A pianist on a journey with Beethoven

Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas are deemed to provide a profound insight into the music and life of the iconic German composer. Pianist Sohn Min-soo thinks he came to understand the great mind more than ever before by recording the complete cycle of 32 sonatas. The album will be released Sept. 11 under the Sony Classical label. “Though the recording took 2 1/2 years, Beethoven is a lifelong journey for me. This album does not mean the end of my exploration of Beethoven. I am waitin

Sept. 2, 2020

Era of virtual artist: Riot Games’ virtual K-pop group K/DA returns

Virtual K-pop group K/DA released the group’s new single, “The Baddest,” on Aug. 28, with the first EP to be released later this year. K/DA debuted at the opening of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship finals in Incheon, when four artists performed with their characters through hologram representations. K/DA consists of four female LoL characters -- Ahri, Kai’Sa, Evelynn and Akali -- who are each voiced by different artists. The group name derives from a stati

Sept. 1, 2020

Korean musicals with English subtitles available online

Online festival K-Musical on Air, organized by the Korea Tourism Organization, kicked off its four-day run Monday. On Monday, the musical “Fan Letter” was streamed via Naver TV and V Live. Musicals “The Goddess is Watching,” “Red Cliff” and “The Fiction” will follow. The four musicals come with English subtitles. Since 2017, the KTO has supported 14 musicals in offering foreign-language subtitles with the goal of expanding the global audience b

Aug. 31, 2020

Yue Hua Entertainment penalized after Chinese artist performs for Korean military

Beijing-based Yue Hua Entertainment was penalized by the Chinese government after Wang Yiren, a Chinese member of K-pop girl band Everglow, performed at an event for South Korean military troops in June last year, according to the South China Morning Post. The K-pop girl band is produced and managed by Yue Hua Entertainment’s subsidiary in Korea. The Chinese company is reported to have apologized Thursday for the negative influence it caused through its subsidiary firm Yue Hua Korea&

Aug. 30, 2020

[The Arts and COVID-19] ‘New normal’ orchestra in tune with COVID-19 era

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is seeking the flexibility to overcome the obstacles and adapt to the changing times. In mid-February, when the orchestra’s new Music Director Osmo Vanska led two concerts in Seoul, not many could have known that that would be the orchestra’s last live performance for many months. As the COVID-19 outbreak swept the nation, many live music performances were canceled or postponed. When the SPO returned to the stage

Aug. 30, 2020

‘Light will always be stronger than darkness’

Though Classic Revolution 2020 Seoul Beethoven began with high hopes, the summer music festival was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing rules in Seoul tightened on Aug. 16, a day before the festival opened. Six orchestras, under regional governments, had to cancel performances, including the opening concert. A total of 10 performances, mainly chamber music, stayed on the festival schedule. The cancellations were devastating for many who had been awaiting the festival, includ

Aug. 29, 2020

[Newsmaker] Public art troupe member’s private lesson in spotlight after infection

A member of an art troupe under the National Gugak Center will be questioned for conducting a private lesson, after having contact with a high school student who was tested positive for COVID-19. On Aug. 19, the member gave a private lesson to a Gugak National High School student at a private studio in southern Seoul. Few hours later, the student’s mother was confirmed positive of the virus. The student was tested positive of the virus on Aug. 19. The troupe member was tested negative

Aug. 28, 2020

[Herald Interview] Opera ‘Red Pants’ to sing of housing bubble

Property prices in and around Seoul have been hitting record-high levels for the past few months, even as the government has declared war on the region’s housing bubble. That housing bubble first began to form about 50 years ago. In the 1970s and ’80s the Gangnam area, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul, started to fill up with massive apartment blocks. “Red Pants,” a new Korean-language opera that will be presented by the Korea National Opera on Friday and S

Aug. 25, 2020

[Herald Interview] Festival delves into 'K-World music'

Like most fests this year, the 11th ACC World Music Festival has not been able to escape the crippling impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual music festival kicked off Friday, despite the fast-spreading virus crisis. However, as the government decided to expand strict social distancing guidelines nationwide Saturday, the rest of the festival schedule had to be canceled. “It was like ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” string instrument geomungo virtuoso Heo Yoon-

Aug. 23, 2020

[Herald Interview] Pianist puts himself in Beethoven’s shoes

Ludwig van Beethoven is an important figure for every musician, but for pianist Kim Sun-wook -- a promising South Korean composer -- it is more than that, he’s a role model given his life’s work. Kim, the winner of the 2006 Leeds International Piano Competition, will hold a recital Sept. 13 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The recital, initially scheduled to take place in March, was postponed due to the spread of COVID-19. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birt

