Pianist Lang Lang (Lang Lang official site)In his first solo recital tour in Korea in five years, international piano superstar Lang Lang received cheers and applause fit for a classical icon Tuesday night.With a sizable international fan following unheard of for most classical musicians, the 33-year-old Chinese pianist is certainly no stranger to having the welcoming fanfare of a rock star. Some ticket-less spectators could be seen watching the virtuoso’s concert from a TV screen in the lobby o

Performance Dec. 9, 2015

Winners of this year‘s 8th Korea Opera Awards, including the orchestra prize-winning Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by Herald Corp., pose at an awards ceremony held at the Press Center in central Seoul on Monday. (Korea Opera Awards)The Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by Herald Corp., was honored with an arts award for orchestras at this year’s 8th Korea Opera Awards, held at the Press Center in central Seoul on Monday.Still in its infancy having debuted last October, the Herald P

Performance Dec. 8, 2015

Singer-songwriter Lucid Fall (Antenna Music)As part of an unusual “A Night With Tangerines” music package deal, singer-songwriter Lucid Fall will be prereleasing 1,000 copies of his upcoming seventh studio album on a TV home shopping program, along with tangerines from his orchard on Jejudo Island.According to the singer’s management agency Antenna Music, Lucid Fall’s upcoming 15-track “For Somebody” album will go on sale at 2 a.m. on Friday on the CJ O Shopping TV home shopping network. The pre

Performance Dec. 8, 2015

A scene from the Korea National Opera‘s new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s ”La Traviata“ (Korea National Opera)Following its staging of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman,” the Korea National Opera is unveiling its latest production of one of Giuseppe Verdi’s best-known operatic tales -- “La Traviata.”The upcoming production will be staged from Dec. 9-12 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater, marking the KNO’s final performance of the year.The three-act Italian opera masterpiece is the quintessent

Performance Dec. 8, 2015

Famed local magician Choi Hyun-woo is presenting his latest stage production, “The Sherlock: Gravity 503,” a magic show with a live musical flair and a dash of unscripted comedy. Choi, 37, was the first Asian winner of the Originality Award at the International Federation of Magic Societies’ 2009 World Championship of Magic -- the world’s largest magic competition -- and was also selected as the youngest judge at the federation’s 2012 championships. Choi first launched his series of live magic p

Performance Dec. 7, 2015

Pianist Lang Lang (Mast Media)Following his concert in Busan on Sunday night, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang is gearing up for his Korea tour’s final performance with a solo recital at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday night. Lang Lang’s performances this month mark the pianist’s first solo concert in the country in five years. The pianist is slated to play Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” Bach’s Italian concerto “BWV 971” and Chopin’s “4 Scherzos.” Lang Lang’s first taste of classical music stardo

Performance Dec. 6, 2015

Let others rise. To take our place. Until the Earth is free -- hear the words of one of the longest running productions in musical history, Les Miserables, which has found its way back onto the local stage.  The Korean-language production made its premiere in 2012 and sparked a craze that led to more than 40 million viewers flocking to the theater to experience the musical that won four awards at the 19th annual Korean Musical Awards in 2013. A scene from the Korean reproduction of the musical “

Performance Dec. 3, 2015

As the year comes to a close, many people may be scrambling to figure out how to spend their free time during the cold winter while getting a bit of artistic indulgence. For those looking to kick the winter blues, there’s nothing like a night at the theater to add a little enchantment to one’s evening.  A scene from the Universal Ballet Korea‘s production of “The Nutcracker,” which will be staged at the Universal Arts Center in Seoul from Dec. 18 to 31. (Universal Ballet Korea)Inarguably one of

Culture Dec. 1, 2015

Undeniably the entertainment world’s most recognized tale of torrid love and romance, the epic war tale from the 1930s, “Gone with the Wind,” is one of the most beloved and enduring classics. The Korean-language musical rendition of this literary and cinematic masterpiece has made its way back to the Seoul stage, only this time, without the lure of flashy K-pop idols in starring roles. Although nowhere near the historic caliber of Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel turned 10-time A

Performance Nov. 26, 2015

Pianist Cho Seong-jin will join the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Chung Myung-whun to perform Chopin in a Seoul concert next year in a widely anticipated union of Korea’s classical music icons. At the concert, to be held at Seoul Arts Center on July 15, the pianist who shot to local fame after being crowned as the first Korean to win the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition will be performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. The performance

Performance Nov. 23, 2015

This year saw worldwide accolades of unprecedented proportions for classical music artists from Korea.From the first Koreans to win the top prizes at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition and Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, to the first Asian to take home the crown at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, 2015 has cast a light on local classical scene talent like never before. Cho Seong-jinAs the newest classical music icon in Korea, Cho Seong-jin has forever cem

Performance Nov. 23, 2015

A self-admitted die-hard K-pop fan, Zhang Yu Ting of China was already wandering around the five-story complex of SMTOWN@coexartium just minutes after its doors opened Wednesday morning. Sitting at the “LIVErary Cafe,” Zhang kept close guard of one particular white cafe table, constantly caressing and photographing the tabletop religiously with her phone. Upon closer look, one can see the table was autographed by mega K-pop idol duo TVXQ.  SMTOWN@coexartium in Gangnam, Seoul. (Julie Jackson/The

Nov. 18, 2015