The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is inviting 100 Seoul residents to the much-awaited inaugural concerts of Jaap Van Zweden on Jan. 25 and 26, which will also mark the orchestra's first collaboration with piano sensation Lim Yun-chan. Fifty Seoul residents selected through a draw will each be given two tickets to the concert. Korean and foreign nationals with a valid resident registration number aged 14 and above can participate in the draw. Winners will be selected using a lottery sys

Culture Jan. 9, 2024

Pianist Kim Sun-wook spoke calmly during a press conference on Monday to mark his inauguration as the artistic director of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, one of South Korea’s top five, but his words were full of confidence and expectations. The Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra appointed the 35-year-old pianist and conductor to fill a post that had remained empty for one year. Kim began his two-year tenure this month, with the New Year’s event on Friday to mark his first official

Culture Jan. 8, 2024

ㅡ In the recent TV drama series “Maestra,” South Korea’s prominent actor Lee Young-ae plays a charismatic conductor. Based on a 2018 French thriller “Philharmonia,” "Maestra" centers around world-class conductor, Cha Se-eum, who returns home to lead a local orchestra after conquering New York. Chin Sol, a young South Korean conductor, was responsible for Lee's transformation into a charismatic conductor in a space of a few months. “Actors seem

Culture Jan. 7, 2024

Oh Eun-young, a prominent South Korean child psychiatrist, is set to host an upcoming talk concert through which she hopes to raise awareness for people with disabilities and promote respect and understanding for them. "What is most needed in families who have someone who is disabled is attention and hope. I promised to create content involving people with disabilities early last year, and this talk concert marks the beginning of that commitment," she said during a press conference, Th

Culture Jan. 5, 2024

South Korea's content-related exports and sales reached a new record in 2022, an industry survey report showed Friday, reflecting the global popularity of Korean pop culture. The content industry's exports reached $13.24 billion in 2022, a 6.3 percent rise from the previous year's $12.45 billion, according to a 2022 research study on the cultural content industry conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The content industry encompasses 11 different sectors, incl

Culture Jan. 5, 2024

For a decade, whenever Kim Jun-su, the singer-turned-musical actor, has taken the stage as Dracula in the eponymous musical, it has been with his distinctive red hair. Now his trademark, the red hair was initially a serendipitous decision. Just a few days before its Korean premiere in 2014, he wanted to depict visually the white-haired Dracula who, drinking blood, became rejuvenated, so he proposed the idea of red hair to the director. "When I started in musicals, I was focused on faithfull

Performance Jan. 3, 2024

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will implement various cultural, sports and tourism policies focusing on youth, vulnerable groups, culture-related companies and regional development in 2024. Support for youth and vulnerable groups has been expanded, including an increase in the subsidy for integrated cultural use cards, the ministry said. For instance, to provide cultural experiences to those who have become legal adults this year, a pilot program called the Culture and Arts

Culture Jan. 3, 2024

Several concerts are set to take place throughout the month of January, ringing in the new year. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold New Year's concerts Friday and Saturday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and the Seoul Arts Center, respectively. Friday's performance will feature conductor Sung Si-yeon and violinist Yang In-mo as the guest performer. The concert on Saturday, organized by the Daewon Cultural Foundation, will have pianist Son Yeol-eum as the guest pe

Culture Jan. 2, 2024

“South Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan becomes the youngest winner of Van Cliburn Int'l Piano Competition,” The Korea Herald’s headline read when Lim triumphed at the competition in June 2022. For those whose interest lies beyond the headlines -- perhaps fierce tension and other participants who left the competition empty-handed or why they participated in the competition in the first place and how the youngest Korean participant slowly grabbed the hearts of the judge, audienc

Culture Dec. 19, 2023

Arts Council Korea, an organization that supports diverse arts and cultural activities in the country, has unveiled 28 repertories through ARKO Selection. ARKO Selection is an effort to discovers outstanding creative repertoires of drama, musicals, choreography, opera and traditional arts that the organization launched 15 years ago. The art productions are selected through a three-step evaluation process of document review, interview and on-site assessment. Selected groups are provided with su

Culture Dec. 13, 2023

When the Hanwha Classic, a 10-year-old concert series that highlights Baroque music, returns this year with a top Italian ensemble and star mandolinist, it will be offering a rare chance not only for period music fans but also for the musicians who continue to evolve to enjoy Baroque music. Titled “Unity: Il Giardino Armonico and Avi Avital,” the concerts will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. For the 10th anniversary of the Hanwha Classic

Culture Dec. 11, 2023

In a studio that became the home ground for jazz singer Yun hee-jung for 30 years, concert posters, newspaper clippings, microphones, a keyboard and other musical instruments show the history of the 70-year-old vocalist. Clad in leather pants and an eye-catching knitted hat, Yun brewed her coffee — the latest obsession for Yun, who lacks no energy. After expounding on her newfound passion for a while, she returns to her biggest passion: jazz. Jazz came to her a bit later in life -- when sh

Culture Dec. 10, 2023

Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum, a cultural institution that exhibits a wide range of artifacts and offering a fascinating exploration of the diverse heritage and history of Asian civilizations, is trying to attract younger visitors with its latest fashion exhibition, according to its director Kennie Ting. “It was very much focused on connoisseurship, and there was an aspect of us that was ethnographic because we have these Southeast Asian collections,” Ting told The Kore

Culture Dec. 10, 2023

When pianist Kim Song-hyeon participated in the Isangyun Competition in early November, he saw the waters of Tongyeong and prayed to become tranquil just like the sea. Before the final round, he re-read messages of encouragement from Paik Hae-sun, a prominent South Korean pianist and his teacher at the New England Conservatory. Paik, who had flown to Korea for her own performance, came straight to Tongyeong from Incheon Airport after a 20-hour flight to cheer on her student. The 21-year-old pe

Culture Dec. 7, 2023

“Something unthinkable has become a reality. It feels like a lifetime achievement to some degree,” said Korean composer Chin Un-suk of the Berlin Philharmonic album dedicated to her music. Titled “The Unsuk Chin Edition,” the album released last month contains six works Chin performed by the world’s top orchestra between 2005 and 2022. It is a rare album of a living composer and only the second time after the philharmonic released, in 2017, an album of John Adams, w

Culture Dec. 6, 2023