Classical Music

“Kumho Art Hall Chamber Music Concert”: Kumho Art Hall-representing ensembles -- the Chamber Music Society of Kumho Art Hall (CMS) and Kumho Asiana Soloists -- will peform on Dec. 8 and Dec. 29, respectively. The CMS, led by artistic director and pianist Kim Dae-jin, is to stage Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 and invite renowned American clarinetist Jon Manasse to collaborate on Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115. The CMS has been offering “Brahms Essentials” concert series since 2008 to cover the entire cycle of Brahms chamber music. Five members of the Kumho Asiana Soloists -- pianist Son Yeol-eum, violinist Kwun Hyuk-joo, violist Lee Han-na and cellist Kim Min-ji -- will gather on Dec. 29 evening to offer the art hall’s year-end stage with Ravel Sonata for Violin and Cello, Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 and Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, “In Memory of a Great Artist.” Tickets for chamber music concerts at the Kumho Art Hall are 30,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for those under 18. For details, call (02) 6303-7700.

“Sydney Symphony Orchestra”: The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s first concert in Korea on Nov. 16-17 at the SAC’s Concert Hall is also noteworthy. Virtuoso pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy is the principal conductor of the orchestra, visiting Seoul this time with cellist Mischa Maisky and pianist Evgeny Kissin. The program includes Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1, Brahms Symphony No. 1, Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2. Tickets range from 70,000 won to 250,000 won. For details, call (02) 599-5743.

“Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra”: The world renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Simon Rattle, will come to Seoul again for concerts on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. Sponsored by Samsung Electronics and organized by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the first evening concert will take place at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall for Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D major. The second day, the orchestra will move to Sejong Center for the Performing Arts for Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D minor. The two works were both their composers’ last symphony. On Nov. 16, Ravel’s “Alborada del Gracioso” from the suite “Miroirs” and Hosokawa’s Horn Concerto “Moment of Blossoming” will be also staged. Stefan Dohr will collaborate for the horn concerto. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 450,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6303-7700.


Pop Music

“An Evening with Pat Metheny w/ Larry Grenadier”: Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny is to bring his old friend, bassist Larry Grenadier, to his concert on Jan. 13 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Metheny recently released the solo album “What’s It All About,” eight years after his “One Quiet Night.” His latest album consists of cover songs. The concert will offer some of his representative songs as well as new pieces. Tickets will open at Interpark and Yes 24 on Nov. 15 at noon. For details, call (02) 563-0595 

“Mamas Gun Live in Seoul”: Quintet rock band Mamas Gun from the U.K., which performed at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival this year, will hold its first concert in Korea at Hongdae V Hall on Dec. 1-2 at 8 p.m. Debuting in 2009 with album “Routes to Riches,” the act has been often compared with U.S. group Maroon 5. All standing tickets are 66,000 won.

“Love Concerto That Year, Winter”: Balladeers Park Jung-hyun and Sung Si-kyung will hold a joint year-end concert tour “Love Concerto That Year, Winter” in December in five major Korean cities. The two will start the tour in Busan on Dec. 4 and move to Daejeon on Dec. 10. In Daegu, the concert will be held on Dec. 17 and in Gwangju, on Dec. 24-25. The Seoul concert will be held from Dec. 29-31 at the Jamsil Sports Complex. Tickets, priced between 88,000 won and 121,000 won, are open at ticket.interpark.com.

“SAC Singer-songwriter Series: Park Sun-joo”: The Seoul Arts Center said it will kick off a series of concerts covering singer-songwriters through Nov. 13. Park Sun-joo, famous as the vocal trainer of many K-pop artists, will cut the first tape. The concerts will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday; and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300.



Festival

“High Light Festival 2012 Countdown”: The High light festival 2012 Countdown, an indoor hip hop and electronic music festival, will be held at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill’s Vista Hall and Walkerhill Theater on Dec. 31 from 10 p.m. through 4 a.m. next morning. Hip-hop group Far East Movement will be the headliner and other artists -- Sebastian, DJ Virman from Far East Movement, DJ Feadz, Justin Michael, Idiotape, Beat Burger and DJ Yup -- will also join the party. Reserved tickets are 132,000 won and 143,000 won at door. For details, call (02) 323-2838.

“2011 Jeju Olle Walking Festival”: The Jeju Olle Walking Festival, taking place on Jeju Island through Nov. 12, offers beautiful and peaceful trails, while November is the best season to walk around the island. Jeju Olle is a series of trails developed for walkers on Jeju Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. On Nov. 12 on route No. 9, program highlights will include Olle Dance, Dance for Longevity, A Little Music Concert in the Forest, Costume Performance,
Korean Fiddle, Large Flute (Haegeum) and Korean lute (Geomungo) Play and Jeju Folk Song Concert. Participation fee is 10,000 won per person and 8,000 won for a group of 20 or more persons. For details, visit http://www.ollewalking.co.kr/english.

