Ensemble Ditto to play for last time

Ensemble Ditto will perform its last season in June after a 12-year run, with its members scheduled to part ways after a final festival titled “Magic of Ditto.”　The all-male chamber ensemble was founded in 2007 in an effort to introduce classical music to a wider, younger public. Star violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill teamed up with a number of other young artists, presenting audience-friendly and innovative programs in South Korea and elsewhere in Asia.  Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill (Credia) P

March 25, 2019

BLACKPINK to drop new album, "Kill This Love," next month

K-pop girl band BLACKPINK will put out a new album, "Kill This Love," next month, its management agency said Monday. YG Entertainment released a teaser image on its official website for the upcoming EP, announcing its release set for April 5.The image shows the band's Thai member, Lisa, against a red backdrop imprinted with the album title and the release date in black text. (Yonhap)YG said the title of the album's lead track is also "Kill This Love," "a very intense song that surpasses 'Ddu-du

March 25, 2019

BLACKPINK surpasses 20 mln YouTube subscribers

South Korean girl group BLACKPINK has topped 20 million in the number of subscribers to its official YouTube channel, the first for a K-pop act. The group hit the milestone Thursday (US time) to become the first K-pop act to do so, US Billboard magazine said. The number was 20,307,402 as of Sunday morning."This week, YouTube announced that the girl group is the first K-pop act to hit 20 million subscribers on their official channel," the magazine reported. "The recent Billboard cover stars are j

March 24, 2019

British rock band Queen to come to South Korea

British rock band Queen will soon hold concerts in South Korea, after "Bohemian Rhapsody," a biographical film about the iconic group, reignited the group's popularity worldwide and especially here, organizers said Tuesday."Queen is going to perform in South Korea sooner or later. We'll soon release the exact date and place of the event," a PR official with AIM told Yonhap News Agency by phone. (Yonhap)On Monday, the concert agency uploaded a promotional video for the upcoming concert with the m

March 19, 2019

EXO's Chen to make solo debut

Chen will begin a career as a solo artist seven years after he made his debut as a member of popular boy group EXO, his management agency said Tuesday.The singer, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, will drop his debut solo EP, "April, and a flower," on April 1, SM Entertainment said. (SM Entertainment)Chen's work as part of EXO, which hit the K-pop scene in 2012, includes "Growl," "Overdose," "Wolf," "Ko Ko Bop," "Tempo" and "Love Shot."The 27-year-old singer also is a member of the band's subunit

March 19, 2019

SHINee's Minho to debut as solo singer before joining military

Popular boy group SHINee's Minho will release his solo debut song before going into the military, his talent agency said Tuesday.According to SM Entertainment, the song titled "I'm Home" will be unveiled at 6 p.m. on March 28 as the ninth entry in Season 3 of the company's digital music release program, "Station." Minho, SM EntertainmentDebuting as a SHINee member in 2008, Minho has since released hit songs, such as "Replay," "Ring Ding Dong," "Lucifer," "Sherlock" and "Everybody.He has also bee

March 19, 2019

Jang Hye-rim’s ‘Burnt Offering,’ rite of solace

Wearing dark blue-green clothes with rolled-up sleeves, seven Swedish dancers appear in a black box theater where dozens of safety helmets with headlamps are scattered around them on the gray floor. The dancers pick up seven helmets and arrange them in a line. Some call out the names of friends and family members while doing so, and others remain silent. The accompanying music recalls a Korean traditional ritual dance. The dancers laboriously perform to the music with distinctive rhythms, and th

March 18, 2019

Rapper Kush receives suspended jail term for cocaine use

Rapper and producer Kim Byung-hoon, better known by his stage name Kush, was sentenced to jail for habitual use of cocaine. On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 35-year-old rapper to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years, for cocaine use. Kim was also given probation, 80 hours of drug treatment and a fine of 875,000 won ($773). Kush (CJ E&M)In November and December of 2017, Kim purchased 2.5 grams of cocaine and used the drug at his home on seven occas

March 18, 2019

‘Music has the magic to conquer people’

Star conductor, praised as one of the finest maestros today, is all about returning what he has received, especially to the younger generation. Maestro Gustavo Dudamel is in Seoul with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, marking the acclaimed orchestra’s 100-year anniversary. The orchestra held two concerts over the weekend and Monday’s chamber orchestra performance, featuring Korean-American violinist Esther Yoo, will conclude the Seoul tour. Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel speaks

March 17, 2019

BTS' 'Idol' video tops 400 mln YouTube views

The music video for K-pop sensation BTS' song "Idol" exceeded 400 million views on YouTube on Saturday, becoming the band's seventh video to reach the milestone, the group's management agency has said.The latest achievement came seven months after the septet released the song, according to Big Hit Entertainment. (Youtube)The boy band's six other music videos that have hit the 400 million-view mark include "DNA," "Fake Love" and "Mic Drop." "DNA," a 2018 song, has garnered more than 600 million v

