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In 'Once,' supporting characters playing live music complete story
For the musical “Once,” 16 different types of instruments -- including guitar, mandolin, violin and drums -- are used on stage. This show demands 12 performers who can not only act and sing, but also play musical instruments. In fact, the difficulty of assembling a cast of skilled actor-musicians is one reason the show is returning to the stage a full decade after its Korean premiere in 2014. While more musicals featuring actor-musicians — such as Great Comet and Zorro — are appearing domestical
April 22, 2025 -
'We are our bravest when we love': Cyrano reimagined through coming-of-age 'The Ballads for Roxanne'
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, "The Ballads for Roxanne," a Korean adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s "Cyrano de Bergerac," is being staged at the National Theater Company of Korea’s Myeongdong Theater through this Sunday. Directed by Seo Chung-sik, the production breathes new life into the beloved classic -- this time, through the eyes of Roxanne. While the original play is famed for its swashbuckling poet Cyrano and his poetic subterfuge to help the handsome but tongue-tied Christian woo Roxann
April 22, 2025 -
Simcheong reimagined: Genre-bending pansori theater is born
"Simcheong" is a story every Korean child grows up with — a tale of devotion, sacrifice, filial piety and transformation, told and retold in countless variations. Among them is "Simcheongga," the pansori version — Korea’s traditional form of musical storytelling accompanied by a "gosu," or drummer. Even within pansori, multiple versions exist, each offering its own take on the enduring narrative. This year, the story of Simcheong is being reimagined as something entirely new: a pansori theater p
April 21, 2025 -
Baritone Park Jusung to present recitals as Mapo artist-in-residence
Two moments changed the course of Korean baritone Park Jusung's life. The first came in his freshman year of high school, when he saw the opera “Carmen” for the first time. At the time, Park dreamed of working in media as a producer or film director, but after watching the performance he was deeply drawn to the world of opera and hoped to be involved in some way -- even though he never imagined himself as a singer. “I didn’t think I had the voice for it,” said Park, who is the 2025 artist-in-res
April 20, 2025 -
Coldplay’s record-breaking Korea visit thrills fans with jokes, collabs, heartwarming vibes
Coldplay is currently in South Korea as part of its "Music of the Spheres" world tour, performing six shows in total. After completing three performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the band will return to the stage on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. With an estimated 50,000 attendees per show, the tour is expected to attract a combined 300,000 concertgoers -- the most ever for a foreign musical act visiting Korea. From record-breaking attendance numbers to unexpected jokes about Korean pol
April 20, 2025 -
Two ‘Hedda Gabler’ productions in May: Lee Hye-young, Lee Young-ae star in separate stage revivals
This spring, theatergoers will witness a rare theatrical coincidence: two productions of "Hedda Gabler," both starring major stars, are opening just one day apart. The National Theater Company of Korea will revive "Hedda Gabler" at Myeongdong Theater for the first time in 13 years, beginning May 8. The play was a critical and commercial success when it premiered in Korea in 2012, with Lee Hye-young’s portrayal of the title role earning her best actress honors at both the 5th Korea Theater Awards
April 18, 2025 -
Interview: Prince in progress, Jeon Min-chul finds his own Albrecht
Ballerino Jeon Min-chul is on the cusp of a major career leap. In June, he will join the Mariinsky Ballet -- only the second Korean to do so after Kim Ki-min. Before that, he takes the final stage this week in Korea in two sold-out performances of "Giselle" with Universal Ballet's principal dancer Hong Hyang-gee, on Friday and Sunday. This is his second full-length ballet after Solor in "La Bayadere" last September. “Giselle was the very first ballet I ever saw, actually,” Jeon said in a separat
April 17, 2025 -
Interview: Rising ballet stars step into tragedy of 'Giselle'
Few works in the classical ballet canon are as enduring or as emotionally charged as “Giselle.” A quintessential romantic masterpiece, the ballet tells the story of a beautiful peasant girl named Giselle, who falls in love with a nobleman in disguise, Albrecht, only to die of heartbreak upon discovering he is betrothed to another. While the first act is filled with youthful first love, celebration and a radiant atmosphere, the second act marks a dramatic shift, unfolding at Giselle’s grave, stee
April 17, 2025 -
Coldplay thrills 'No. 1 audience' with music, light and messages of love
British rock band Coldplay kicked off the Korean leg of its “Music of the Spheres” tour with a vibrant show at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. This marks the band’s second visit to Korea since 2017 and its largest-ever show in the country. With 50,000 audience per concert over six days, the band is set to perform for a total of 300,000 fans. For two and a half hours, the concert, part of the band's on-going eighth world tour, unfolded in four themed sect
April 17, 2025 -
Yang Sung-won reflects on 50 years with cello
Unlike many musicians who celebrate the anniversary of their public debut, South Korean cellist Yang Sung-won is marking something more personal: 50 years since a life-altering performance inspired a 7-year-old to trade the piano for the cello. That moment dates back to March 10, 1975, when Hungarian American cellist Janos Starker gave a performance in Seoul — one that would set the course of Yang’s life. Years later, he became not only his student, but also his assistant, entrusted to teach in
April 16, 2025 -
KNUA Symphony Orchestra to perform at Abu Dhabi Festival
The Korea National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra has been invited to perform at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Festival, one of the Middle East’s most prominent performing arts events, according to the country's top art school, also known as K-Arts, Wednesday. The orchestra, composed of students from the university’s School of Music will participate in two concerts: a standalone performance Friday and a collaborative gala Sunday, featuring conductor Toufic Maatouk, tenor Javier Camarena and soprano
April 16, 2025 -
Family-friendly concert presents magical adventure where kids meet traditional Korean instruments
In the enchanted “Forest of Instrument Trees,” a vibrant scene comes to life. As haegeum and piri musicians perform with flair, their puppet counterparts proudly mimic their movements. Yet, off to the side, the daegeum murmurs in low spirits, “Unlike other instruments, I’m hollow inside, so I can’t play a big role." But the young hero Seonyul intervenes. “Because you’re hollow, there’s room for the sound to travel. Song carves a path through the heart." Encouraged, the daegeum steps forward with
April 15, 2025 -
Ahn Eun-me unveils bold interpretation of Asia with ‘Post-Orientalist Express’
Choreographer Ahn Eun-me, long celebrated as a one-of-a-kind force in Korean contemporary dance, will premiere her latest production, "Post-Orientalist Express," at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' M Theater on May 2-4. A vibrant culmination of her yearslong exploration of Asian identities, "Post-Orientalist Express" marks the final chapter in Ahn’s ambitious “Asia Project,” which began in 2018. The 62-year-old choreographer, whose flamboyant style and boundary-pushing vision have defi
April 15, 2025 -
Roberto Abbado appointed next artistic director of National Symphony Orchestra
Italian maestro Roberto Abbado, who has captivated Korean audiences through two previous collaborations with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, will officially assume the role of KNSO artistic director starting January 2026, the orchestra announced Tuesday. He will succeed Belgian conductor David Reiland, who has held the post since 2020. Abbado, 70, was appointed for a three-year term as the orchestra’s eighth artistic director. He previously led the KNSO in Bellini’s “Norma” in 2023, whic
April 15, 2025 -
Ambassador Al-Hamar on 50 years of Qatar-Korea relations and Qatar’s cultural diplomacy
The recent performance by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul was more than an evening of music — it was a vivid expression of the deepening cultural dialogue between Qatar and Korea. Held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the concert struck a symbolic high note in a year filled with cross-cultural engagement. Khalid Ebrahim Al-Hamar, ambassador of the State of Qatar to Korea, described the event as a bridge between two cultures — one t
April 15, 2025