“Makgeolli Expo”: B2 Expo, aT Center and Coex will jointly hold the Makgeolli Expo 2011 through Nov. 12 at the Coex in southern Seoul, inviting 1,000 companies related to Makgeolli, Korean rice wine. The event will showcase not only various kinds of makgeolli but the brewing equipment and traditional foods that can go well with the rice wine. For more information, visit www.makgeolliexpo.co.kr.

“Seoul Lantern Festival 2011”: The Seoul Lantern Festival will be held through Nov. 20 along Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul. Starting from Cheonggye Plaza to Gwansu Bridge, the 1.3-kilometer path will be decorated with various lanterns. The stream and the lanterns will make a unique scene at night. For more information, visit http://blog.naver.com/seoullantern. 


Theater

“Pick the Peak Up”: Production group White Out presents an exciting musical complimented with the spirit of rock ’n’ roll this month. Titled “Pick the Peak Up,” the piece feels very much like a rock concert, while having a solid narrative of a group of university freshmen who’d like to form a rock band. The actors and actresses have spent a good five months mastering the guitar and keyboards, on top of vocal lessons. White Out is a production group founded by young graduates from Korea University of Arts’ theater program. The show opens on Nov. 23 and runs until Dec. 31 at Sam Art Hall in Daehangno in Seoul. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 25,000 won. For more information, call (02) 745-0308. 

“The Last Empress”: Having debuted as Korea’s first original musical in 1995, “The Last Empress” celebrates its 16th anniversary this year. Based on the true story of Queen Myeongseong of Joseon, the musical depicts her struggle to protect her kingdom against the Japanese, as well as her tragic death at the hands of Japanese assassins. The show runs until Nov. 20 at Grand Theater, Chungmu Art Hall in central Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2250-5900.

“Hamlet”: The Czech Republic’s rock superstar Janek Ledecky brings an exciting adaptation of the Shakespearean revenge tale to Seoul for the third time. The rock-star wrote the musical back in 1998, with no previous musical theater experience. It was a huge success in Prague and Bratislava, Slovakia, when it was first premiered in 1999, attracting some 10 million people over the next six years. The musical eventually made its way to Broadway in 2003, after a year-long adaptation process with Robert Johanson, a New-York based musical director. Its Korean edition was first premiered in 2007, and made another hit in 2008. Its third run, which kicked off on Oct. 10, runs until Dec. 17 at the Universal Arts Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 100,000 won. For tickets and information, call (02) 6391-6333 or visit www.musicalhamlet.com.

“Musical Winter Sonata”: Based on KBS’ 2002 mega hit drama series of the same name, “Musical Winter Sonata” is a heart-wrenching love story. Using the beautiful winter scenery of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province as a sentimental background, the show tells the story of two people unable to let go of their first love. The TV version received enthusiastic reception both home and abroad, especially in Japan. The musical is directed by Yoon Suk-ho, who directed the TV series, while Oh Eun-hee composed the music. The show runs until March 18 of next year, at Myungbo Art Hall in central Seoul. Tickets cost 50,000 won. For tickets and information, call (02) 1544-1555, or (070) 7019-6707.

“Mimosa Pudica”(Yutzpracachia): Inspired by the real-life story of Anne Sullivan (1866-1936), the famous teacher of Helen Keller, Bukchon Art Hall’s current play “Mimosa Pudica” tells a story of a young girl who has been traumatized by the American Civil War and a disease that leaves her almost blind. The play starts as Annie, who lives in a hospital orphanage, becomes emotionally unstable after her only sibling dies. As her aggressive behavior gets uncontrollable, the abusive staff of the hospital decides to send her to the institution’s mental unit. Tormented and hurt by her past and her failing eye-sight, Annie refuses to talk and acts violently whenever the Big Annie, the kind-hearted nurse at the mental unit, tries to console her. Annie’s condition doesn’t seem to improve, but Big Annie doesn’t give up. One day, the nurse gets Annie a flowerpot of Mimosa pudica, a strange plant which apparently has to be constantly touched by humans in order to survive. Open run at Bukchon Art Hall, near Anguk subway station exit number 3, in central Seoul. Tickets cost 25,000 won. Children must be 10 or older to be admitted. For more information, call (02) 988-2258.

“Mamma Mia!”: The global smash hit musical “Mamma Mia” is back as a Korean production. Based on songs of ABBA, including “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money,” and “Thank You for the Music,” the musical offers a hilarious tale of a young bride-to-be’s search for her unknown father. The show premiered in Korea in 2004, and was last performed here in 2009 at the National Theater of Korea. The current show stars musical actress Choi Jung-won as Donna, the single mother whose daughter is about to get married. Pop singer Lee Hyun-woo, who had his musical debut with “Singles” back in 2007, appears as Harry, one of the three potential fathers of Sophie, Donna’s only daughter. The show runs until Feb. 26 at D-Cube Arts Center in western Seoul, located near exit 1 of Sindorim subway station. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2211-3000. 


