37 Koreans awarded at int'l classical music competitions in H1

A total of 37 South Korean nationals have won prizes at 25 international classical music competitions held in the first half of this year, a local cultural foundation said Friday. Twelve Korean pianists were awarded at 13 contests, and seven violinists won medals at nine competitions during the January-June period, according to Kumho Cultural Foundation. In competitions for viola and cello, four and six Koreans, respectively, reached a podium, while four wind instrument players and four artists

July 1, 2022

Pianist Lim Yun-chan says life has not changed since Van Cliburn win

  Less than two weeks after becoming the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Lim Yun-chan stood before South Korean press Thursday and said he sees little change in his musical life. “Nothing has changed since I won the competition. My piano skills haven’t improved overnight just because I won. I will continue making more effort,” Lim, 18, told reporters at a press conference held on the Seocho Campus of the Korea National University of

June 30, 2022

[Herald Interview] No Brain says rock ‘n’ roll keeps them going

In the 1990s, when Korea’s punk rock scene was a barren land, there was one group causing a sensation across the country. Since its debut in 1996, the legendary band No Brain has been one of the first generation of acts to play a major role in spreading the sound of rock ‘n’ roll in Korea. Even long-running K-pop groups seldom survive past seven years, so it is rare to see a band that continues to make music for over two decades. Although they have faced challenges, like the

June 29, 2022

Charity group, audio brand join forces to provide music education for underprivileged

Beautiful Mind, a cultural and diplomatic charity organization, and audio equipment brand KEF last week signed an agreement to promote culture and arts for people with disabilities. The agreement covers cooperation in music education for children with disabilities and adolescents from low-income families as well as their orchestra activities, Beautiful Mind said in a statement. The agreement includes KEF’s sponsorship of wireless hi-fi speakers and wireless earphones to Beautiful Mind.

June 29, 2022

‘Super Band’ season 2 winner CraXilver debuts with ‘Make A Dash’

Rock band CraXilver, the winner of the second season of JTBC‘s band audition program, “Super Band,” made its official debut on Tuesday evening with the release of its first EP, “Make A Dash.” The five-piece band composed of guitarist Willy.K, drummer Danny Lee, vocalist Vincent, bass guitarist Cyan and keyboardist Oh Eun-chul held a press event in Seoul, ahead of the EP’s online release at 6 p.m. the same day. “We would like to be the only band of ou

June 28, 2022

Van Cliburn winner Lim Yun-chan to perform with maestro Chung Myung-whun

Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old pianist who just became the youngest winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join the KBS Orchestra led by renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun in a concert at the Namhansanseong Art Hall in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 26. Lim will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which he played in the first stage of the Van Cliburn Competition finals. The KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform Dvorak Symphony No. 7 in the sec

June 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] Musical composer Frank Wildhorn on South Korea's musical industry, his favorite actors

There was one common element at four different theaters across South Korea on Thursday night. They all staged the music of American composer Frank Wildhorn, the great mind behind musicals “The Man Who Laughs,” “Death Note,” “Mata Hari” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” “That’s 7,000-8,000 people every single night listening to my music … all I can say is that I’m the luckiest guy,” Wildhorn said in an interview with local re

June 28, 2022

Daegu International Musical Festival comes back in full blast

DAEGU -- The iconic Daegu International Musical Festival kicked off Friday, returning in full blast for the first time in three years. The opening event took place at Kolon Bandstand Stage, joined by generation-spanning musical actors as well as aspiring students, including Nam Kyeong-ju, Choi Jung-won, Michael Lee, Park Gun-hyung and Kim So-hyang.  This year’s iteration brought back foreign musicals, also for the first time in three years. The Slovakian version of “Turand

June 26, 2022

‘Manyo,’ hilarious but pitiful folk songs comes to stage in July

When Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, people here needed a way to relieve their grief, even in a sarcastic way. Although it is no longer widely performed, there was the genre of “manyo,” a popular form of folk music in the 1930s. Usually performed by musical troupes at the time, manyo songs generally had comic lyrics set to a melody that belied the sorrow and sarcasm underneath. Bujihwa Arts Company stages “Story Manyo,” a musical performance o

June 26, 2022

‘Taekwon, Fly Up!’ presents charm of taekwondo with music and dance

A musical that highlights the charm of taekwondo, Korea’s traditional martial arts, has recently been unveiled at Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea. With a mixed group of musical actors and actual taekwondo athletes, “Taekwon, Fly Up!” offers a dynamic 70 minutes for all ages. The musical revolves around the story of a high school taekwondo team that used to be famous for its high ranking. But after several years of underperforming, their school decides to give th