Aug. 22, 2020

SPO member contracts COVID-19, taught student related to church infection cluster

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra canceled its concerts slated for this week, after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19. The member contracted the virus after giving private lessons to a Seoul Arts High School student related to the Sarang Jeil Church virus outbreak. According to the SPO, the orchestra member was tested for the virus on Saturday, after being informed of having come in close contact with a person who had contracted the virus. The following day, the member was confir

Aug. 17, 2020

Culture sector scrambles as COVID-19 cases soar again

With the government having imposed stringent health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on Saturday, the culture sector is scrambling to adjust. As transmission of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area continues at a fast rate, the social distancing plan for the capital area was raised a notch to Level 2 on Saturday. All private and public indoor gatherings are restricted to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Musicals are offering ticket refunds without charging a commission.

Aug. 17, 2020

KNB to introduce Korean beauty through ballet

The Korean National Ballet will perform “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” Aug. 21-23 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, presenting the life of the legendary poet Heo Nanseolheon. Heo Nanseolheon (1563–1589), whose real name is Heo Cho-hui, was a prominent Korean poet from the mid-Joseon era. Having left behind more than 200 poems in her name, her works are appreciated to this day. The ballet “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” brings her two

Aug. 13, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Beethoven made it happen’

Ludwig van Beethoven was more than just the theme of this year’s festival for pianist Son Yeol-eum. He was the hero. Though hindered by the coronavirus and the heavy downpour, the 17th Music in PyeongChang (MPyC) successfully wrapped up its three-week run of concerts on Saturday, recording a 100 percent sold-out rate for its nine main concerts. “I could have given up if it had not been the year commemorating Beethoven,” Son, the artistic director of the festival, told The K

Aug. 11, 2020

Musical actor under fire after nightclub party

A musical actor currently starring in musical “Ludwig” has become embroiled in controversy after photos of the actor at a club emerged. Kim Jun-young came under fire for partying at a Seoul club from Thursday night to Friday after photos of Kim at the club went viral on social media. Kim is a lead actor in musical “Ludwig: Beethoven the Piano.” As his clubbing photos triggered hailstorm online, Kim stepped down from the show beginning with Saturday’s performance.

Aug. 10, 2020

SPO to mark Liberation Day with concert at former prison for independence fighters

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a special concert on Saturday at the outdoor stage of Seodaemun Prison History Hall, western Seoul, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Liberation Day. Every year, the SPO, funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, holds a commemorative concert celebrating the day at iconic locations across Seoul such as the Sejong Center of Performing Arts, Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza. This year, the concert will be held at the Seodaemun Prison Histo

Aug. 10, 2020

MPyC shouts ‘It must be’

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The 17th Music in PyeongChang (MPyC) wrapped up its three-week run of concerts on Saturday amid heavy rain. The music festival, held in the mountainous county of Pyeongchang, commemorated the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig Beethoven this year, like many other music festivals across the world. The event was titled “Es Muss Sein” -- part of an inscrutable note “Muss es sein? Es muss sein!” written by Beethoven in the manuscript

Aug. 9, 2020

Hip-pop artist Simon Dominic to perform at Sejong Center

Hip-pop artist Simon Dominic will be performing in the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ Sejong Grand Theater in central Seoul on Sept. 8. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said it was special for a hip-pop artist to perform at the center, which usually holds classical music performances. “Rapper Beenzino once performed in our concert hall as a guest singer, but other than that, no other hip-hop artist has performed at the Sejong Center,” the center said in a s

Aug. 9, 2020

Grand Mint Festival to be held with limited number of audiences

The 14th Grand Mint Festival will take place at Olympic Park, eastern Seoul, on Oct. 24 and 25 with a limited audience due to the spread of COVID-19. The festival organizers said they will sell less than half of the tickets sold in previous years. Last year around 40,000 tickets were sold. There will be no standing room entrance. Attendees will be able to enjoy the festival in the picnic zone apart from each other to comply with social distancing guidelines. The organizers added that they

Aug. 7, 2020

New version of ‘Notre Dame de Paris’ to come to Seoul

The original French production of musical “Notre Dame de Paris” will go on stage in Korea Nov. 10 - Jan. 17 at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul, Mast Entertainment confirmed Thursday. The Seoul shows will be of the new version of the beloved musical created in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show the following year with detailed upgrades in costumes, choreography and lights. It will be the first time the new version is staged in Korea. The most rece

Aug. 6, 2020