Violinist searches for ‘Spiritual Reflections’

Violinist Stephen Kim is to hold a recital on Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center, opening the 2021 Hic et Nunc! music festival organized by the string ensemble Sejong Soloists. The Korean American violinist, 26, won the third prize at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition. It is his first solo recital in Korea. 　 “The title of the recital is ‘Spiritual Reflection.’ I wanted to create a program consisting of -- of course something that I enjoy playing -- but

Aug. 19, 2021

Musical promotes peace in DMZ area

The musical “Wonder Ticket” is to take the stage near the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas in hopes of spreading a message of peace. The musical, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, will run from Sept. 17 to 26 at Pyeonghwa-Nuri Park in the Imjingak area, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The musical was inspired by an abandoned steam locomotive which sits at Jangdan Station in Imjingak, on the banks of Imjin River that

Aug. 18, 2021

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra set for last season of 2021

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has shared its plans for the third and last season of the turbulent 2021. The SPO’s third season is to run from September to December. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and any possible disruptions, the orchestra divided the year into three, instead of releasing the program for the whole of 2021 at the end of last year. In the third season, there will be a total of 13 performances, consisting of 11 orchestral music presentations and two chamber music re

Aug. 17, 2021

ACC World Music Festival to highlight diversity

The ACC World Music Festival will be held at ACC Art Theater in Gwangju from Aug. 20 to 22, both online and offline. The three-day festival, hosted by the Asia Culture Center of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Asia Culture Institute, aims to encourage the audience to embrace various genres of music, from Korean traditional music to fado and tango. The festival, in its 12th edition this year, is to showcase 24 performances in genres such as pansori, jazz, tan

Aug. 17, 2021

[Herald Interview] Say Sue Me to start afresh after pandemic-forced break

When the Busan-based indie band Say Sue Me released their debut album “We’re Sobered Up” in 2014, they never expected the international attention they would get. “Byung-kyu, our guitarist, was already playing in a band and I was a huge fan of that band. Since there were not a lot of indie band fans in Busan, we naturally got to know each other,” Choi Sumi, the vocalist of Say Sue Me, told The Korea Herald in an online interview Wednesday. When Kim Byung-kyu was

Aug. 16, 2021

Music playlists of Tokyo Olympics stars unveiled online

A week has passed since the close of the Tokyo Games, with Paris signaling to take over the Olympics legacy, but the enduring spirit of the athletes still remain in the hearts of many. To correspond to fans still treasuring the excitement and joy from the Olympics, the nation’s popular online music platform Melon released a series of the Tokyo Olympics heroes’ playlists on Friday. The playlist of Jun Woong-tae, who won bronze for the first time as a South Korean modern pentathlon

Aug. 15, 2021

[Anniversary Special] Stage lights stay lit, but flicker now and then

It has been a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Though we are still struggling to find our way out of this global crisis, the local performing arts industry has learned to cope through trial and error. Unlike the situation early last year, when South Korea’s performing arts community was pushed to the brink, theaters and performing arts companies are finding ways to keep the arts going in trying times.  The show must go on The performing arts sector has been one

Aug. 14, 2021

Classic Revolution 2021 offers ‘light of hope’

Though the fourth wave of the pandemic is yet to be contained, Classic Revolution 2021 wants to offer a light of hope to audiences in these trying times. Following the first run last year, the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul is holding the second edition of the summer music festival from Friday to Aug. 22, highlighting celebrated German composer Brahms and Piazzolla, whose 100th anniversary of birth is celebrated this year. 　 The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will kick off the 10-day fest

Aug. 13, 2021

Ballet pays tribute to revered Korean independence fighter

“Ahn Jung-geun, a Dance in the Heaven” will take the stage at the Seoul Arts Center from Friday to Sunday, in celebration of South Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15. The ballet, which premiered in 2015, tells the story of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910). This year marks the 111st anniversary of his death. Ahn is one of Korea’s most honored independence fighters. He assassinated Ito Hirobumi, Korean’s first Japanese Resident-General during t

Aug. 12, 2021

Musical ‘Hades Town’ postpones opening due to coronavirus cluster

The musical “Hades Town” has postponed its opening for a week after 23 members of its cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19. S&Co, the producer of the licensed Broadway show, announced Tuesday that the opening would be postponed from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7. On Thursday Xiumin of EXO, who plays Orpheus in the show, tested positive, which put a halt to rehearsals. Staffers and actors then went into self-quarantine and were tested from Saturday to Monday. A total of 23 peopl

Aug. 11, 2021

BTS song 'Butter' ranks No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100

