‘Old Wicked Songs’ to hit Seoul stage this month

Exposing the convoluted and dynamic relationship between mentor and mentees, Jon Marans’ 1996 Pulitzer Prize nominated dramatic musical play “Old Wicked Songs” will hit the Seoul stage starting Sept. 21. Set in a rehearsal studio in Vienna, Austria, the seemingly simplistic two-man play is anything but. The storyline follows the relationship between Josef Mashkan, a Viennese music professor, and his new student Stephen Hoffman. The 25-year-old Jewish pianist was once considered a musical genius,

Sept. 6, 2016

Secret’s member Song Ji-eun returns with solo album

K-pop group Secret’s member Song Ji-eun is making a return as a solo artist for the first time in two years.　The 26-year-old singer released a teaser image for her second mini album “Bobby Doll” on Secret’s official social media channels Tuesday. 　The album’s lead song -- also titled “Bobby Doll” -- is a dance track with an acoustic-based tune, according to the artist’s management agency TS Entertainment. 　 The upcoming six-track mini album features lyrics and production by in-house composer Par

Sept. 6, 2016

Big Bang to appear on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’

In line with the 10th anniversary of its debut, K-pop global sensation Big Bang will appear on the upcoming episode of CNN’s “Talk Asia,” the group’s management company YG Entertainment said Monday.　The weekly program features in-depth conversations with prominent social, political and cultural leaders. It has interviewed individuals such as former Korean ice skater Kim Yun-a, Filipino professional boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao and Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.  In anticipation

Sept. 6, 2016

Gwangju Biennale 2016 explores future

GWANGJU – The Gwangju Biennale, now in its 11th year, seeks to depart from the typical showcase of large-scale avant-garde art, offering instead philosophical accounts of the society we live in and the future we will soon confront. Instead of wowing visitors with large-scale installations and flashy media works, the biennale this year presents art projects -- more than 250 artworks by 120 artists and teams from 37 countries are on display -- that invite viewers to stand in front of artworks and

Sept. 5, 2016

Martin Smith signs with V Entertainment

Martin Smith, one of the top five contestant groups from the last season of Mnet’s popular music competition show “Superstar K,” has been signed by V Entertainment, according to the management agency Monday. 　“Martin Smith will be kicking off official promotional activities under the company’s management,” said V Entertainment. “The group will be unveiling its new, diverse content on both broadcast and online outlets,” it added.Founded in 2012 by Korean rock band Schizo’s lead guitarist Joo Sung

Sept. 5, 2016

[Herald Interview] Puer Kim, the eccentric model student

Singer-songwriter Puer Kim’s moody crooning has often been described as seductive, enchanting. She previously grabbed attention with her gothic getup in the 2014 release “Manyo Maash”; her provocative 2012 album “Mom & Sex” includes songs with such titles as “It’s Hard to be a Daughter of a Woman Loved by God.” Despite her eccentric musical persona, however, the 30-year-old Berklee College of Music graduate says she has always been a well-behaved “model student” adored by teachers. Even now, she

Sept. 5, 2016

Se7en to return with new album

Singer Se7en is one step closer to a comeback after a three-year hiatus.　“Se7en will be returning with what will most likely be a mini album,” said the performing artist’s management agency Eleven9 Entertainment on Monday. “He contributed to both songwriting and producing all of the tracks that will appear in the upcoming album.”　After a prostitution scandal in 2013 involving a visit to an adult massage parlor, the singer halted major public and broadcast appearances. He was serving his mandator

Sept. 5, 2016

The exhibition of Reading Gaol: Wilde's prison opens doors

READING, United Kingdom (AFP) - Reading Gaol broke Oscar Wilde during his two-year incarceration but 120 years later, the prison is welcoming the Irish writer back -- this time through his works, in an exhibition on isolation.Her Majesty's Prison Reading, west of London, is also hosting works from the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and British visual artist Steve McQueen for the exhibition entitled “Inside.”It would be hard to find a better place to discuss separation, deprivation and despair than wit

Sept. 5, 2016

Rock duo Hall & Oates get Hollywood Walk of Fame star

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Top-selling rock duo Daryl Hall and John Oates, known for such hits as “Out of Touch” and “Maneater,” were honored with a star on Hollywood‘s Walk of Fame on Friday.“It’s an honor to be part of the great sidewalk of fame,” Oates said during the ceremony attended by music executive Jerry Greenberg and Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart.“LA has a really special place in my memories,” he added. “We recorded three albums out here in the mid-70s. And it‘s always been a blast to com

Sept. 4, 2016

Maestro Chung appointed Tokyo Phil honorary music director

Maestro Chung Myung-whun (Yonhap)Esteemed South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun, the former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra music director, has been appointed the honorary music director of Japan’s oldest classical orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. 　Chung officially took rein as honorary music director of the Tokyo Phil beginning Sept. 1, following a longtime relationship with the orchestra, He worked with the ensemble as a special artistic advisor from 2001 to the 2009/10 season, and

