‘Miso’ runs in Gyeongju, capital of Silla

A localized version of the popular performance “Miso” kicked off in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, earlier this month. Organized by Chongdong Theater in central Seoul, Gyeongju Metropolitan Government and Gyeongju World Culture Expo, and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the musical titled “Miso II ― Silla, The Land of Gods” offers a compact presentation of everything

July 17, 2011

Inventions join art in Smithsonian exhibit

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Washington building known as the “temple of invention” when it was built in 1836 to hold the nation’s patents is revisiting its roots, hosting a new “Great Hall of American Wonders” to explore 19th-century innovations through art.The idea for this major exhibit that opened Friday at the Smithsonian American Art Museum was sparked in part by talk among experts that the United

July 17, 2011

Lloyd back with uneven effort

Lloyd “King of Hearts” Zone 4/Interscope RecordsAfter a lackluster response to 2008’s “Lessons In Love” and departure from the label that gave him his start, The Inc., things were looking less than promising for Lloyd and his smooth falsetto. But he regrouped and found a home at Polow da Don’s label Zone 4, a partnership with Interscope Records, and the move seems to be paying off with his new alb

July 15, 2011

SPO’s debut with DG arrives

Seoul Philharmonic OrchestraDebussy, RavelUniversal MusicAfter reaching a long-term contract with Deutsche Grammophon in April, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s debut album with DG is finally on the shelves.The SPO’s performances of Debussy’s “La Mer” (The Sea) and Ravel’s “Ma Mere L’oye” (Mother Goose) and “La Valse” under maestro Chung Myung-whun are featured in the album. Ravel’s programs wer

July 15, 2011

Old Seoul Station restored as culture space

The old Seoul Station building has been restored to the way it looked in 1925 and will open as a new culture space, Korea Craft and Design Foundation announced Thursday. The station’s new name will be “Culture Station, Seoul 284” upon its opening in August. Originally named Gyeongseong Station during Japanese colonial rule, the old Seoul Station was designed by Tsukamoto Yasushi of Tokyo Imperial

July 14, 2011

Gwangju Biennale to explore meaning of design

About 300 international artists to participate in event, which may miss Chinese co-director due to Beijing’s oppression of dissidents  Ai Weiwei, co-director of the 4th Gwangju Design Biennale, may not be able to attend the show in September but his artwork will. “Field,” the 1.15 meter tall rectangular installation measuring 7.4 meter by 7.4 meters made with a series of porcelain pipes, which the

July 14, 2011

Exhibit in N.Y. explores creator of the Muppets

NEW YORK (AP) ― It seems so familiar to us now ― puppet characters on television that are so real, so expressive, so alive that we forget there’s a human being doing the actual work behind the scenes.There’s a reason that’s so familiar, the organizers of an exhibit opening this weekend in New York say: Jim Henson.The master puppeteer and media innovator behind pop culture icons such as Kermit the

July 14, 2011

A Pink shows seven pastel colors

The Korean pop market is dominated by idol groups, including Girls’ Generation, 2NE1 and Wonder Girls. For new girl group A Pink, which debuted in April with the first album “Seven Springs of A Pink,” it will not be easy to survive in the competitive K-pop scene. However, it will differentiate itself from other girl groups by showing unique colors of the seven members, they said.“If we say other g

July 14, 2011

Eric Benet promises ‘his very best’ at Seoul concert

Acclaimed American R&B singer-songwriter Eric Benet said Korean audiences will be able to see him pull off one of the best performances at his upcoming concert in Seoul in September.Benet is to hold his third solo concert in Korea on Sept. 22 at Ax-Korea in Seoul. He concert, originally scheduled for April, was postponed after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.“What you can expect at my co

July 13, 2011

‘Bosendorfer sings like a human’

Yamaha Korea CEO targets Korean musicians with Austrian premium pianoBösendorfer, a premium piano brand from Austria, has been added to the list of other well-known piano brands such as Steinway and Bechstein for professional pianists in Korea, as Yamaha Music Korea, the brand’s exclusive distributor, launched it Thursday in Seoul.Bösendorfer was established in 1828 in Vienna, Austria and currentl

July 12, 2011

London museum says it will show a lost Leonardo

NEW YORK (AP) ― An oil painting recently authenticated as the work of Leonardo da Vinci will be on display at the National Gallery in the fall as part of a larger exhibition on the Renaissance artist, the London museum said Monday.“Salvator Mundi,” which dates to around 1500, depicts a half-length figure of Christ with one hand raised in blessing and the other holding an orb.The National Gallery s

July 12, 2011

Australian dance company shuns ‘ooga booga’

SYDNEY (AFP) ― Australia’s Aboriginal dance company Bangarra has won global accolades but says it has been a victim of its own success in terms of funding at home and at times faces demands for “ooga booga” abroad.Formed in 1989, the Bangarra Dance Theatre is the country’s foremost indigenous performing arts company and is often called on to be Australia’s cultural ambassador at major events.But t

July 12, 2011

Musical fans get star-studded bonanza

Musicals mine old favorites, update them with big-name starsWith the summer break season just around the corner, blockbuster musicals are lined up to entice everyone from fun-seeking vacationers to early Christmas holiday planners. This year, the shows are more star-studded than ever. A scene from “Jack the Ripper” featuring Ahn Jae-wook’s Daniel. (Musical company)“Jack the Ripper”With a story bas

July 11, 2011

French choreographer Roland Petit dies

PARIS (AFP) ― French choreographer and dancer Roland Petit, who helped set up Les Ballets des Champs-Elysees and formed several other dance companies, died Sunday in Geneva at the age of 87, the Paris Opera Ballet said.President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to what he called “an immense creator who left his mark on the art of dance in the 20th century.” Sarkozy in a statement expressed his condole

July 11, 2011

Serengeti’s session power shines with 3rd album

Trio of session musicians wishes to leave band’s musical trace in people’s memory; eyes EuropeWhile idol-centered K-pop has been heavily covered by the media, the Korean indie scene has received relatively little attention. This is the fourth installment of a series of interviews shedding light on the scene. ― Ed.Although trio indie band Serengeti is not a household name, each member’s versatility

July 11, 2011

Folk singer Cabral killed in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) ― One of Latin America’s most admired folk singers, Facundo Cabral, was killed Saturday when three carloads of gunmen ambushed the vehicle in which he was riding, prompting expressions of anguish from across the region. Authorities said the performer’s concert promoter was apparently the target.Interior Minister Carlos Menocal said the Argentine singer and novelist was on his w

July 10, 2011

Classical Music

Poster of “Miracle of Music” concert. (Yangho Foundation/Miracle of Music)“Miracle of Music”: The Aloysius Orchestra and pianist Chung Myung-whun will hold a charity concert at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall on July 23 at 8 p.m. The 60-member orchestra consists of Aloysius Middle School and Aloysius Technical High School, which are affiliated with Busan Boystown, a children’s shelter where 7

July 8, 2011