K-pop hit makers make foray into indie music

Four-member indie rock band Hyukoh made a quiet debut in the Korean music scene in September of 2014, dropping the EP “20.” 　Soon, however, word of the band’s moody, hip tunes began spreading via social media and the band began selling out at small clubs. And when Hyukoh appeared on popular variety program “Infinite Challenge” in 2015 and rose to even wider acclaim, it grabbed the attention of YG Entertainment, which was seeking to extend its musical reach. In July that year, Hyukoh became the f

June 26, 2016

Lucas abandons plan to build museum in Chicago after lawsuit

CHICAGO (AP) – “Star Wars” creator George Lucas announced Friday that he has abandoned plans to build his art museum in Chicago, blaming delays over a lawsuit from a parks group opposed to development along the city’s prized lakefront. 　The filmmaker said in a statement he would take his Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to his home state of California, but he did not name a specific location. He blamed Chicago’s Friends of the Parks group for suing to stop construction on what is currently a parkin

June 26, 2016

[Highlights] Arts and entertainment calendar

Theater Scene from the musical, “The Three Musketeers” (Showholic)“The Three Musketeers”: Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel, “The Three Musketeers,” the musical rendition of the classic tale has returned to the Seoul stage. Revolving around the adventures of D’Artagnan and the three courageous musketeers ― Athos, Porthos and Aramis, the musical stars Kai, B1A4’s CNU and Sandeul, Kang Tae-eul and Park Sung-Hwan. The production will be staged until Sunday at the D Cube Arts Center in Seoul. Tickets

June 24, 2016

[Herald Interview] Kisum gets ready to make her ‘Musik’ heard

Hip-hop artist Cho Hye-ryung, better known by her stage name Kisum, released her second EP “Musik” at midnight on Wednesday.　“Musik,” which is Kisum spelled backwards, consists of five tracks – the two lead tracks “No Jam (Boring)” and “Ocktabbang (Rooftop house),” “2 Beer,” “Freedom”  and “Cover Up.” She wrote all the lyrics while collaborating on the music, marking the first time she participated in composing.Rapper Kisum (Mapps Entertainment)　It was not as a musician that she first gained pub

June 23, 2016

Christo exhibition falls victim to own success

MILAN (AFP) -- Artist Christo’s floating walkway on a northern Italian lake has been closed at night because of wear-and-tear inflicted by the 270,000 visitors who have flocked to see it in less than five days.The 3-kilometer walkway of 200,000 floating cubes covered in orange fabric has proved a major hit with the public since it opened on Lake Iseo on Saturday.But plans to keep “The Floating Piers” open day and night until July 3 have had to be shelved as it is being worn out faster than expec

June 23, 2016

[Herald Interview] Korean conductor Park June-sung wins big at Aram Khachaturian

Germany-based Korean conductor Park June-sung is celebrating his multiple wins at this year’s 12th Aram Khachaturian International Competition, including a joint first place crown for conducting and three additional special prizes.  　Along with sharing his first place win with Miran Vaupotic of Croatia, Park was also awarded the Orchestra Award, Best Interpretation of Aram Khachaturian and the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra Special Prizes during the international competition, which was held in Y

June 22, 2016

Artday to hold June auction

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding an online auction from June 24-28, presenting major artworks of modern and contemporary Korean artists. The art auction features some 190 artworks of renowned Korean artists, including Young-woo, Kim Jong-hak, Ha Dong-cheol, Oh Chi-gyun, Ahn Chang-hong and Moon Hyeong-tae. Highlights of the auction include an abstract painting made in the early 1970s by the late Kwon Young-woo, who recently emerged as a Dansaekhwa artist, and the snow lands

June 22, 2016

Rolling Stones bringing 'Exhibitionism' to NYC

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Rolling Stones are bringing an exhibit of more than 500 recording and artifacts from the band’s archive to New York City in November.　 “Exhibitionism” was launched in London in April. November will mark the exhibit’s North American debut at the Industria Superstudio in the West Village, it was announced Tuesday. 　 An image of Mick Jagger forms the backdrop of a re-created music studio as part of “Exhibitionism,” the interactive multimedia exhibition of the Rolling Stones’ ca

