Classical music concerts to look out for in June

True opera fans would probably know this name ― Jonas Kaufmann. With his dashingly handsome looks, exceptional vocal powers and impressive acting skills, Kaufmann is the undoubtable superstar of opera right now. The German tenor, with a track record of selling out prestigious opera and recital halls in the U.S. and Europe, is coming to Korea next month, leading a pack of international classical music artists who are making their long-anticipated Korean debut. Kaufmann will perform at Seoul Arts

May 27, 2015

On 7th EP, KARA grows out of trademark cuteness

At a press showcase for KARA’s seventh EP “In Love” at Blue Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, the phrase repeated most by the members was “KARA-style music.” The group, which celebrates its eighth anniversary this year, has had its ups and downs ― including significant member changes ― but has always maintained a particular image and style of music. According to the members, their goal with “In Love” was to show the evolution of the definition of being “KARA-style.”“When our fans think of

May 27, 2015

Big Bang to release song ‘Bang Bang Bang’ in June

K-pop group Big Bang’s new song to be released in June will be titled “Bang Bang Bang,” YG Entertainment announced Wednesday. The onomatopoeically christened song is to be included in “A,” the second single of Big Bang’s four-part “MADE” series, which will be released on the first day of June. The five-member K-pop act, returning from a hiatus of nearly three years, has announced that it will unveil a single on the first day of the every month until August. The group’s May 1 release, “M,” contai

May 27, 2015

Feast of modern ballets in June

From the ballet version of Shakespeare’s classic tale “Othello,” to the contemporary retelling of Hesse’s struggle between the world of light and illusion in “Demian,” the upcoming fifth annual Ballet Festival Korea promises to be a feast for all tastes. This year’s festival will raise its curtain on June 4 at the Seoul Arts Center and is slated to highlight 16 performances throughout the month by 15 local ballet companies ― from the top production houses to all the independently run, small-scal

May 26, 2015

Seventeen hopes to shine like diamonds with ‘17 Carat’

After years of training and endless evaluations in a pre-debut system that was broadcast to the public, Pledis Entertainment’s new thirteen-member multinational boy group Seventeen finally made its official debut Tuesday in an hourlong live TV performance. “We’ve performed a lot of songs by other artists through the pre-debut system, but we’re very nervous because this is our first time performing our own tracks,” said member Woozi at a press conference at the MBC Dream Center in Ilsan, Tuesday.

May 26, 2015

[Herald Interview] Herald Philharmonic returning with dynamic repertoire of classical and fusion

Looking to fill the month of May with the varied sounds of comfort and artistic intricacy, conductor Kim Bong-mee is gearing up to lead the newly established Herald Philharmonic Orchestra in its upcoming classical summer performance on Wednesday night. The Herald Phil’s new repertoire will feature a variety of crowd-pleasing musical genres including soulful opera arias to traditional Korean, classic symphonies and some old-school American jazz-fusion. Following its instrumental accompaniment of

May 25, 2015

Lee celebrates past, tries anew with 12th album

One of singer Lee Seung-chul’s greatest strengths is his ability to amplify emotion without straining his voice, and make a melody dynamic without using conspicuous technique.Those strengths are out in full force in his 12th album “Time Flies Like an Arrow,” timed to match the 30th anniversary of his debut. The album opens with “Ordeal,” a song about overcoming the hardships of life and growing stronger. The melody has a contemporary Christian music-style majesty to it, with a swelling instrumen

May 25, 2015

Eyelike: Jang Yi-jeong, Faith No More, Keith Jarrett

Jang Yi-jeong shines alone on History’s 4th EPBy Won Ho-jung History“Beyond the HISTORY”LOEN EntertainmentBoy band History continues the dark, melodramatic mood of their previous song “Psycho” on their 4th EP, “Beyond the HISTORY,” but the only standout voice is that of member Jang Yi-jeong.The album opens with loose vocals over a strong bass line in “Mind Game,” a groovy, medium-tempo song. The intensity shoots up with the title track “Might Just Die,” which wastes no time in bringing in the dr

May 22, 2015

N.Flying hopes to bring something new to idol bands

“What sets us apart from previous idol bands is our hip-hop element. We have a stronger beat.”Those were words from Lee Seung-hyub, the leader of FNC Entertainment’s new boy band N.Flying, short for “new flying.” Consisting of a vocalist/rapper front man (Lee Seung-hyub), guitarist (Cha Hun), bassist (Kwon Kwang-jin) and drummer (Kim Jae-hyun), N.Flying naturally invokes thoughts of FNC’s previous band successes FT ISLAND and CNBLUE ― an association that gives the rookie band a boost, but also p

