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Chin Unsuk-led music festival opens with two emerging artists at forefront
Pianist Lim Yunchan, cellist Pablo Ferrandez take center stage at 23rd Tongyeong International Music Festival TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province — The Tongyeong International Music Festival, founded in 2002 to commemorate the late composer Isang Yun, opened Friday in the Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, along the southern coast as wildfires rage on near the city and political turmoil gripped the country. The annual classical music festival typically includes a slate of fringe performances
March 28, 2025 -
Travis Scott to perform in Korea for the first time
US rapper confirms Seoul concert on Oct. 25 American rapper Travis Scott has officially confirmed his first-ever concert in South Korea. Scott recently uploaded a poster to Instagram revealing additional dates and locations for his ongoing world tour, "Circus Maximus Tour." The poster confirms the long-rumored Seoul concert as taking place on Oct. 25. The "Circus Maximus Tour" began as a celebration of Scott’s fourth studio album, "Utopia," released in 2023. The tour, which kicked off Oct. 11, 2
March 28, 2025 -
Two classical masters boycotting US over Trump to perform in Korea
Two prominent classical musicians who recently canceled performances in the US in protest of its President Donald Trump are set to perform in South Korea this spring. Eminent pianist and conductor Andras Schiff, 71, will perform with his Cappella Andrea Barca ensemble at the Daegu Concert House on Friday and at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on Sunday. Founded in 1999 by Schiff, the ensemble comprises soloists and chamber musicians who perform internationally and are unaffiliated with any si
March 27, 2025 -
'Bob Dylan brought me back to songwriting': legendary folk music couple returns
Singer-songwriters Joung Tae-choon, Park Eun-ohk release 12th album and literary project after 13 years It was American music legend and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bob Dylan who inspired Korean singer-songwriter Joung Tae-choon to resume writing songs after a decade. Joung, 71, who marks the 45th anniversary of his singing career this year, discovered Dylan's "The Lyrics," a more than 1,500-page book containing the singer’s works, at a public library he was visiting with his granddaughte
March 26, 2025 -
Breakdancing, parkour at Sydney Opera House’s forecourt in April
Two Korean street art groups, Letitle and A-Run Crew, will transform the Sydney Opera House’s forecourt into a stage for street dance, breakdancing and parkour. The event marks the first of its kind at the iconic Western Broadwalk, offering audiences a chance to experience contemporary Korean street performances outdoors. Letitle will present “Purpose,” a 30-minute performance specially choreographed as a dance “conversation” with the Opera House building and its forecourt. Five performers will
March 26, 2025 -
Hangang Campus Song Festival to discover talented young artists
Festival celebrates its second year, aiming to support young artists The Hangang Campus Song Festival will take place in May, in the heart of spring, filling the Han River with the fresh music of talented young people. Now in its second year, following last year's successful debut, the Hangang Campus Song Festival is an original song competition open to university and graduate students. Participants can only apply with original compositions, and winners will be given a chance to release a debut
March 26, 2025 -
Royal ritual performance to tour Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong
The National Gugak Center is set to embark on a tour across Asia this year, with performances of Jongmyo Jeryeak planned for Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. Jongmyo Jeryeak is a royal ceremonial performance that combines song, music and dance. It was originally performed during ancestral rites at Jongmyo shrine, where the tablets of Joseon kings and queens are enshrined, honoring the eternal repose of royal ancestors. The music was originally composed in 1447 during the reign of King Sejong for
March 25, 2025 -
'Past Lives' director Celine Song’s 'Endlings' gets Korean premiere in May
Before director Celine Song captivated audiences with "Past Lives," the Oscar-nominated film that explored love, fate and the immigrant experience, she made her playwright debut with "Endlings" in 2019 at the American Repertory Theater. Now, one of her most personal works is set to make its Korean premiere at Doosan Art Center’s Space111, May 20-June 7. Directed by Lee Rae-eun, the production will also travel to Daejeon and Jeju in June. The title "Endlings" refers to the last surviving member o
March 25, 2025 -
'Mother of Him' asks difficult question: How far should mother go to protect her rapist son?
Actress Kim Sun-young takes on formidable role of mother torn by complex emotions A teenage boy commits three rapes in a single night. While he remains under de facto house arrest, the media dredge up past school incidents, and reporters camp outside his home. Public outrage mounts, yet his mother fights to have him sentenced as a juvenile, ensuring a lighter punishment. How far can a mother go in defending and protecting a son who has committed such a horrific crime? And can she still love him?
March 21, 2025 -
Universal Ballet brings 'Giselle' in spring run
Ballerino Jeon Min-chul to perform as Albrecht before joining Mariinsky Universal Ballet will present "Giselle," one of the most beloved romantic ballets, at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater from April 18 to 27. A timeless tale of love, betrayal and devotion beyond death, "Giselle" follows the tragic love story of a beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, and a nobleman in disguise, Albrecht. When his true identity is revealed, Giselle is driven to madness and dies of heartbreak. The ballet’s libr
March 21, 2025 -
Korea's opera scene to fill with fresh energy this spring
This spring, South Korea’s opera scene will be brimming with fresh energy, featuring the world premiere of “The Rising World: Spirit of Water,” the Korean premiere of metaopera “Amopera,” a sleek modern take on “The Marriage of Figaro” and a fusion of opera and theater with “Faust.” SAC's “The Rising World: Spirit of Water” The Seoul Arts Center will present the world premiere of its new opera, “The Rising World: Spirit of Water,” this May. The production blends traditional Korean themes with a
March 18, 2025 -
Neumeier’s 'Lady of the Camellias' to make Seoul premiere with Korean National Ballet
Drama ballet that earned Kang Sue-jin her Benois de la Danse arrives in May The Korean National Ballet will present the Korean premiere of John Neumeier’s dramatic ballet "Lady of the Camellias" at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera House from May 7 to 11. "Lady of the Camellias" is Neumeier’s adaptation of Alexandre Dumas fils’ 1848 novel of the same title. The ballet, which follows the tragic love story of Marguerite Gautier, a Parisian courtesan stricken with tuberculosis, and Armand Duval, a youn
March 18, 2025 -
Boundary-breaking metaopera 'Amopera' to premiere in Korea next week
Daegu Opera House hosts two performances next weekend “Amopera,” a metaopera that reconfigures and reinterprets fragments from 16 operatic works spanning the past century, is set to make its Korean premiere at the Daegu Opera House next week. The opera is a collaboration between the Austrian contemporary music ensemble Klangforum Wien and the internationally acclaimed Belgian arts collective Needcompany. It premiered in November 2022 in Austria. Klangforum Wien, a renowned contemporary music ens
March 14, 2025 -
'Wicked' flies back to Korea after 13 years
"Wicked" will return to Korea this summer, with its international tour cast taking the stage to perform the hit musical in its original English. This marks the show’s first visit to the country in 13 years since its 2012 Korean premiere. This stage production comes after the success of “Wicked: Part One,” the film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. The film drew over 2.2 million moviegoers in South Korea. For the first time, the musical will be staged in th
March 14, 2025 -
Ohad Naharin's 'Decadance' invites audience to break out of 'body jail'
Seoul Metropolitan Ballet kicks off season with ever-evolving masterpiece by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin has one rule: no mirrors in the rehearsal studio. “The use of mirrors in the dance is a mistake. They spoil the soul of the dancer, (making them) look at himself instead of look at the world,” the 72-year-old Israeli choreographer said at a press conference Wednesday in Seoul, where he was overseeing final rehearsals for Seoul Metropolitan Ballet’s “Decadance.” So when the Seoul Metrop
March 13, 2025