WJSN to kick off Japan tour

K-pop girl group WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, is set to go on a Japan tour for the first time since the band’s debut. The tour -- titled “Would You Like? Zepp Tour in Japan” -- kicks off in Tokyo on Aug. 17 and will also involve concerts in Osaka and Nagoya on Aug. 24 and 25, respectively.  According to Starship Entertainment, the band’s management agency, WJSN has been enjoying great popularity in Japan. The K-pop act has performed at KCON Japan, a Korean cultu

June 26, 2019

BTS to globally release third movie on its world tour

A new documentary film on K-pop band BTS' 2018 world tour will be globally released in Aug., the band's management agency announced Wednesday. "'Bring The Soul: The Movie' will have its global release on Aug. 7," Big Hit Entertainment said. The latest film is the third of its kind, following "Burn the Stage: The Movie" on the band's 2017 world tour and "Love Yourself in Seoul" on its 2018 concert in Seoul, which were released in Nov. and Jan., respectively."Bri

June 26, 2019

Conductor Osmo Vanska hopes to formulate ‘Seoul strategy’ for SPO

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is set to take the next leap in 2020 under the baton of Osmo Vanska, building a “Seoul strategy” together. Vanska was appointed as music director of the SPO in May. He has been chosen for his “affection for orchestra members and broad-minded leadership,” according to SPO CEO Kang Eun-kyung.  Also, Vanska’s fame as an “orchestra builder” was taken in account, Kang said. Leading the Minnesota Orchestra for about 20 yea

June 24, 2019

Chungha releases first self-composed song on new album 'Flourishing'

K-pop diva Chungha on Monday released her fourth EP, "Flourishing," whose title track is the first song she has composed.    The fourth track, "Flourishing," is a trap soul number written in English that sends out a message of self-confidence.     The fifth song on the EP, and its main track, "Snapping," is an intense, seductive number that diverges from Chungha's previous summer singles such as "Love U," a track off "Blo

June 24, 2019

Cellists, teacher and protege, gear up for Korean tours

Like teacher, like student. The age-old adage goes for cellists Mischa Maisky and Chang Han-na this fall. The two cellists, who were once teacher and pupil, are to visit Korea with their respective tour programs. In October, Maisky is to visit with the Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur as a part of their Asian tour schedule. The Latvian-born Israeli cellist, 71, is famous for being the only cellist who has studied with both Mstislav Rostropovich and Gregor Piatigorsky. 　 In Gangneung, Seoul an

June 24, 2019

BTS' 2016 music video 'Save ME' tops 400 mln YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' 2016 song "Save ME" has topped the milestone of 400 million YouTube views.The "Save ME" music video, off the septet's 2016 compilation album "Young Forever," surpassed the YouTube record Thursday morning, according to the group's agency, Big Hit Entertainment. It is BTS' eighth music video that has surpassed the 400 million mark, including "DNA," which topped 700 million, and "Fire," "Fake Love&quo

June 20, 2019

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev to perform in Seoul

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev is to hold a recital in Seoul next week.For the June 27 recital at the Seoul Arts Center, the Russian pianist will perform Beethoven’s Rondo in C Major, Piano Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata” and a series of compositions written by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.  Pletnev, 62, is a multi-faceted musician, who is a pianist, conductor, composer and also a cultural figure.The winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, Pletnev atte

June 19, 2019

[K-Talk] Mamamoo to hold fan event next month

Girl group Mamamoo will hold a fan appreciation event next month, agency RBW said Wednesday. The event will be held at Korea University at 5 p.m. on July 13, and will be the band’s first fan event since October 2017.Following the Seoul event, the group will play July 27-28 at the Daegu Exhibition & Convention Center. The concert title is “4season F/W.”  Tickets for the fan event will be available at 8 p.m. on Friday, but members of Mamamoo’s official fan club wil

June 19, 2019

S.M. Entertainment pressed to answer activist shareholder’s demands

S.M. Entertainment, South Korea’s largest K-pop powerhouse by market cap, is at a crossroads having to decide on taking action ahead of a deadline issued by an activist investor to merge with another firm owned by founder and Executive Producer Lee Soo-man.S.M. must respond by Thursday to these and other demands by KB Asset Management, which has publicly called on Like Agency -- a private company owned by Lee -- to be merged with the entertainment firm in order to keep intact the corp

June 18, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘School of Rock’ delightfully charming, as talented cast rocks on

