Most Popular
-
1
Seoul chastises predatory pricing claims over Czech nuclear export deal
-
2
3 suspects apprehended for selling celebrity deepfake porn: police
-
3
Xiaomi takes 2nd spot after Samsung in August smartphone sales
-
4
[Herald Interview] Kim Woo-bin grew to appreciate ‘unseen’ heroes with ‘Officer Black Belt’
-
5
Hybe acquires US PR agency
-
6
Heavy rain, strong winds to lash Korea this weekend
-
7
Yoon, Fiala seek wider range of cooperation beyond nuclear energy
-
8
'Music Bank' team demands apology from Real Madrid for cancellation of Madrid concert
-
9
Car crashes into restaurant; 1 dead, 5 injured
-
10
[Exclusive] [Herald Interview] MBK incapable of running Korea Zinc’s Australia business: Aussie renewable energy CEO
-
‘Phantom of Opera’ tour production confirms one more case of COVID-19
A second cast member of international tour production of “The Phantom of the Opera” has tested positive for COVID-19, organizers said Thursday. After the first cast member was confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus, all 128 members of the production team were tested. On Thursday, another ensemble cast member was confirmed with the infection. Another 80 members of the team tested negative, while 46 were still waiting for results as of Thursday afternoon. The organi
April 2, 2020
-
‘Phantom of the Opera’ tour in Korea suspended after cast member infected with coronavirus
The international tour production of “The Phantom of the Opera” has decided to temporarily halt its Seoul run after one of its ensemble cast members tested positive for the new coronavirus. The cast member was confirmed with COVID-19 infection Tuesday and the show decided to cancel shows from Wednesday. According to the organizers, the cast member was in self-quarantine with some symptoms of COVID-19 infection despite a normal body temperature. The production team, includin
April 1, 2020
-
Halsey cancels Seoul concert over COVID-19
American singer-songwriter Halsey called off her Seoul concert due the novel coronavirus spread. “‘Halsey - Manic World Tour Live in Seoul,’ originally slated to be held on May 9 at the Olympic Hall in the Olympic Park, has been canceled,” said the concert’s local organizer Live Nation Korea in a statement issued Monday. The organizer stated that all tickets will be automatically refunded without any charges. Those who canceled their tickets after 5:30 p.m. on
March 30, 2020
-
[Herald Review] Doomed but eternal love of ‘Dracula’
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak shutting down most performing arts shows, the house was nearly full at Friday’s performance of “Dracula: The Musical,” with fans eager to see singer Kim Jun-su’s portrayal of the lonely yet romantic vampire. The musical began its run on Feb. 11 at Charlotte Theater in eastern Seoul. While the performing art scene suffers badly due to the health crisis, the hit musical show has been recording an average admission rate of 95 percent. T
March 30, 2020
-
Coronavirus takes a heavy toll on small music labels
As the entertainment industry struggles through the novel coronavirus outbreak, the prolonged pandemic is taking an especially heavy toll on small music labels and independent musicians. According to Record Label Industry Association of Korea on Thursday, the 44 member labels of the association have seen a loss of more than 3.5 billion won ($2.85 million) due to the cancellation or delay of events scheduled between Feb. 13 and April 11. A total of 61 gigs have been either rescheduled or called
March 26, 2020
-
Celebrating World Piano Day, Cho Sung-jin goes online
In celebration of World Piano Day, which falls on March 28 this year, internationally renowned pianists, including Korea‘s much-beloved Cho Sung-jin, are to stream their performances online. World Piano Day takes place on the 88th day of the year, corresponding to the number of keys. Universal Music‘s classical music label Deutsche Grammophon announced Thursday that pianist Cho Sung-jin will stream his performance with baritone Matthias Goerne at 2 p.m. Saturday. Together,
March 26, 2020
-
[Herald Interview] Lauv says working on two songs with BTS was natural progression
Lauv, the US pop star who is popular among Korean fans for his songs “Paris In The Rain” and “I Like Me Better,” described his two collaborations with K-pop sensation BTS as a natural progression. “Basically, I met them at their show in London, and right after that they asked me to do the remix for ‘Make It Right’ and I was super-flattered and said, ‘of course,’” Lauv stold The Korea Herald by email. “Make it Right” is
March 25, 2020
-
10cm holds first #TogetherAtHome concert in Korea
Indie singer 10cm hosted a YouTube live concert on Thursday night, joining the #TogetherAtHome challenge. After watching Coldplay singer Chris Martin perform a live concert online for people stuck indoors due to the spread of coronavirus, 10cm was inspired to join the challenge, becoming the first major Korean singer to do so. 10cm performed his best-known songs, including “Stalker” and “Phonecert.” He also played Coldplay’s “Fix You” in tribute to M
March 23, 2020
-
Performing arts scene staggers under virus pandemic
While Monday marks a month since the COVID-19 alert level was raised to “red,” the national health crisis is pushing the local performing arts scene to the edge. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, roughly 70 productions opened in March as of Sunday. In February, around 380 shows opened. Moreover, data shows that performing arts ticket sales
March 22, 2020
-
Rock musician celebrates record 30th year as radio host
