18-track album dedicated to the singer-songwriter. The iconic song has come to be closely associated with stude

June 7, 2021

[Eye Interview] ‘I am the center of the universe when I dance’

Korean dance is more than just practicing techniques. It is about connecting the energy of people, according to Kim Mae-ja, master of changmu. Kim, 78, is the founder and a leading figure of changmu, contemporary dance based on traditional Korean dance. Based on tradition, she created a new school of dance which strives to embrace both tradition and innovation. She is often referred to as the Isadora Duncan of Korea. Kim’s life will be brought to the stage in the upcoming dance show &l

June 5, 2021

Classical musicians perform Korean drama music in new album

A compilation of music from Korean drama series performed by world-class musicians will be released under the Deutsch Grammophon label in July. Titled ”Shades of Love,” the album featuring well-known classical musicians such as Philipp Jundt, Daniel Hope, Richard Yongjae O’Neill and Albrecht Mayer will be released July 9, according to Universal Music Group on Friday. “The Song for My Brother” from the drama series “Crash Landing on You” was released F

June 4, 2021

Harmonica to lead orchestra onstage

Harmonicist Park Jong-seong, 36, will go on the stage with the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Baek Yoon-hak at the Gangdong Arts Center in eastern Seoul on June 13. Park has won awards with his harmonica at international competitions in Japan, China and Germany. The musician has also released three solo albums so far. “There have been occasions where I was invited to orchestral performances to play one or two works. But it is the first time to invite an orche

June 4, 2021

Ballet Festival Korea to share ‘Blended Experiences and Emotions’

The 2021 Ballet Festival Korea will take place at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul from June 15 to 30, presenting shows that reflect the changing times under the theme of “Blended Experiences and Emotions.” Eleven dance troupes from Korea are participating this year, putting on a variety of ballet performances from classic works to experimental contemporary ballet movements.  “(After the festival) we will work on staging these shows outside of Seoul,” Park

June 2, 2021

Kim Sun-wook to debut at Berlin Philharmonic with Chin Un-suk’s concerto

Pianist Kim Sun-wook will have his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, performing composer Chin Un-suk’s piano concerto. On Saturday Kim, the winner of the 2006 Leeds International Piano Competition, will perform Chin’s piano concerto with the prestigious German orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall, under the baton of Sakari Oramo, the chief conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. The Berlin Philharmonic explained Chin’s work as a “brilli

June 1, 2021

Performing arts scene recovering on eased social distancing

The virus-hit South Korean performing arts sector is heading for a recovery this spring after plummeting last year, thanks to recently eased social distancing rules, data showed Tuesday. The combined revenue of 2,700 theatrical plays, musicals, classical concerts and other performances reached 70.5 billion won ($63.6 million) over the March-May period, according to the data by the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS). The amount more than doubled from the 25.4 billion wo

June 1, 2021

Dream Concert to be held online

The Dream Concert, one of the world’s biggest K-pop events, will be held online in June amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association, the 27th Dream Concert will take place June 26 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. Last year, the concert was held online for the first time due to the virus crisis. Called “Dream Concert Connect:D,” the event made use of the latest media technologies such as virtual reali

May 31, 2021

Star ballet dancers to put on gala show

Korean ballet dancers with overseas dance companies will join a gala show for the 2021 Ballet Festival Korea at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, June 24-25. More than 100 prominent ballet stars who perform on the international ballet scene have participated in the annual gala since its inception in 2001. This year, organizers have invited dancers such as Lee Choong-hoon from the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York, Kim Seok-ju of the Boston Ballet, Lee Ju-ho of the Estonia Vanemuine O

May 30, 2021

Gugak center to release 30 music videos of traditional performances

The National Gugak Center is to release a music video online every Wednesday, featuring traditional Korean music and dance. The Gugak In project, led by the state-run institution, kicked off last year, to help traditional performing artists who have been experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, a total of 20 acts were selected for the project. The center produced a series of music videos featuring the artists’ performances at scenic spots across the greater Se

May 29, 2021

Musical ‘Good Morning Dokdo’ returns to Seoul Arts Center

“Good Morning Dokdo,” a musical about South Korea’s easternmost islets and the territorial dispute with Japan, is coming back to the Seoul Arts Center from June 10-13. The show, which first opened in May 2020, has been upgraded with new cast members and visual effects, said the Seoul Arts Center, which held open auditions. “Good Morning Dokdo” follows the Dokdo Lovers, a group that shares an interest in protecting the islets’ sovereignty, as they travel the

May 28, 2021