Tony Bennett marks 85 with new duet album

U.S. singer-painter says he’s still learning and growing even moreLate singer Amy Winehouse once described Tony Bennett as follows: “He could sing the phone book and it would sound fantastic.” Her final recording was duet “Body and Soul” with Bennett, which is the third track on the 85-year-old’s ne

Sept. 18, 2011

Industrial art attack

Old tobacco factory hosts international craft biennale; soy sauce factory spruces upTwo of South Korea’s oldest and dullest-looking factories have been given a makeover. Although they may not be as dazzling as Willy Wonka’s magical factory in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the old

Sept. 16, 2011

Highlights

Classical Music“Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra”: The world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Simon Rattle, will come to Seoul again for concerts for two days on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. Sponsored by Samsung Electronics and organized by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the first ev

Sept. 16, 2011

Eye-like

U.K.’s Katy B is a girl ’On A Mission’Katy B,“On A Mission”(Rinse FM / Columbia Records) Katy B, the so-called “queen of dubstep,” recently was nominated for the 2011 Mercury Music Prize for her debut album, “On a Mission.” And her competition included more established U.K. artists such as Adel

Sept. 16, 2011

Pianist wins prize at Romanian competition

Korean pianist Sohn Jeung-beum last week won the second prize at the George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest, Romania, Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation announced Wednesday.Known as one of the biggest classical music international competitions in Eastern Europe, the event is being held e

Sept. 15, 2011

S. Korean maestro meets N. Korea artists

A renowned South Korean conductor attended orchestra performances and met artists on a visit to Pyongyang aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and ease tensions, state media said Wednesday.Chung Myung-whun, who leads the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and also serves as a UNICEF “goodwill ambassador,

Sept. 15, 2011

‘Prince Puzzle’ goes missing at royal palace

Its title and the location almost perfectly complement each other. But the plot? Not so much. “Prince Puzzle,” a musical which is being held at Gyeonghuigung ― one of the five grand palaces in Seoul built by the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) ― delivers a heart-wrenching story of young star-crossed love

Sept. 15, 2011

Stone-headed family and Chinese artists

Sun Yuan and Peng Yu break boundaries, seek freedom at Arario Gallery SeoulSix wax figures, apparently a family, sit on sofas set in Arario Gallery Seoul in Samcheong, Seoul. They look freakishly human, all dressed up and accessorized, except for one strange thing: They have big stones where their h

Sept. 14, 2011

Highlights

Exhibitions“Agony and Ecstasy”: 22 among business mogul and noted collector Franois Pinault’s impressive art collection is brought to Seoul. Exhibits include paintings, sculptures, installation works and photos by four renowned contemporary artists ― Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman and Takas

Sept. 9, 2011

Eye-like

Campbell’s slow exit should be heardGlen Campbell“Ghost on the Canvas” (Surfdog)Given the circumstances of its release, it would be wonderful to say how Glen Campbell’s presumably final album is an unmitigated triumph. Not quite, though it came closer than anyone had a right to expect.An in-demand s

Sept. 9, 2011

Lawmaker named fashion ambassador

Rep. Cho Yoon-sun (left) of the Grand National Party shakes hands with Won Dae-yun, chairman of Korea Fashion Association, after being appointed goodwill ambassador of the 2011 Korean Fashion Culture Centennial Awards on Tuesday at Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Korea Fashion Association)

Sept. 8, 2011

National Ballet to stage Maillot’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Chung Myung-whun to conduct Seoul Philharmonic for Oct. 27-30 showsKorean ballet has grown phenomenally in the past few years, said conductor Chung Myung-whun at a press conference held Thursday at the Press Center in central Seoul. “Korea National Ballet used to be like our old orchestras. It was r

Sept. 8, 2011

Ladies of U.S. pop win with wacky, weird tactics

NEW YORK (AP) ― Whether it is being encased in an egg or wearing slabs of meat, there never is a question whether Lady Gaga will make a spectacle of herself at an awards show; the only question is just what kind.So when the MTV Video Music Awards came around this year, Gaga did not disappoint. Altho

Sept. 8, 2011

Israeli designer Ron Arad installs swirling media art in Seoul

A giant red metallic ribbon swivels towards the sky at Sindorim D-CUBE City’s Millefleur Park in Guro-dong, western Seoul. Taking a closer look, one can see about 24,000 tiny LED screens lined on the outside of the 17-meter-tall installation work, which features images and text such as poetry and ev

Sept. 7, 2011

Experts discuss ways to promote Korean culture

Forum brings world perspectives on Korean cuisine, literature and popular culture promotionInternational cultural figures gathered on Tuesday in Seoul for a series of discussions on Korean culture and ways of promoting it globally.The Culture Communication Forum, which kicked off Sunday, has provide

Sept. 6, 2011

Intel and VICE sponsor Creators Project in Seoul

The Creators Project, a global cultural and technology initiative by global media company VICE and Intel, will be held from Sept. 7 to 10 at Platoon Kunsthalle in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul. Launched in 2010, The Creators Project is an ongoing global initiative to support emerging and leading art

Sept. 5, 2011

Veteran artists’ autumn day out

Bahk Yiso, Lee Kang-so, Im Ok-sang and Oh Chi-gyun hold solo shows in SeoulA number of South Korea’s veteran artists are holding solo exhibitions in Seoul after a considerable hiatus. Im Ok-sang, an artist who has been wandering outside galleries painting murals and making installation works in Seou

Sept. 5, 2011

Singing from one genre to another

Indie music helps Lee Ja-ram create new form of pansoriPansori prodigy and indie musician Lee Ja-ram is to hold a pansori gala show, staging highlights of Korea’s four representative traditional pansori and her own contemporary pansori creations in Seoul on Sept. 16.Pansori is a traditional form of

Sept. 5, 2011

More fundraising and sponsorship crucial for SPO: Chung Myung-whun

Maestro talks about the importance of on-going support after successful European tourFollowing a successful European tour, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra hopes for more fundraising programs and sponsorship, SPO music director Chung Myung-whun and its president Kim Joo-ho said Friday.“Orchestras in

Sept. 4, 2011