May 21, 2015

A whole new ‘Giselle’ prepares for world premiere in Seoul

While captivating audiences worldwide with the movements of love, death, vengeance and salvation, the timeless romantic ballet “Giselle” has rarely ever been stripped from its traditional choreography and original score. This very bind of being creatively constrained to the original work is precisely why Australia native Graeme Murphy has decided to shatter the ballet world’s artistic shackles and create a groundbreaking new version of “Giselle.” In partnership with the Universal Ballet Korea, M

May 20, 2015

Transcript of Yoo Seung-jun's interview about military exile

Below are excerpts from the live interview broadcast from Hong Kong on Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. Yoo Seung-jun -- also known as Steve Yoo -- was a successful K-pop singer whose career came to a halt in 2002 when he renounced his Korean citizenship after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was deported for suspected evasion.The interviewer was Korean film director Shin Hyeon-won.The original news report is published here: Yoo Seung-jun appeals to Korea to lift exile, vows to 'do whatever it takes

May 20, 2015

Yoo Seung-jun appeals to Korea to lift exile, vows to 'do whatever it takes'

Korean singer-actor Yoo Seung-jun earnestly appealed to Korea on Tuesday to lift the ban against him, returning him to his country of birth. The ban was levied against him 13 years ago over suspected evasion of his mandatory military duties.Yoo was a K-pop sensation who debuted in 1997, but his career came to an abrupt end in 2002 when he renounced his Korean citizenship after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.Yoo said in his first detailed interview since the controversy 13 years ago that he

May 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] The making of a hero

On the stage of the Blue Square Theater in Seoul’s Itaewon, Chung Sung-hwa exudes the certain aura of a martyr. Standing tall in the spotlight, the actor sings with a deep and rich voice about the lofty ideals of pan-Asian peace to which he is about to sacrifice his life. At least to those loudly applauding in the audience, Chung seems like the reincarnation of Ahn Jung-geun, a real-life Korean hero who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, a four-time prime minister of Japan and a key figure behind the co

May 19, 2015

Actor Ha to hold solo exhibition in New York

Actor-filmmaker Ha Jung-woo is to hold his second solo exhibition in New York. The exhibition, featuring 24 new paintings, will be held from May 20 to June 9 at Able Fine Art NY. Themed “Friends,” it will showcase diverse portraits Ha created as reflections of lonely people in the city. “Ha offers consolation and comfort to isolated people in the city. Through these portrait images, the artist represents each of their different inner sentiments,” said Kim Jeong-hee, curator of the exhibition at

May 18, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘SHINee World IV’ enthralls exuberant fans

“SHINee’s back!” whispered Minho’s voice, and the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena erupted with cheers of the 10,000-strong crowd on Sunday as SHINee took the stage on the last day of their three-day concert “SHINee World IV in Seoul.”Clad in white military-style costumes, the five SHINee members moved through a remix medley of “Note,” “Clue,” and “Sherlock,” followed up by renditions of “SHINe,” “Stranger,” and “Picasso.”“We have something to tell you about today’s concert,” said member Minho afte

May 18, 2015

Eyelike: BoA, Snoop Dogg, ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ soundtrack

BoA stays true to her style with ‘Kiss My Lips’BoA“Kiss My Lips” (KT Music)BoA, arguably hallyu’s most iconic star, shows ease and maturity with her eighth studio album “Kiss My Lips.” The album is steady and true to BoA’s style, with generally predictable melodies and easy beats that hit smooth with listeners.The 12-song album starts out with “Kiss My Lips,” which has a strong beat but trades in power and punch for a more seductive, sultry vibe. The rhythm turns funky with “Smash,” and dreamlik

May 15, 2015

Film director Im hopes to spur interest in working women

Im Heung-soon, winner of the Silver Lion Award at this year’s Venice Biennale, hopes his work “Factory Complex” spurs interest in the lives of working women in Korea and around Asia. “In the 60s, 70s, and 80s women worked physically demanding jobs. After the 80s, they became focused in service and emotional labor. I thought about what happened to all of those laborers, and realized that they were our mothers, our sisters, people around us,” said Im at a press conference held at the Art Nine thea

May 14, 2015

Shakespeare’s ‘Pericles’ gets modernist twist

Royal incest, life or death riddles and hard to swallow forgiveness ― nothing is off limits in Seoul Arts Center’s latest production of Shakespearean play “Pericles.”Cramming the original five-hour tale into two hours, director Yang Jung-ung takes a modernist approach to Shakespeare’s highly criticized comedic tale of moral taboos. Set in the ancient Kingdom of Antioch, the Jacobean play tells the riveting tale of King Antiochus and his secret incestuous relationship with his daughter following

May 14, 2015

Korean artworks on show on Google

Major works of Korean art are now available for online viewing in ultrahigh definition on Google’s cultural content platform. The Google Cultural Institute, a nonprofit affiliate of Google devoted to digitization and online publication of cultural content around the world, announced Thursday new additions to its online collection following partnerships with 10 Korean museums, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Horim Museum, Modern Design Museum and Ewha Womans U

May 14, 2015