Taiwanese orchestra to play world folk music

Taiwanese orchestra, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, will hold a Korea tour in September to introduce a wide range of world folk music to the Korean audience. The ESO, led by conductor and music director Gernot Schumalfuss, is to hold a concert on Sept. 4 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall an

Aug. 29, 2011

Perry wins top award, but Beyonce baby tops show

Beyonce and Jay-Z’s offspring doesn’t even have a name yet, but it was the indisputable breakout star of Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, upstaging everyone, even Katy Perry’s win for video of the year.Perry, who had the most nominations coming into the show with 10, came away with three moonman tro

Aug. 29, 2011

Rhino horn thieves fooled by replicas in U.K. heist

LONDON (AP) ― Fake rhino horns, anyone? That’s all thieves who broke into a British museum have to show after a misguided robbery early Saturday.The thieves were seeking valuable rhino horns that can be sold in illicit markets for their purported aphrodisiac and medicinal use, but they left with wor

Aug. 28, 2011

Two different worlds divided by a thin layer of paper

Japanese artist Takashi Kuribayashi explores bordersThe surreal experience could best be explained as a moment experiencing a bugs’ eye view. Everything was mystically white at beyond museum in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. Stepping in under the large, thin and uneven sheet of Japanese traditional

Aug. 28, 2011

Rare Joseon court music forms harmonies at dawn

‘Day Break at Changgyeong Palace’ presents unique cultural experienceIt is 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and Changgyeonggung, one of the five grand palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, is enveloped in haze and dewy air.In spite of the early hour, the gallery behind Myeongjeongjeon hall of the palace is co

Aug. 26, 2011

Classical Music

“2011 Ensemble DITTO Encore Recital”: Male ensemble group Ditto will hold an encore recital tour to thank fans for coming to their annual summer festival. Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, violinist Stefan Pi Jackiw, pianist Jiyong and cellist Michael Nicolas will hold the concert on Sept. 4 at the S

Aug. 26, 2011

Pop Music

“Why We Fail”: Singer-songwriter Lee Sung-yol will hold a month of concerts to mark the release of his third album “Why We Fail.” His latest album was released after a four year hiatus, and it is the first time that he has held a month of concerts, his agency said. The stage will be in the center so

Aug. 26, 2011

Festivals

“Seoul Drum Festival”: An open festival will be held from Sept. 3 to Sept. 24 at the Seoul Square in central Seoul, for people to enjoy the beat of drums. Festival highlights include opening and closing ceremonies, performances by foreign performance teams, world percussion instrument performances,

Aug. 26, 2011

Exhibitions

“Yiso Bahc ― Lines of Flight”: Artsonje Center holds a retrospective exhibition on Bahc Yiso’s drawings. Known as a conceptual and installation artist, Bahc ceaselessly recorded his ideas and views with notes and drawings. The exhibition provides an insight into the South Korean artist’s works by pr

Aug. 26, 2011

Dance

“New Concept Performing Arts Festival”: Hanguk Performing Arts Center will be staging 12 performances through Oct. 2 at Arko Arts Theater and Daehangno Arts Theater in Hyehwa-dong, central Seoul. Under the slogan “Make the Difference,” the festival aims to showcase experimental and original dances s

Aug. 26, 2011

Theater

“Wedding”: Based on playwright Lee Gang-baek’s 1974 play of the same title, its musical adaptation celebrates the re-opening of the Samilro Warehouse Theater in Myeong-dong in central Seoul, which closed in February due to financial problems. Known as the very first independent theater venue in Seou

Aug. 26, 2011

Artists show cherished furniture

Gallery Hyundai showcases 60 pieces of Joseon Dynasty wooden furniture, including renowned artists’ possessionsThe wooden surface was smoothened over time until it shone like glass. The 18th-century book chest owned by Lee U-fan is among the 60 pieces of Joseon-period furniture on display at Dugahun

Aug. 25, 2011

Korean nationalism put to song in lavish ‘Hero’

NEW YORK (AP) ― Non-Korean-speaking theatergoers attending Lincoln Center’s production of “Hero: The Musical” might find themselves occasionally skipping some of the English supertitles projected high above the stage to devote more visual attention to the exorbitant onstage attractions in this lavis

Aug. 25, 2011

10 Koreans nominated for Signature Art Prize

South Korea has more entries nominated for this year’s Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize than any other nation. This is the first time Korean artists are participating in the award. Founded in 2008, the prize identifies artists for outstanding work, recognizes significant recent

Aug. 24, 2011

Seoul International Typography Biennale back after 10 years

TYPOJANCHI 2011 introduces typefaces and book designs by Korean, Chinese and Japanese artistsA biennale which explores Asian fonts and book designs has been saved at the verge of disappearing into history. “TYPOJANCHI 2011: Seoul International Typography Biennale” will be held at Seoul Arts Center’s

Aug. 23, 2011

Ceramic artist dishes out a new genre of work

Jang Lee-soo, a potter who has never made dishes before, is holding her first dish exhibition at Gallery White Birch in Suyu-dong, northern Seoul. After receiving BFA and MFA in Ceramic Art in Hongik University, the artist made creative installation works out of ceramics. It was only recently, when

Aug. 22, 2011

Questions remain over young K-pop idols’ conditions

 Sexual overtones, lack of diversity among challenges to overcomeSince the Korean pop music idol group’ concerts in June in Paris, the K-pop industry is leading a second Korean Wave around the globe. This is the last installment of the two-part series of articles looks at the bright and dark si

Aug. 22, 2011