June 22, 2016

Mamamoo to hold first solo concert

K-pop quartet Mamamoo is set to hold its first solo concerts from Aug. 13-14, two years after its debut, announced the group’s agency Rainbow Bridge World.　Titled “2016 Mamamoo Concert-moosical,” the concerts will take place at the Olympic Park Olympic Hall in Seoul. The venue is expected to accommodate more than 3,000 concertgoers. Poster for K-pop quartet Mamamoo’s first solo concert “2016 Mamamoo Concert-moosical” (Rainbow Bridge World)　The quartet debuted in June 2014 with “Mr. Ambiguous,” a

June 22, 2016

Wonder Girls gear up for comeback

K-pop girl group Wonder Girls are set to release a new album “Why So Lonely” at midnight on July 4, announced the group’s agency JYP Entertainment.　At midnight on Tuesday, the group unveiled the release plan for the upcoming album via the official website wondergirls.jype.com.  Wonder Girls’ release plan for their upcoming album (JYP Entertainment)　It marks the first lead song written and composed by the band and not singer-songwriter and CEO of the agency Park Jin-young.　All the Wonder Girls ha

June 22, 2016

How France fell for Chirac's indigenous art museum

PARIS (AFP) - It opened late and millions over budget amid sneering that it was an “ill-judged disaster” that bordered on being racist.And the man who drove the project -- former president Jacques Chirac -- was widely written off by detractors as lowbrow, more interested in beer and sumo wrestling than the intellect.But a decade on, the Musee du quai Branly, the Paris museum dedicated to the indigenous art and cultures of Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, is being hailed as a massive popul

June 22, 2016

Why is Korean art market vulnerable to forgery?

Artist Lee U-fan will finally have a look at the paintings that the National Forensic Service confirmed as counterfeits of his works next Monday. 　“We can’t conclude whether the paintings are forged or not since we haven’t seen them,” said Lee’s attorney Choi Soon-yong in a phone call with The Korea Herald.　Choi said Lee will then decide on when and how he will press charges against the art forgers -- there are suspected to be several art forgers -- and gallerists, who are accused of distributin

June 21, 2016

[Herald Interview] Soprano Kim Eun-kyung discusses homage to childhood

Once again tackling nonclassical operatic repertoires, Baekseok Arts University professor and soprano Kim Eun-kyung has returned to the music scene with “Beautiful Season,” a homage to the sounds of her childhood.   　The album, which was released on June 9, comes more than four years after her first studio album “The Letters,” which featured operatic renditions of Korean song-poems. 　Veering away from the stereotypical opera album that features modern interpretations of classical scores by maste

June 21, 2016

Weibo celebrates Jung Yong-hwa’s birthday

Jung Yong-hwa of rock band CNBLUE received an exceptional birthday present from Chinese social network service Weibo, the artist’s agency FNC Entertainment announced Tuesday.　Weibo has been holding a monthlong event to celebrate Jung’s June 22 birthday, starting with “My Student Jung Yong-hwa” on June 6. During the event period, Weibo users have been teaching Chinese language and culture to Jung.　On June 12, Weibo also launched a Jung Yong-hwa online birthday sticker designed by the singer, with

June 21, 2016

Sistar's 'I Like That' dominates music charts

K-pop quartet Sistar is dominating domestic music charts with new song “I Like That.”　　By Tuesday morning, “I Like That,” the lead track from the group’s fourth EP “Mol-a-ae,” had topped eight major local charts -- MelOn, Mnet, Olleh Music, Naver Music, Bugs, Genie, Soribada and Monkey 3 -- within nine hours of its release. K-pop quartet Sistar (Starship Entertainment)　The new song, the second collaboration between the quartet and producing team Black-eyed Pilseung, depicts the story of a woman

June 21, 2016