“2011 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival”: Famous bands ranging from The Ting Tings to Korn, as well as singer-songwriters such as B.o.B are to perform in the 6th Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival from Aug. 5-7 at Incheon Dream Park. Popular Korean rock bands including Boohwal and No Brain will also hit the stage. For those who want to spend the night outdoors, there will be an outdoor pool and an in...

“Summer Classics”: The Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is to present educational performances for students to help them understand classical music and learn classical music concert etiquette. The orchestra consists of university students majoring in classical music and has been holding annual summer classic series since 2008. The program includes “Arirang,” “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev, ...

Kelly Rowland “Here I Am” Universal Motown Ever since her heyday with Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland has struggled to define her solo singing career, unlike former bandmate Beyonce, arguably pop’s ultimate superstar. Rowland’s first two albums showed promise, but were subpar on the whole. Now with her latest release, “Here I Am,” she makes another attempt to show she has finally found her mus...

Super Junior members pose for photo at a hotel in Seoul (Yonhap) Super Junior announced their comeback with a fifth album on Thursday to some 200 international press members gathered at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul. The new album, containing the track “Mr. Simple,” was released Wednesday in 11 countries. The teaser of the title track exceeded 1 million views on You...

Incheon Dream Park’s outdoor pool, indoor club to stay open 24 hours The upcoming weekend in Incheon will be filled with the energy of youth and rock spirit, as leading bands from overseas and Korea power up the stage of the 6th Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival from Friday to Sunday. While the rock festival comes into its sixth year, weather during the annual summer festival has been sometimes s...

While idol-centered K-pop has been heavily covered by the media, the Korean indie scene has received relatively little attention. This is the fifth installment of a series of interviews shedding light on the scene. ― Ed. The Black Skirts, a one-man indie band run by vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter Holiday Cho, has been widely known in Korea as a New Yorker-turned Hongdae musician...

While the Seoul Arts Center was still drenched with rain, its concert hall on Sunday was fully packed with people waiting for the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Chung Myung-whun’s 8 p.m. concert. Chung founded the APO 15 years ago by gathering young musicians from across Asia to narrow differences between Korea, Japan and China, and the Sunday concert was part of the orchestra’s annua...

EAST HAMPTON, New York (AP) ― Music mogul Russell Simmons and model Kimora Lee Simmons may no longer be married, but the pair came together in the name of charity at a dinner gala. The couple hosted the fundraiser Saturday night to benefit Art for Life, a charity that supports arts programs for inner-city kids. “We started this together 12 years ago,” Lee Simmons said. “I hosted it every year f...

Sisters’ unique harmony goes out to flood, landslide victims in Korea For violinist Chung Kyung-wha, it was almost her first stage performance since she hurt her hand. For her elder sister, cellist Chung Myung-wha, it was the first time performing chamber music with Kyung-wha in six years. On Friday evening, the artists showcased the first concert of Distinguished Artists Series of the 2011 Gre...

Saturday brings indie favorites and much-needed sunshine to the 3-day music event ICHEON, Gyeonggi Province ― After an overnight downpour, music fans left their flooded tents to enjoy a reprieve from the rain at Jisan Valley Rock Festival on Saturday. The solid stream of Korean acts was complemented by a very British international presence on the main stage throughout the three-day event, inclu...

“Suspicious Paradise”: The dance show is inspired by the Demilitarized Zone, which looks like a paradise with untouched nature but is also a place deeply scarred by the Korean War. Organized by Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, it aims to offer a fresh experience to the younger generation who not know much about the war. It will run from Aug. 5 to 7 at Seoul Arts Center’s Towol Center i...

Conductor determined to prove Koreans’ passion for music at SPO’s second Europe tour in Aug. South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun said he wishes to see South Korean and North Korean musicians interact some day, as music can be used to seek a common goal beyond differences. His comments came as he was talking about his upcoming Asia tour with Asia Philharmonic Orchestra, which he founded 15 y...