Florian Riem helps put Tongyeong on music map

Looking at some artwork on display at the lobby of Ilshin Hall in Hannam-dong while waiting for Florian Riem, CEO of Tongyeong International Music Festival Foundation, to arrive for our interview, I heard a couple of voices speaking in Japanese. Turning around, much to my surprise, I saw Riem, a German, talking in fluent Japanese with his assistant. Perhaps I should not have been so surprised ― his curriculum vitae had said he spent eight years as the assistant principal cellist of Orchestral En

March 6, 2015

Eyelike: Jose Gonzalez, Steve Tyrell, Iron & Wine

Jose Gonzalez returns after hiatus with best workJose Gonzalez“Vestiges & Claws”(Mute)The latest album from Swedish-Argentine Jose Gonzalez was partly produced by himself in his kitchen and the intimacy is felt throughout “Vestiges & Claws.” Across 10 arresting tracks, Gonzalez plays his acoustic guitar with a graceful tranquility considering “what it’s all about” in his aching tenor.His voice is at once fervid and fragile, and like Arthur Russell or Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, he often lightens h

March 6, 2015

Director Stefano Poda takes reins of ‘Andrea Chenier’ in KNO season opener

Renowned opera mastermind Stefano Poda is doing almost everything ― directing, producing, stage designing, costuming and lighting ― except for starring in his upcoming production of Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier,” which is slated as the Korea National Opera’s 2015 season opener next week. “Please, just a tiny, tiny splash of painted highlights on the gown ... so light that I can barely even see it,” he said to one of the costume stylists as he desperately tried to explain how miniscule he w

March 5, 2015

Concert to commemorate late opera patron

Industrial smelting and classical music may seem an unlikely pairing. However, Lee Woon-hyung, the late chairman and CEO of steel conglomerate SeAH Group, spent over a decade of his lifetime promoting the opera and supporting cultural causes. In a tribute to Lee’s efforts, the Woon-Hyung Lee Foundation for culture and arts will host its first opera concert under the theme “spreading beauty in the world,” featuring both world-class and up-and-coming musicians.“This concert aims to uphold the late

March 5, 2015

Old lives of Seoul from two perspectives

Skyscrapers, cutting-edge public transportation and rows of shopping malls ― scenes that define Seoul’s cityscape today ― were unimaginable half a century ago. It wasn’t until the 1980s that every citizen had access to tap water and toilets in their homes. In the 1960s, and ’70s, citizens in Cheongnyangni had to buy tickets for a bucket of water at a public water station. For daily ablutions, residents of Changsin-dong had to leave their house to use a public toilet located at the center of the

March 4, 2015

‘Live Club Day’ pumps new energy into Hongdae indie music scene

Friday night, one ticket, 10 live music clubs and 30 indie bands covering genres from alternative rock to acoustic, electronic and jazzy soul: This is what the newly launched music festival “Live Club Day” entails. On the last Friday of every month, the purchase of one 20,000 won ($18) ticket will allow entry into 10 live music clubs and concert halls in the Hongdae area. Crowds fill Hongdae’s Sangsang Madang concert hall at the first “Live Club Day” event on Friday. (Yonhap)As the promotion kic

March 3, 2015

Art Edition offers affordable way to own artwork

Do you want to display a work of art in your home but feel discouraged by the price tag? Don’t be. Even if you’re on a tight budget, there is a way to have art on your wall. The Art Edition, an emerging art fair that specializes in prints and photography, will present affordable print editions of artworks during its second edition from March 13-16 in the Asian art hub of Hong Kong.  Visitors look at artworks on display during last year’s Art Edition fair at Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel & Harbour C

March 2, 2015

Actor Ha holds solo exhibition in LA

Noted actor and film director Ha Jung-woo is showcasing another talent of his ― painting.The 36-year-old, whose artworks have been presented at multiple exhibitions in Seoul, New York and Hong Kong, is holding his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. “Pause” opened on Saturday at Pyo Gallery LA. He is introducing 30 latest art works, including portraits inspired by characters in his movies and his face.It’s the second time his works are being showcased in LA. They were first exhibited during th

March 1, 2015

Eyelike: Imagine Dragons, Sweet & Lynch, Sisqo

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons“Smoke + Mirrors”(Interscope)Imagine Dragons’ second studio album, “Smoke + Mirrors,” is certainly one of the more technically ambitious releases of this young year. It’s a boisterous but hit-and-miss effort from the alt-rock band still swooning in international acclaim from its 2012 debut, “Night Visions,” which launched the Grammy-winning hit “Radioactive.”There’s a lot of everything here. Too much at times, as it can feel like instrumental overload. Songs like “

