New LG Arts Center offers another chance to catch Cho Seong-jin, LSO in concert

Tickets for the performance by London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Cho Seong-jin at LG Arts Center on Oct. 13 will go on sale Sept. 1. The concert was originally planned as an invitation-only event, marking the reopening of LG Arts Center Seoul at its new location in Magok-dong, southwestern Seoul. In announcing the switch to making all of the theater’s seats available on its website Wednesday, the center said that all proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to support young art

Aug. 21, 2022

Renowned ballet dancer Kim Ki-min to dazzle Seoul

World-class ballet dancer Kim Ki-min from Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet has returned for performances in Korea for the first time in four years. The principal dancer of the prestigious Russian ballet troupe will perform with 18 other dancers from international ballet companies at the “Ballet Supreme 2022” taking place at the National Theater in Seoul, from Thursday to Saturday. Current and former ballet dancers who are members of overseas companies such as the Royal Ballet of Eng

Aug. 17, 2022

[Herald Interview] Boycold explores foolish romance on ‘Daft Love’

“Hey boy, it’s cold” -- Boycold’s producer tag isn’t subtle about who it represents, but it’s a guarantee of high production values. Boycold, whose real name is Jeong Seong-won, debuted in 2015 through “Boys to Men,” a track on rapper Crucial Star’s “Boyhood” EP. Zig-zagging between hip-hop and R&B, he’s a jack of all trades with a knack for soundscapes. The beatmaker now has a long list of hits under his belt. He m

Aug. 17, 2022

National Chorus of Korea aims to reach global audience with first album

The National Chorus of Korea aims to reach global audiences with its first album and special concerts with US soloists. After releasing its first regular album, “Voices of Solace,” alongside high-budget music videos for the album in June, the 49-year-old national choral group is taking Korea’s old and new melodies to the stage with the 24-member American Soloists Ensemble this month. “I had a chance to conduct an all-Korean music concert in the US in 2019 and realized

Aug. 16, 2022

[Herald Review] Billie Eilish’s dreamy voice blares through Seoul on Korean Liberation Day

It took four years for American pop star Billie Eilish to return to South Korea to perform onstage. Despite the rainy evening on Korean Liberation Day, a holiday that commemorates Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago, a whopping 20,000 fans flocked to enjoy her long-awaited return. “Hyundai Card Super Concert 26 Billie Eilish,” the singer-songwriter’s second concert in the country, took place at Gocheok Sky Dome. She held her first show on the s

Aug. 16, 2022

Billie Eilish back in Seoul after 4 years for one-day concert

American pop star Billie Eilish returned to Seoul for a one-day concert on Monday, her second concert in Korea since the first four years ago. The event took place at 8 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome on Korean Liberation Day, a holiday that commemorates Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago. In 2018, she held the concert on the same day, Aug. 15, at the 2,000-seat Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul. The show was part of Eilish’s world tour for her second full-length

Aug. 15, 2022

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival returns in full force with in-person events

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, the only music-themed film festival in Korea, kicked off on Thursday at the Uirimji Stage of Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. Returning to a full-scale format, the slogan of this year‘s six-day festival is “a tempo,” -- meaning “return to the original tempo” in music, signaling hopes for recovery from the pandemic. The festival opened with Polish screenwriter Bartosz Blaschke’s directorial debut “Son

Aug. 12, 2022

Hyperound K-Fest 2022 to be held in Abu Dhabi next month

A Korean music festival in Abu Dhabi, dubbed “Hyperound K-Fest 2022,” will be held on Sept. 10 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the largest indoor entertainment venue in the Middle East. Jointly hosted with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and Yas Island, the one-day festival aims to bring artists who continue to spread K-music around the globe. The star-studded list of artists slated to perform in the UAE are up-and-coming K-pop rookie boy band P1harmony, South

Aug. 11, 2022

DMZ fantasy musical “Wonder Ticket” to be staged outdoors near N. Korea

What if a rusty train that had stopped its operation between the two Koreas for over 70 years can move back in time through a wish that transcends generations? The musical “Wonder Ticket” centers around such plot, with a young girl listening to her grandfather’s love story and reminiscing on his days before the division of the Korean Peninsula. The musical, which debuted in 2020 during the pandemic, is making its third run outdoors at the Pyeonghwa-Nuri Park in the Imjingak

Aug. 10, 2022

Listen to classical concerts all summer long

A number of classical music festivals are set to take place through the month of August in Seoul. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-China diplomatic relations, the Culture Ministry is holding a special concert, bringing together renowned classical musicians from Korea and China, at the Lotte Concert Hall on Aug. 24. Led by conductor Chung Chi-yong, the Korean Symphony Orchestra will open the stage with Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Op. 92. Joined by Chinese vio

Aug. 8, 2022

[Herald Review] Three Parks bring to life Victor Hugo’s lesser known ‘The Man Who Laughs’

