Holocaust survivor makes symphony debut with Ma

BOSTON (AP) ― A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor made his orchestral debut with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Tuesday to benefit a foundation dedicated to preserving the work of artists and musicians killed by the Nazis. Ma and George Horner received floral bouquets and a standing ovation from the audience of about 1,000 people in Boston’s Symphony Hall. They appeared to enjoy their evening, chatting briefly between numbers and walking off the stage hand-in-hand after taking a bow together.Before t

Oct. 23, 2013

Psy returning to Seoul for four-day concert series

The gentlemanly Psy will be ringing in the holiday season by returning home and holding a special four-day solo concert series from Dec. 20-22 and on Christmas Eve at Seoul Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Stadium. The upcoming performances will mark his first concert in Korea in nearly eight months after his internationally broadcast “Happening” show in April, where the rapper attracted around 45,000 local concert goers on top of more than 130,000 fans tuning in online during the live feed. Psy has al

Oct. 23, 2013

‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ to draw crowds in New York

NEW YORK (AFP) ― “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” the much-loved Dutch masterpiece that has intrigued art lovers for centuries, goes on exhibition in New York Tuesday, set to draw huge crowds.Painted by Johannes Vermeer around 1665, it is the highlight of 15 extraordinary 17th-century paintings on loan to The Frick Collection until Jan. 19.The canvas has enjoyed a cult following since becoming the subject of a best-selling novel in 1999 and a Hollywood film starring Scarlett Johansson in 2003. The D

Oct. 22, 2013

Late Kim Hyun-sik’s unknown songs released in album

Twenty-three years after his death, fans of the late Kim Hyun-sik, one of the most popular Korean singers of the 1980s, now have a chance to hear previously unreleased singles by the artist recorded from his hospital bed before his passing. On Monday, the late singer’s former agency Donga PR released a 21-track album titled “Kim Hyun-sik 2013 October” that features never-before-released songs, nine of which the artist had written and composed himself including “Lonely Night,” “Luck” and “In the

Oct. 22, 2013

African contemporary art gets increased interest

LONDON (AP) ― African tribal art has long been treasured by wealthy Western collectors, but increasingly the continent’s contemporary art scene is the one making its presence felt at museums, auction houses and art fairs. The trend is spurred by wealthy Africans supporting home-grown talent and European collectors searching for the next big thing. Several London galleries focused on African art have opened in the past few years, the flagship Tate Modern has set up an African acquisitions committ

Oct. 21, 2013

Psy to collaborate with Aerosmith’s Tyler

Rap star Psy, who has been an Aerosmith fan since he was a young boy, has revealed that he will be collaborating for an upcoming track with the legendary Steven Tyler. “When I was in middle school, I literally cried when Aerosmith sang ‘Crazy’ or ‘Amazing’ or whatever,” Psy said in this month’s issue of L’Uomo Vogue, where the K-pop star graced the cover. “They were my lifetime role models, and now I am collaborating with Steven Tyler. ... I love my life.”Psy has pushed back the release of his u

Oct. 21, 2013

Hanks’ Mary Poppins tale closes London Film Fest

LONDON (AFP) ― The London Film Festival closed on Sunday with the world’s first screening of “Saving Mr Banks,” the humorous and moving tale of Mary Poppins’ adaption for the big screen.The film off the film, released in the United States in mid-December, explores the stormy relationship between celebrated Hollywood producer Walt Disney, played by Tom Hanks, and Pamela Lyndon Travers, the Mary Poppins author portrayed on film by British actress Emma Thompson.Having fallen under the spell of the

Oct. 21, 2013

Jesus Christ through lensof traditional Korean culture

One of the most famous biblical scenes ― baby Jesus in the arms of Mary surrounded by wise men from the East ― doesn’t feature the usual Western biblical representation in the late artist Woonbo Kim Ki-chang’s Jesus paintings. At a thatched-roof house, home for commoners in the Joseon period (1392-1910), Jesus appears as a happy child in the arms of Mary, wearing a rainbow-striped jeogori ― the traditional Korean jacket for children. The Eastern wise men worshipping the newborn are dressed in of

Oct. 20, 2013

Black Tree hopes to show their ‘color’