June 24, 2022

Two decades of dedication to young talent pays off at international classical music competitions

On Sunday, Lim Yun-chan, 18, received the Gold Medal at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The news arrived two weeks after cellist Choi Ha-young won the Queen Elisabeth competition and three weeks after violinist Yang In-mo became the first Korean winner of the Sibelius Violin Competition, making it an inspiring time for Koreans. But the phenomenon didn’t start in 2022. Last year, Korean pianists Park Jae-hong won first place at the Busoni International Piano Comp

June 24, 2022

No longer nameless, Lee Mu-jin shows stories before he made it big through first EP

  Leaving behind the glitz and the glamour of a contestant who finished in third place on JTBC’s audition program “Sing Again” in 2020, singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin is back with his first EP, “Room Vol. 1,” which released Thursday evening. As the title suggests, the aptly named “Room Vol. 1” marks the start of his “Room” series, and it’s music that best shows the stories of “musician Lee Mu-jin” and who he was before

June 23, 2022

Billie Eilish to return for one-day concert in Seoul in August

American pop star Billie Eilish will hold a one-day concert in Seoul in August, the concert's organizer said Thursday. The show will take place at 8 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome on Korean Liberation Day on Aug. 15, a holiday that commemorates the Korean liberation from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago, Hyundai Card said. It will be her second concert in South Korea since the first one held on Aug. 15, 2018, at the 2,000-seat Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul. She originally planned to hold a

June 23, 2022

Singer-turned-actor Ivy to hold solo concert for first time in 15 years

Singer-turned-actor Ivy will hold a solo concert for the first time in 15 years in August, her management agency, Creative i, said on Thursday. The upcoming concert, titled “Next Page,” will take place at Nodeul Live House on Nodeul Island, central Seoul, on Aug. 13-14, the agency said in a statement. “Ivy will deliver a heartfelt performance on stage with her beloved fans for the first time in a long while,” the statement read. “She is preparing a variety of so

June 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Music, beauty, fashion … video maestros say videos offer the full K-pop package

The popularity of K-pop has skyrocketed in recent years, becoming one of the major influences on global culture, and the powerful dance performances and magnificent visuals shown in the music videos are two hallmarks of the scene. While an ever-growing number of artists have come and gone over the past two decades, two veteran creators behind some 1,500 music videos have remained strong through it all. And they are not shy about proclaiming the massive role music videos have played in K-pop&rsqu

June 22, 2022

Soprano Im Sun-hae releases surprising, yet not-so-surprising musical album

The latest album by South Korean soprano Im Sun-hae is unlike most of her previous releases. Betraying her love for musicals, “The Man I Love” is a pleasant picnic away from her career as a soprano, according to the performer. “I‘ve always loved all genres of musical performance. I will always be a classical singer at heart because once you fall in love with classical music, you never give it up completely. But I often felt a need to explore different genres and diver

June 20, 2022

Classical music to be performed at Deoksugung

Deoksugung’s Seokjojeon, the first European-style stone building built during King Gojong’s reign (1863-1907), will be filled with classical tunes on the evening of June 29, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Deoksugung Palace Management Office said Monday. Since 2015, several concerts have been performed at the venue. Historical records show that Korean pianist Kim Yeong-hwan performed recitals for King Gojong at the Seokjojeon main hall in the early 1910s. Hosted and o

June 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] South Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan becomes the youngest winner of Van Cliburn Int'l Piano Competition

Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old South Korean pianist, became the winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, the organizer announced Saturday. Lim, the youngest to win the competition’s gold medal, also took home two additional awards: the audience award and the best performance of a new work. Lim also won a cash prize of $100,000 for the gold medal and $7,500 for the special awards. For the next three years, he will also get substantial man

June 19, 2022

Super Junior to drop new LP next month

Long-running K-pop group Super Junior will release the first volume of its 11th full-length album next month, the group's agency said Saturday. Label SJ said the five-track "The Road: Keep on Going" will be out July 12, and will be followed by the second volume and the complete combined version later in the year. "This is a comeback album where you can feel both of Super Junior's own mature feelings and absolute charisma," the agency said in a release. Super Junior plans t

June 18, 2022

Singer Lee Mu-jin to drop first EP next week

Up-and-coming star Lee Mu-jin will put out his first EP since his debut four years ago, his agency said Friday. The album titled "Room Vol. 1" will hit music services next Thursday, Big Planet Made Entertainment said. The 21-year-old singer debuted in 2018 with "Sanchaek" but rose to fame only after appearing on the cable channel JTBC's music audition show "Sing Again" and finishing in third place in 2021. He later swept music charts around the country with &qu

June 17, 2022