March 17, 2019

BTS to world premiere new album on SNL next month

K-pop sensation BTS will premiere its upcoming album "Map of the Soul: Persona" on the famous American live television variety show "Saturday Night Live" next month, its management agency said Thursday.BTS will appear on the NBC comedy show on April 13 to present live the music and performances off the new album to the international audience, Big Hit Entertainment said. SNL earlier announced the lineup on its SNS accounts, listing BTS and Emma Stone for the April 13 episode. The K-pop septet wil

March 14, 2019

YG ends contract with BIGBANG's Seungri in wake of scandal

The management agency of K-pop band BIGBANG on Wednesday ended its contract with Seungri, a scandal-ridden star who is under probe for allegedly arranging sexual services for potential investors. The company, YG Entertainment, also apologized to the public for failing to properly manage the 29-year-old singer, who announced Monday he will retire from show business. (Yonhap)"We deeply apologize to fans and many people for causing concerns," YG said. "Following Seungri's announcement that he will

March 13, 2019

Cellist Mun Tae-guk pays homage to Pablo Casals with new album

Cellist Mun Tae-guk has recently released new album, paying his respect to legendary Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. The album, released under Warner Classics, is titled, “Songs of the Cello: Homage to Pablo Casals.” According to the label, it is the first time in 23 years for a Korean cellist to release an internationally distributed album under a major label.“I thank Casals so much. Through him, I met a greater world,” Mun said at a press event held Tuesday at an art hall in central Seoul.  Cell

March 12, 2019

Suran to release second EP on March 22

Singer-songwriter Suran will unveil her second EP on March 22, marking her first release in over 21 months.Her agency, Million Market, on Tuesday confirmed earlier reports of the imminent release featuring her single “Hide and Seek,” which came out earlier this month.The single, written and produced by Suran, also features vocals by singer Heize and has topped the local charts of online music stores including Bugs. Suran (Million Market)Suran’s last release, in June 2017, was the EP “Walkin’.”Ha

March 12, 2019

BTS to drop new album on April 12

K-pop supergroup BTS will return to the music scene next month with a new album, the group's management agency said Tuesday.The boy band will put out the new EP "Map of the Soul: Persona" on April 12, the first release since it completed its "Love Yourself" album trilogy last August, Big Hit Entertainment said. (Yonhap)The group topped the Billboard 200 main albums chart twice for the album trilogy last year. Its song "Fake Love," the main track off "Love Yourself: Tear," landed at No. 10 on the

March 12, 2019

CJ ENM teams up with BTS' label to launch new band

South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM has teamed up with Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of the sensational K-pop boy band BTS, to launch an idol band on the global music scene, according to CJ on Monday.The two firms established a joint venture named Belif Lab, aiming to unveil a new K-pop band in 2020, CJ said.(CJ E&M, Yonhap)Some 7 billion won ($6.16 million) has been invested in the joint venture. Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk, who produced BTS, will be in charge of creating the ba

March 11, 2019

BLACKPINK's 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' tops 700 million YouTube views

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" surpassed 700 million YouTube views Saturday, becoming the first Korean music group to set such a milestone.The video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" set the milestone in nearly nine months after being released last June, YG Entertainment said. (Yonhap)The music video also set a record among K-pop groups of adding 100 million views at the fastest pace after hitting 200 million views.BLACKPINK holds the most music videos topping 500 million YouTube views for a K-p

March 9, 2019

[Newsmaker] Big Bang’s Seungri to enlist in Army on March 25

Big Bang’s Seungri will enlist in the Army as an active duty soldier at the end of this month, according to YG Entertainment on Friday.He will start his basic training at the Nonsan Army Training Center on March 25. The K-pop star had reportedly applied for a conscripted policeman service in January.  (Yonhap)“After checking with Seungri, (we found that) Seungri on Jan. 7 applied for a conscripted policeman position. However, he has decided to enlist as an active duty soldier, regardless of the

March 8, 2019

Monsta X to perform in US music festival

South Korean boy group Monsta X will perform at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 21, the group's management agency said Wednesday.The music festival is an annual event hosted by iHeartMedia, which owns iHeartRadio, the largest online radio platform in the United States. Big-name stars such as Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa took part in last year's event. In 2012, South Korean rapper Psy performed his mega-hit "Gangnam Style" in the festi

March 6, 2019

‘Conversation between Chopin’s nocturnes and I has begun’

Following recitals of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in 2017, pianist Paik Kun-woo has taken up a new challenge this year -- studying the world of Chopin through his nocturnes. On Tuesday, Paik released a complete recording of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes, under the Deutsche Grammophon label.“The nocturnes all suddenly seemed so new to me,” Paik said during a press conference at Mapo Art Center in western Seoul on Tuesday.  Pianist Paik Kun-woo speaks during a press conference at Mapo Art Center on Tuesday.

March 5, 2019