Sept. 4, 2016

Punchnello gears up for debut

Rapper Punchnello will be making his official debut next week, the artist’s management agency HIGHGRND said Friday. 　“Punchnello has already established a name for himself in the hip-hop industry from his previous collaborations with artists like Sik-K and Penomeco,” said HIGHGRND, a sub-label managed by Epik High’s Tablo under YG Entertainment, in a statement.Recently, the musician -- along with rhythm and blues singer Crush -- was featured on Penomeco’s latest single track “For You,” which has

Sept. 2, 2016

Sechs Kies releases concert poster

First generation K-pop boy band Sechs Kies unveiled the official poster for its upcoming two days of concerts.　Released via the official blog of the group’s management agency YG Entertainment on Friday, the image features five of the original six members. 　All concertgoers will be gifted yellow balloons and notebooks to align with Sechs Kies’ official color theme. 　YG Entertainment also announced that the performance will feature animation clips produced in collaboration with Lee Jae-jin, known

Sept. 2, 2016

Busan Biennale highlights East Asian avant-garde art movements

Busan Biennale, one of the largest celebrations of contemporary art in Korea, opened on Saturday, bringing together more than 100 artists from 22 countries in the port city of Busan.　This year’s exhibition, themed with “Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude,” highlights East Asian experimental art trends and their historical significance. The show is curated and presented by the curatorial team that consists of Korean, Chinese and Japanese curators.  Visitors view the Busan Biennale exhibition

Sept. 2, 2016

[Highlights] Arts and entertainment calendar

Pop Music“Andra Day”: American rhythm and blues artist Andra Day, who was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards, will be performing in Korea on Sept. 23 at the Yes 24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul. The singer-songwriter soul diva, with hit songs like “City Burns,” originally rose to fame with her groove-filled covers of songs by Eminem, Jessie J, Florence and the Machine and Lionel Richie. Her debut LP “Cheers to the Fall,” which contains a rich blend of doo-wop, jazz

Sept. 2, 2016

[Album Review] Joanna Connor’s fierce blues on ‘Six String Stories’

Joanna Connor“Six String Stories”(M.C. Records)"Six String Stories" is her first studio album in 14 years, but thousands of gigs in the interim have only enriched Chicago-based Joanna Connor’s fierce guitar skills and expressive, bluesy vocals.Written mostly with longtime bandmate Marion Lance Lewis, Connor goes from blues to rock to near-gospel and back in a striking mix.The time off to raise a daughter has sharpened Connor’s songwriting while also enhancing her dynamic range -- the powerful dr

Sept. 2, 2016

[Album Review] De La Soul returns with same wildly creative attitude

De La Soul“and the Anonymous Nobody”(A.O.I. Records)Twenty-five years after releasing the mercurial classic “De La Soul is Dead,” the Strong Island trio of Pos, Dave and Maseo return with “and the Anonymous Nobody” -- a modern treatise of anti-establishment hip-hop.For their first full-length album in 11 years, they used hundreds of hours of live music played with session musicians as a sample bank -- and you can feel the analog warmth.The musical styles are all over the place. “Lord Intended” c

Sept. 2, 2016

[Album Review] Glass Animals focus on others

Glass Animals"How to Be a Human Being"(Harvest Records)For their ambitious sophomore album, the members of the indie-electronic band Glass Animals got some creative help from an unlikely source -- total strangers.Each song on the terrific “How to Be a Human Being” is told from the perspective of someone inspired by a person the band encountered on the road, from taxi drivers to fans. The result is a complex, exciting tapestry of a CD which switches musical styles and reveals new things each time

Sept. 2, 2016

BTS to hold 3rd global fan meeting

Seven-member K-pop boy band Bangtan Boys -- also known as BTS -- will hold its third global fan meeting in November, according to the group’s management agency Big Hit Entertainment on Thursday.　Titled “BTS 3rd Muster (ARMY.ZIP+),” the two-day event will take place at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, Seoul, on Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. and on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.　The group debuted in 2013 with the hit track “No More Dream” from its first single album “2 Cool 4 Skool,” and quickly grew in popularity, toppi

Sept. 1, 2016

Placido Domingo opens Dubai Opera

DUBAI (AFP) - Spanish tenor Placido Domingo performed Wednesday at the opening of Dubai Opera, a venue the emirate hopes will boost cultural life in the Gulf business hub, organizers said.The 2,000-seat opera house was packed for the opening after tickets sold out months in advance, leaving many scrambling to buy them on the black market in the days preceding the event.Domingo launched into the event with a series of performances including Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and the Broadway music

Sept. 1, 2016