This is the 11th in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. Translators Ary Kim and Cha Yo-rim contributed to this article. ― Ed.For rookie group Black Tree, being in today’s underground hip-hop scene is not easy. Those who have yet to make a name for themselves find it difficult to play at events, and there aren’t many options for places to perform.“Basically what happens is all the artists, the famous artists, they get to perform at all the

Oct. 20, 2013

TLC’s story of fame comes to life in biopic on VH1

For Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, there were several uncomfortable moments watching actresses portray them in a new TLC biopic.But it was especially strange to watch Lil Mama, who played the role of the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes ― the third member of the Grammy-winning R&B group who died in a car crash in Honduras in 2002.“She totally came into character,” Chilli said of Lil Mama, who wore contacts to mimic Left Eye’s distinctively large, dark pupils. “It was kind of scary

Oct. 20, 2013

'The Lion King' to set new milestone on Broadway

NEW YORK (AP) – ``The Lion King'' has more reason to roar – it's on pace to end the week as the first Broadway show to earn $1 billion.According to The Broadway League, the show ended last week with a 16-year gross of $999,267,836, and it regularly pulls in between $1 million and $2 million a week over eight performances at the Minskoff Theatre.The show, featuring the music of Elton John and Tim Rice, including the Academy Award-winning ``Can You Feel the Love Tonight,'' brought the 1994 animate

Oct. 19, 2013

Learning to make the perfect cup

Seoul offers a number of places where one can learn to make coffee, using various machines and techniques. If you prefer a cup of latte over espresso, there are latte art classes available as well.Latte art is a method of preparing coffee by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso that results in a pattern or design on the surface of the drink. Local coffee company Hollys Coffee ((02) 2188-7100) offers latte art classes at its Hollys Academy in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul.  The introducto

Oct. 18, 2013

Eyelike: IU impresses on ‘Modern Times’

IU impresses on ‘Modern Times’IU “Modern Times” (LOEN Entertainment) IU, known for her “younger sister” image and songs, has shed her cutesy pop cocoon for a more mature look and sound. “Modern Times” has a total of 13 tracks with genres that range from pop, folk, jazz and swing to bossa nova and Latin. Title track “The Red Shoes” showcases IU’s vocals in a cabaret-style setting, complete with blaring horns and lively percussion. Like many of the tracks on the album, vintage sounds and modern ef

Oct. 18, 2013

Halloween brings out nights of spooky fun

As a chill sets in and the leaves begin to turn, one thing is on the minds of many in Seoul: It’s almost time for Halloween.And for those who have spent countless hours getting their costumes just right for a night of spooky fun, luck is with you. As Halloween Day falls on a Thursday this year, bars and clubs are hosting parties starting on Oct. 25 until Nov. 2. Here are just a few of the parties going on.  ― Halloween Weekend at OctagonOne of the hottest clubs south of the river, Octagon has a

Oct. 18, 2013

Lee U-fan awarded Geumgwan Order of Culture Merit

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has awarded artist Lee U-fan the Geumgwan Order of Culture Merit for his contributions to contemporary art. Lee is known for his minimalist paintings and sculptures and has contributed to the development of Korean monochrome painting, which has gained worldwide recognition. He is one of the founders and leaders of the avant garde Mono-ha group, which rejects Western notions of representation in art and instead relies on the Eastern method of focusing o

Oct. 17, 2013

Community music projects to create ‘melodies of hope’ in Seoul concerts

El Sistema, Venezuela’s music education program, and a Korean youth orchestra of a similar kind will hold a joint concert in Seoul. Some 200 Korean and Venezuelan teenagers will perform the “music of hope” at Deoksugung Palace on Sunday, following a concert by Caracas Youth Orchestra on Friday. Caracas Youth Orchestra is an orchestra based in the capital city of Venezuela which is part of the El Sistema program that has brought about social transformation through music in Venezuela since 1975. E

Oct. 17, 2013

Super Junior sells out first Mexico concert

Super Junior’s upcoming concert in Mexico had fans chartering buses to Mexico City and some even camping outside for days to purchase tickets for the group’s first performance in the country since their debut in 2005. The concert is slated for Nov. 7 at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico. Although the arena can accommodate 22,000 concert goers, the first round of ticket sales were limited to 14,000 seats. The ticket prices ranged from 90,000 won to 295,000 won and were sold out in just four hours, with

Oct. 17, 2013