Exhibitions

“Tell Me Tell Me: Australian and Korean Art 1976-2011”: The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, is holding a cultural exchange exhibition with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Taking the year 1976, when important Korean artists visited Australia with their works for the Biennale of Sydney, as the starting point, the exhibition introduces 130 works by key contemporary Korean and Australian artists. The exhibition runs through Feb. 19, 2012. Admission is 5,000 won. For more information, For more information, call (02) 2188-6114 or visit www.moca.go.kr. 

“Art of Communication”: Four established media artists of different nationalities ― Anri Sala, Yang Ah Ham, Philippe Parreno and Jorge Pardo ― ponder on the question of communication at National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, in central Seoul. The artists have worked together and apart to create media works with common and diverging themes: the intimacies of everyday life, social messages and the eternal dialogue between the arts. The exhibition runs through Dec. 4. Admission is 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2188-6114 or visit www.moca.go.kr.

“Work in Progress”: Daelim Contemporary Museum of Art in Tongui-dong, central Seoul, sheds new light on Karl Lagerfeld, not as a high-end designer but as a photographer. Lagerfeld has produced many impressive photos including images of fashion collections and more experimental shots of models. Chanel and Fendi’s 2011 F/W collection photos took by Lagerfeld is showcased to the public for the first time through the exhibition. The exhibition runs through March 18 at Daelim Contemporary Museum of Arts. Tickets range from 2,000 won to 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 720-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org.

“Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life”: The exhibition shows the complexity, resilience, and vulnerability of the human body by displaying more than 200 pieces of plastinated human bodies. Divided into four sections, the show presents the human life cycle and aging ― from prenatal development to old age by displaying a remarkable collection which ranges from plastinated embryos to findings on geographic clusters around the world where the oldest living people live. The exhibition is held as open run at The War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 6,000 won to 15,000 won. For more information, call (02) 541-6235 or visit www.bodyworlds.kr.

“The Court Painters of Joseon Dynasty”: In celebration of its seventh anniversary, Leeum brought together 110 paintings by “hwawon,” or court painters of the Joseon Dynasty. It showcases works by master painters like Kim Hong-do, Jang Seung-eop, Shin Yun-bok and Kim Deuk-sin, who are well-known among the Korean public due to their immense influence. The exhibition is divided into two parts ― “The Court Painter’s Brush: Forming Royal Authority” and “The Court Painter’s Brush: Painting Joseon.” It runs through Jan. 29. Tickets range from 4,000 won to 7,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2014-6900 or visit www.leeum.org.

“Agony and Ecstasy”: Artistic highlights from business mogul and noted collector Franois Pinault’s impressive collection have been brought to Seoul. Exhibits include paintings, sculptures, installation works and photos by four renowned contemporary artists ― Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman and Takashi Murakami. The show offers a rare chance to see Hirst’s formaldehyde solution installations and Murakami’s sculptures of exaggerated sexuality. The exhibition runs through Nov. 19 at SongEun ArtSpace in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. For more information, call (02) 3448-0100 or visit www.songeunartspace.org

Dance

“32nd Dance Festival”: Dance Association of Korea is holding the “32nd Dance Festival,” a mixed form of competition and festival. A total of six Korean teams which previously won in the festival before and 14 new teams will compete in the festival. Onlookers have a wide range of dance genres to enjoy, including ballet, contemporary dance and Korean traditional dance. It runs through Nov. 20 at Arko Arts Theater in Hyehwa-dong, central Seoul. Admission is 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 744-8066 or visit www.dancekorea.org. 

“Mid-time Fantasy Dance Performance”: The National Theater of Korea holds a Korean traditional dance performance every Tuesday at 11 a.m. There are eight different repertoires including a fan dance and a dance with “jango,” a type of Korean drum. The performance is being staged as an open run at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, central Seoul. Admission is 10,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2280-4114 or visit www.ntok.go.kr.
“Onegin”: Universal Ballet Company presents “Onegin,” the tragic love story based on Alexander Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” which is one of the best known Russian novels in history. Music is by Tchaikovsky and choreography is by John Cranko. Kang Hyo-jung and Evan McKie, principal dancers from Stuttgarte Ballet, will each join the show as Tatyana and Onegin along with UBC’s principal dancers. It will run from Nov. 12-19 at LG Art Center in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 070-7124-1737 or visit www.universalballet.com.

“Miso”: Translated as “beautiful smile,” this musical offers a compact presentation of everything Korean culture first-timers could wish for. It blends ten different kinds of traditional dances, five traditional games and a wedding ritual into the storyline based on a well-known folktale, “The Tale of Chunhyang.” There are very few spoken lines throughout the performance, making it ideal for audiences of diverse nationalities. “Miso” is showing as an open run at Chongdong Theater in Jeong-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 751-1500 or visit www.koreamiso.com.