  French writer Victor Hugo’s 1869 novel, “The Man Who Laughs,” went onstage in South Korea as a musical in 2018. Best known for “Les Miserables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” Hugo’s works have inspired many musical and film adaptations. Hugo’s lesser known “The Man Who Laughs” inspired the EMK Musical Company to create a musical version of the story and in its third production this year, the musical shows the power of

Aug. 3, 2022

Marking 25th anniversary, SIDance 2022 to bring dancers to Seoul

  The 25th edition of the Seoul International Dance Festival will feature 34 domestic and overseas dance companies from nine countries from Sept. 14, the organizer said Sunday. The SIDance festival, organized by the Seoul Section of the UNESCO International Dance Council, will take place at four locations in Seoul -- Seoul Arts Center, Sogang University, Seoul Namsan Guakdang and Oil Tank Culture Park -- for 19 days. The festival will kick off with “Hauntology” presented b

Aug. 1, 2022

Kim Sun-wook to lead SPO in Gwanghwamun Square concert marking Liberation Day

Marking the 77th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15., Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a special concert at Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 14. Pianist and conductor Kim Sun-wook lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in the concert hosted by the Seoul City. The World Vision Korea Children’s Choir and Forte di Quattro will join the orchestra onstage for the concert that starts at 7:30 p.m. The program consists of works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Dvorak, as well as pop

July 29, 2022

[Feature] Caught between plagiarism and 'referencing'

Though renowned South Korean singer-songwriter You Hee-yul issued multiple apologies and has stepped down from the KBS music program “You Heeyul’s Sketchbook,” a heated debate over plagiarism claims is unlikely to die down anytime soon as more claims of plagiarism by K-pop artists surface. The controversy erupted in mid-June, when a post surfaced online claiming that You’s 2021 track “A Very Private Night” felt almost identical to Japanese composer Ryuichi S

July 26, 2022

“Star” dancers of Paris Opera to perform in Seoul

A group of star dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet, including Korean dancer Park Sae-eun, will take the stage on Thursday and Friday at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, reviving the historic company’s classic and modern repertoires in a gala show. 　 The occasion will mark Park’s first performance in Korea as an étoile, or star, of the Paris Opera Ballet. The 33-year-old ballerina was named étoile last year, becoming the first Asian to hold the coveted title in the 353-y

July 26, 2022

[Herald Review] Big names light up stage at ‘Blue Spring Hip-hop Festa’

As large-scale concerts are coming back with the slow lifting of pandemic and social distancing rules across the nation, an abundant number of concertgoers filled the Jangchung Arena in Jung-gu, Seoul, Friday night as big-name R&B and hip-hop artists took the stage for “Blue Spring Hip-hop Festa.” The concert is an offshoot of the Blue Spring Festival, one of the country‘s biggest music festivals, which takes place in a different city each year. The first session took p

July 25, 2022

Musical “Mrs. Doubtfire” to hit local theater

Musical “Mrs. Doubtfire,” based on the 1993 hit movie with the same title, will hit local theaters as the first licensed production of the Broadway show, according to its production companies, Sem Company and Studio Sunday. The Korea production will feature three actors for Daniel Hillard - versatile singer Im Chang-jung, comedian-turned actor Jung Sung-hwa and musical actor Yang Joon-mo. The plot unfolds around Daniel Hillard, a struggling, out-of-work voice actor, who is also a

July 22, 2022

Quad, Seoul’s public theater opens

The Quad, a public theater operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, opened in Daehagno on Wednesday, with a goal to revive the local arts scene hit by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and gentrification of the theater district. The Quad is a transformative black box theater that can accommodate as many as 258 seats and offer several types of stage settings, according to the SFAC, a Seoul-city funded nonprofit organization. It sits on the site of the former Dongsoong Art Center, w

July 21, 2022

Back on stage, actor Kim Seon-ho apologizes for rumors involving ex-girlfriend

Actor Kim Seon-ho on Wednesday publicly apologized over controversies involving his former girlfriend while making his first public appearance in about nine months. “I’m deeply sorry for bad news that has caused concerns to many people. I’ve looked back on my past times and reflected on my conduct,” he said while sobbing during a press conference for the play “Touching the Void.” “Many people have made efforts for this play since the spring. I’m

July 20, 2022

Chung Myung-whun returns as pianist with chamber music ensemble

Conductor Chung Myung-whun will return to the stage as a pianist with a chamber music ensemble as part of a nationwide tour this fall. He will be joined by four other musicians: Violinist Kim Su-yoen, a concertmaster at Konzerthausorchester Berlin; violist Kim Sara, who joined the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra as a principal viola from the 2019-20 season, cellist Song Young-hoon and double bassist Sung Min-je. Kim Su-yoen, Song and Sung have previously performed with Chung on the stage. The pi

July 19, 2022