Rock musician and radio show host Bae Chul-soo celebrated his 30th year as the host of a popular pop music radio show on Thursday, making himself the longest-sitting host of a radio program in Korean entertainment history. Since his first day hosting the evening radio show "Music Camp" by MBC on March 19, 1990, as a flourishing, rebellious 37-year-old rock musician, Bae has matured into a widely trusted, gray-haired show host over the past 30 years. His established status also lande
March 19, 2020
-
[Weekender] National Gugak Center goes online
While the National Gugak Center in southern Seoul remains closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the center continues to put on creative gugak performances and make them available online. As more people became more reluctant to visit concert halls out of fear of COVID-19, the center recently launched various online programs to offer quality gugak performances. One of the highlights is the virtual reality gugak experience. On Thursday, the center released 37 clips on its YouTube chann
March 19, 2020
-
Invitation to the world of salon music
It is said that Frederic Chopin loved to play at small venues for small audiences, and meaningful musical interactions for Chopin usually happened at salons. Though more than two centuries have passed and large concert halls now dominate the classical music scene, there are musicians who perform in intimate salon settings for the sheer joy it brings. Going against the conventional grammar of classical music -- formal attire, absolute stillness and silence -- salons allow the audience t
March 18, 2020
-
Celebrities around the globe join #SafeHands challenge
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is nominating high-profile people around the world to participate in WHO’s “SafeHands” challenge on Twitter, including K-pop boy band BTS. So far, 62 Twitter accounts have been targeted, with the list of nominees ranging from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio to 17-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Of the 62 nominees, 15 had tweeted videos of themselves washing their hands as of Wednesday at noon. Phumzile
March 18, 2020
-
[Newsmaker] Korean National Ballet fires dancer for breaking quarantine
The Korean National Ballet has fired a dancer for inappropriate behavior, the first such action since the troupe was founded in 1962. Na Dae-han, 28, corps de ballet dancer at the Korean National Ballet, was fired for traveling to Japan during home quarantine period. The national ballet company held a disciplinary committee meeting on Monday where the decision was made to fire Na. Other members of the state ballet company were suspended for conducting private lessons during the home quarant
March 17, 2020
-
Conductor Teodor Currentzis’ Korean engagement canceled due to COVID-19
Conductor Teodor Currentzis and his MusicAeterna’s much-awaited performances in Seoul have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currentzis, a rising star conductor in the classical music scene, and MusicAeterna were to hold concerts at the Lotte Concert Hall on April 7 and 8. “Teodor Currentzis and MusicAeterna have been strongly looking forward to their first ever concerts in South Korea, and to meeting with an audience that is well known for its appreciation of mu
March 17, 2020
-
National Ballet dancer dismissed for breaking self-quarantine rules
A dancer at the Korean National Ballet has been fired for traveling to Japan during a self-quarantine period amid the rapid spread of the infectious coronavirus, the KNB said Tuesday. The decision about the dancer, identified only as Na, was made during a disciplinary committee the previous day. Na, a member of the corps de ballet, or the group of non-soloist dancers, went to Japan in late February and uploaded some photos of his trip with his girlfriend on a social media account. All member
March 17, 2020
-
Hit musicals continue their successful run
Though COVID-19 has been pushing the performing art scene in South Korea to the brink, hit musical shows are continuing their run backed by avid fans. Popular musical show “Rebecca” wrapped up its four-month run at the Chungmu Art Center in central Seoul on Sunday. The show, now in its fifth season, opened in November and recorded sold out performances for 86 shows. According to EMK Musical Company, an average of 92 percent of the 1,255 available seats were occupied for the
March 16, 2020
-
Sejong Center declares ‘brief halt’ to prevent virus spread
On Friday, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced a “brief halt” as part of the nation’s “social distancing” campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to Friday’s announcement, most of the programs slated to run at the center between now and late March have been canceled or postponed. The Seoul Dance Metropolitan Theatre’s 2020 opening show, “N.O.T,” has been postponed. The Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus&rsq
March 13, 2020
-
Show must go on, even if it’s online
While coronavirus cases continue to climb around the world, the performing arts scene in Korea is turning to a different stage: online platforms. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Culture Ministry, performing arts theaters’ ticket sales in February recorded 20.9 billion won ($18.6 million), nearly down to half of the previous month’s 40.3 billion won. Since mid-February -- when Ko
March 11, 2020
-
Coachella postponed until October over coronavirus fears
NEW YORK (AFP) -- Organizers on Tuesday rescheduled the Coachella music festival until October over coronavirus concerns, following advice from local health authorities. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," Goldenvoice, the company that puts on the event in the California desert, said in a statement. The two-weekend festival set for April will now take place over the weekend
March 11, 2020