Feb. 27, 2015

[Herald Interview] Big ideas in Steve Barakatt’s upcoming Seoul concert

Long loved in Korea for gentle tunes such as “Rainbow Bridge” and “Day by Day,” composer and pianist Steve Barakatt has returned this time with an epic symphony that he hopes will “wow” fans.Barakatt will be showcasing, for the first time in Korea, his symphonic work “Ad Vitam Aeternam” ― “for eternity” in Latin ― alongside conductor Kim Bong-mee and Herald Philharmonic Orchestra. Written in 16 short movements, the symphony travels through different stages in the human experience.“We all have qu

Feb. 26, 2015

Madonna takes a tumble at the Brit Awards

Madonna has given music fans a shock when she tumbled down several stairs at the Brit Awards. The 56-year-old queen of pop was closing Wednesday's ceremony in London with a performance of her song "Living For Love." Madonna entered with a troupe of male dancers and appeared to fumble with a large cloak she was wearing. The garment seemed to be pulled backward, and Madonna fell down three steps while her dancers looked on, seemingly in shock. Madonna stumbles whilst performing on stage during the

Feb. 26, 2015

National Gugak Center to launch weekly concert series

Music is nothing without its deep rich history, and in an effort to continue to keep the spirit of gugak ― traditional Korean music ― alive, the National Gugak Center will be launching a 40-week concert series to make the genre more accessible to the public. Every Wednesday through Saturday starting March 4, the NGC will be hosting the gugak performance concert series in the center’s traditional “Pungnyu Sarangbang” theater until December.Roughly translated to “room for the love of the arts,” Pu

Feb. 25, 2015

Korea National Opera head resigns amid ongoing outcry

Han Ye-jin, the newly appointed Korea National Opera director, offered to resign less than two months after her controversy-laden appointment for directorship caused an uproar in the opera community.“As a result of the many frustrations and challenges that I have been facing, I have decided not to continue (as director),” Han, 44, wrote in her public resignation letter released to the press late Tuesday. Han, who was appointed by the ministry late last year, has faced vehement opposition from fe

Feb. 25, 2015

Seongnam Arts Center to present more operas

Gounod’s opera “Faust,” American choreographer William Forsythe’s dance performance “Heterotopia,” “Les Miserables” author Victor Hugo’s less-known play “Mille Francs de recompense,” and an annual classical music festival helmed by cellist-conductor Chang Han-na have been among the stellar lineup of performances staged at the Seongnam Arts Center for the past 10 years. Now, looking forward to the next decade, the Seongnam City-run venue hopes to cater to both local performance aficionados and ci

Feb. 24, 2015

Pondering the big questions

A huge banner reading “Shooting the Elephant/Thinking the Elephant” greets visitors to artist Yang Haegue’s solo exhibition at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Inside, however, there is nothing even remotely resembling the mammal. The elephant is the artist’s metaphor for a typical, yet profound question about men and nature. In her semi retrospective and third solo exhibit in Korea, Yang explores the relationship between the two.  Exhibition view of Yang Haegue’s solo exhibit at Leeum (Leeum)The a

Feb. 24, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Thinking out loud’ with Ed Sheeran

Three-time Grammy nominee and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is becoming one of the decade’s most notable breakthrough artists. The 24-year-old musician, who went quintuple platinum in the U.K. with his 2011 debut album “+,” will be making his way to Korea to hold his first concert here. Sheeran’s debut album, featuring hit singles “The A Team” and “Lego House,” earned him the Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act awards at the 2012 Brit Awards. His second album

Feb. 24, 2015

A sparkle from Bohemia

From the classic Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody” to the boho-chic fashion statement, references to the Czech region of Bohemia have been thrown around in a variety of different contexts throughout modern culture.However, it is a relatively lesser known fact that the area has for centuries been celebrated for its intricate, high-quality glass craftsmanship. Even Swarovski, the internationally renowned crystal glass brand, was founded by a man from the northern parts of Bohemia. An exhibition that

Feb. 17, 2015

Classical music stars line up for Seoul concerts in March

As March quickly approaches, there’s no better time to celebrate the thawing of winter and the arrival of spring than a night filled with the soul-soothing classical bliss of Rachmaninoff and Chopin.Next month promises a wide range of noteworthy classical performances, including a concert by one of the country’s most beloved pianists, Steve Barakatt.  The Canadian piano prodigy is making his way back to Seoul on March 8 for his largest symphony production ― “Ad Vitam Aeternam.” The symphony, con

Feb. 16, 2015

Hong Kwang-ho wins British musical award

Korean musical actor Hong Kwang-ho won a British musical award for his West End debut role, Thuy, in “Miss Saigon.”Hong was named Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 15th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards in a ceremony that took place Sunday, his Korean agency said Monday. Run by the U.K.’s biggest theater website WhatsOnStage, the annual awards honor musical actors and actresses based on the popular vote of the audience. “Miss Saigon” was the star of the show this year, reaping a record nine awa

Feb. 16, 2015