South Korean superband BTS' Billboard-topping hit "Butter" came in at No. 4 on this week's Billboard main singles chart, slipping from last week's top spot. "BTS' "Butter" drops to No. 4 after nine weeks atop the Hot 100," Billboard said on its website on Monday (US time). "It posts a 10th week at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales (79,200, down 30%) and returns to its No. 20 high on Radio Songs (31.6 million, up 4%)," it added. The summery song had sat atop t

Aug. 10, 2021

Rookie artist Lee Mu-jin emerges as new powerhouse in Korean music chart

Rookie singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin has topped the country’s biggest streaming platform Melon with his digital single “Traffic Light,” which was released in early May. “Traffic Light,” written and composed by Lee, sits atop the 24 hits and daily chart beating out other hit songs such as MSG Wannabe’s “Foolish Love,” Aespa’s “Next Level” and BTS’ latest single “Permission to Dance.” Unlike most chart-topping so

Aug. 9, 2021

Say Sue Me meets fans with ‘So Tender’

Indie rock band Say Sue Me's “So Tender” from the soundtrack of Korean drama series “Nevertheless” was released Saturday, according to JTBC Studio. The eighth track on the soundtrack, written and composed by the band, is sung entirely in English like most of the music from the band. Say Sue Me is a surf rock-inspired band from Busan with four members -- vocalist Choi Sumi, guitarist Kim Byung-kyu, bassist Kim Jae-young and drummer Lim Sung-wan. The band debuted formall

Aug. 8, 2021

City in the mountains is a classical music sanctuary

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- With cool breezes signaling the imminent arrival of fall, the 18th Music in PyeongChang closed Saturday, wrapping up its 11-day run. While Seoul had been baking in scorching heat for the past few weeks, the air in PyeongChang, a mountain city located some 700-meters above sea level, was cool and refreshing. This summer edition of the music festival kicked off on July 28 featuring a total of 15 performances. On Friday, the Alpensia Concert Hall was filled wit

Aug. 8, 2021

Cellist Kim Hyo-jeong to hold solo recital

Cellist Kim Hyo-jeong will hold a solo recital on Aug. 13 at Ilshin Hall in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. At the 80-minute recital, Kim will perform Beethoven’s 7 variations on “Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen,” Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, Op. 47, Ligeti’s Cello Sonata and Mendelssohn’s Cello Sonata in D major, Op. 58. “The program consists of works that best express me. Except for Ligeti, the rest of the composers, Beethoven, Bruch and Mendelssohn, were all

Aug. 5, 2021

Snzae ends long break with ‘Born To Be Cool’

Artist Snzae is returning with a new EP, “Born To Be Cool,” after a two-year break, according to the artist’s agency Amoeba Culture on Wednesday. The company shared the album jacket images via Snzae’s official Twitter account on Tuesday, arousing fans’ curiosity about the concept of the upcoming album. Making his first appearance in hip-hop TV competition “School Rapper,” Snzae was recognized for his unique voice in his songs “Home Dance”

Aug. 4, 2021

Music from StarCraft to be brought to stage

Music from the beloved PC strategy game StarCraft will be brought to life through an orchestral performance later this year. According to the game music platform Flasic, “StarCraft Live Concert: Encore” will be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Sept. 29-30. The concert will feature original soundtracks from the popular PC game launched by Blizzard Entertainment, including the iconic 12th Area (Terran Theme) and more. To provide a mo

Aug. 2, 2021

Star stage actors to put on musical concert

Star stage actors Michael Lee and Ramin Karimloo are to go onstage together in South Korea as part of a musical theater concert. The “Michael & Ramin Concert” is slated to take place at the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center, west of Seoul, Aug. 27-29. Produced by Lee, it marks the veteran stage actor’s debut as a producer. “I think there is a natural progression for actors and performers to evolve into directors and producers. For many years, I have been in this indus

Aug. 2, 2021

SPO to highlight Yun I-sang in August

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is to highlight the work of the iconic composer Yun I-sang in August under the baton of Music Director Osmo Vanska. The SPO will go onstage with violinist Park Sue-ye at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul, Aug. 26-27, for performances titled “Vanska Celebrates Isang Yun.” The program features Yun’s “Silla” Legend for Orchestra and Violin Concerto No. 3, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. Finnish

July 31, 2021

Ahn Ye-eun returns with new horror song

A Korean artist is making a comeback with a horror song that will send a chill down fans’ spines this summer. Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun released a highlight teaser of her third single, “Changgwi” on Friday, according to the artist’s agency JMG. The 21-second video, considered a short horror movie by some, shows Ahn sitting alone surrounded by mysterious shadows, creating an eerie atmosphere. “Changgwi” -- a soul from the dead bitten by a tiger -- stems

July 30, 2021