I never thought I’d say this, but having watched the musical adaptation of the 2003 Richard Linklater film “School of Rock,” I actually prefer the stage version. Nobody can recreate Jack Black’s uncontained quirkiness, unorthodox charisma and unhinged charm, qualities whch formed the backbone of the movie. Dewey Finn is a role made for Black, and no one will fit into it better than him. Ever.But while the film was really a one-man show starring Dewey, the musica

June 17, 2019

Feeling great, Ensemble Ditto disbands after 12 years

This month marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for classical music, as Ensemble Ditto wraps up its 12-year journey.The all-male chamber ensemble was launched in 2007 with the aim of introducing classical music to a broader audience. Young musicians, including star violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, teamed up to present artistic and innovative repertoires. But the journey will soon come to an end, as this is the last season for the ensemble. The last Ditto festival, “

June 17, 2019

[Newsmaker] BTS fans complain of tight ID checks at Busan concerts

On the first day of K-pop sensation BTS' first-ever fan event and concert in Busan this weekend, a number of people were blocked from entering the venue although they had tickets in their hands.Officials from Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of BTS, demanded buyer information on the tickets match the ticket holder's identity documents at the event Saturday. Teenage fans who bought tickets using their parents' names were turned down, while students who brought copies of their stu

June 17, 2019

BTS captivates fans on 2nd day of Busan concerts

K-pop band BTS fascinated fans with dazzling performances for a second day during their fan meeting and concert event held in South Korea's southern port city of Busan on Sunday.Some 22,000 fans from at home and abroad, known as "ARMY," gathered at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium for the second and final day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in the country's second-largest city. The event marks BTS' first live solo performances in Busan, the hometown o

June 16, 2019

Ex-YG head Yang may face police probe over snowballing drug and cover-up scandal

Yang Hyun-suk, the former head and chief producer of YG Entertainment, may face a police investigation over drug allegations involving the agency’s high-profile artists, amid a series of scandals that have damaged the reputation of the leading agency behind the rapid growth of the K-pop industry.On Saturday, police told local media that Yang may face criminal charges if the allegation that he threatened a whistleblower turns out to be true. Yang could be summoned for questioning if the whi

June 16, 2019

BTS dazzles 25,000 fans in Busan

Throwing its first-ever concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan on Saturday, K-pop band BTS dazzled some 25,000 fans in this bustling port city.The area around Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium, close to the southeastern coastline, was buzzing with BTS fans, famously known as "ARMY," from early in the morning as excited fans arrived at the concert venue far ahead of the first day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in Busan.The two-day fan

June 16, 2019

Busan buzzing with excitement over BTS concerts

The second-largest South Korean city of Busan is bustling with excitement and preparations Friday as tens of thousands of fans are set to visit the city to see K-pop world stars BTS over the weekend.The septet will arrive in Busan on Saturday to throw the Busan leg of the band's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" fan meeting/concert events at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.City officials expect the concerts will bring in about 45,000 ticket holders or more to the southern

June 14, 2019

[Graphic News] Rihanna declared world’s richest female musician

　Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house - Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said.　The 31-year-old - born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados - has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star. (AFP)　

June 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] Young composer-conductor excited about Seoul-Paris premiere

For composer-conductor Choi Jae-hyuck, this June is a time of anticipation. The winner of the 72nd Concours de Geneve Composition Prize, Choi grabbed the attention of the classical music scene for conducting Stockhausen’s “Gruppen” at the 2018 Lucerne Festival with maestros Simon Rattle and Ducan Ward. June 28 will be a big day for the 24-year-old musician. His works will be put onstage across continents, in Paris and Seoul. Ensemble InterContemporain, a renowned cont

June 13, 2019

Ultra Korea 2019 wraps up, troubled with hiccups

Ultra Korea 2019 wrapped up three days of festivities on Sunday, but the Korean leg of the annual electronic dance music festival was troubled with hiccups that included last-second cancellations by headliners and controversy over its operations.Misfortune crept up on the event last Wednesday when organizers notified fans that Martin Garrix, one of the main headliners whose act was supposed to be the main stage finale for Friday’s event, had to cancel due to an ankle injury he sustained in

June 11, 2019

Jean-Christophe Maillot says his ‘Cinderella’ is relatable to just about anyone

Born and raised in a small town in France, Jean-Christophe Maillot rose to the top: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, one of the world’s most famous ballet companies, founded by Monaco’s royal family. Maillot described himself as a “Cinderella” during a press conference held Monday at Ode Port in Sinsa-dong, Seoul.The longtime director of the renowned ballet company added that making the timeless story real had been his initial focus. According to the director, the reinvention

June 11, 2019