Series of music, theater festivals to fill the summer

This summer the stage is set for a series of thrilling arts festivals, starting with the Miryang Summer Performing Arts Festival on Friday. As the season unfolds, various other festivals will return every week through the end of August. The 23rd edition of the Miryang Summer Performing Arts Festival will run until July 29 at Miryang Aria and other venues in the small city located in South Gyeongsang Province. The city has a population of about 100,000, but it will temporarily become the nation

July 21, 2023

Pianist Hayato Sumino weaves unusual way to classical acclaim

YouTube fame and classical music acclaim are both significant achievements in their own right but Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino, who is set to perform in South Korea for his second recital next week, can lay claim to both. Sumino, also known by his name on YouTube, Cateen, not only has 1.24 million subscribers on YouTube, but has also been acknowledged in prestigious competitions. The 28-year-old was born with a talent for playing the piano, but instead of choosing to formally study music,

July 20, 2023

Pentaport Rock Festival to hit Incheon in August

Incheon is in for a wave of rock nostalgia in August with the annual Pentaport festival bringing in some legendary names this year. Slated to take place on Aug. 4-6 at Moonlight Festival Park in Songdo district, 2023 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is set to be headlined by several long-celebrated bands over its three-day run. The first day will be led by Japanese punk rockers Ellegarden, which recently ended its 16-year hiatus with a reunion album and a national tour in Japan. Ellegarden will b

July 18, 2023

Woodstock Korea postponed due to rain safety concerns

The Woodstock festival initially scheduled to take place for the first time in Korea from July 28-30 has been postponed to October, the festival's main organizer SGC Entertainment announced Friday. The company addressed safety concerns arising from the rainy season, while adding that it plans to enhance the festival lineup in light of the delay, according to local media reports. “Due to safety concerns and to improve the overall quality of the program, we have decided to postpone the

July 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singing together changes lives, says founder of diverse children's choir

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), a renowned multicultural youth chorus known for its exceptional talent and pioneering diversity model, embarked on its first journey to South Korea this month. A delegation of 100 choristers, aged between 11 and 18, set foot in Gangneung, a coastal city in Gangwon Province, to participate in the 12th World Choir Games from July 3 to 13. Over the course of the 11-day event, the choir showcased its virtuosity and brilliance, earning five go

July 17, 2023

Classical music lovers to get their fill come October, November

In October and November, a number of orchestras from around the world will be performing back-to-back in South Korea. These performances will feature collaborations with top Korean and international musicians like pianists Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan. They will also be an opportunity to compare different renditions of the same piece by different orchestras. A concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct. 7 at the Seoul Arts Center will launch the string of concerts. Led by Edward Gardn

July 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Broadway needs to find ways to welcome new audiences'

K-Musical Market was launched in 2021 with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service to promote Korean original musicals internationally. The Korean government's hope is that Korean musicals might replicate the achievements of K-pop, movies and dramas. And that hope is not groundless. Musicals account for 75 percent of ticket revenue in the country's performing arts industry and the musical scene is burgeoning with countless big an

July 13, 2023

Experimental music group Gongmyoung to embark on voyage 'With Sea'

South Korean experimental music group Gongmyoung is set to perform at the Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater on Friday and Saturday. Known for experimenting with sounds from both Western and traditional Korean wind and percussion instruments, Gongmyoung has been an in-house artist at the traditional Korean music performance venue in Jongno-gu since 2022. The upcoming performance titled “With Sea” will take the audience on a musical voyage to the sea. The band has selected 10 songs t

July 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director of Japanese all-women theater troupe impressed by Korean musicals' quality, state support

Kazunori Nakamura, director of Takarazuka Revue Company, has been observing South Korea’s musical industry over the past three decades. This was his first time at K-Musical Market and he was impressed by efforts put on by the Korean government. "I am surprised that there is a systematic effort for international expansion. And it's not just for the sake of overseas expansion. I felt that the quality of the creative teams, the productions and script writing were at a high level,&

July 12, 2023

Gonjiam Music Festival kicks off with peace gala concert

The 2023 Gonjiam Music Festival commenced Monday with a gala concert harmonizing musicians across diverse genres and backgrounds. The opening was the Opening Peace Gala Concert, highlighting the importance of peace on the 70th anniversary of The Korea Herald’s founding, the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement and the 70th anniversary of the Korea-US Alliance. The Korea Herald was founded on Aug. 15, 1953, less than a month after the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which

July 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Young Chinese interested in musicals starring Korean idols

K-Musical Market was launched in 2021 with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service to promote Korean original musicals internationally. The Korean government's hope is that Korean musicals might replicate the achievements of K-pop, movies and dramas. And that hope is not groundless. Musicals account for 75 percent of ticket revenue in the country's performing arts industry and the musical scene is burgeoning with countless bi

July 11, 2023

Jeonju International Sori Festival to highlight array of pansori sounds

A festival featuring the sounds of pansori in 105 performances will kick off in September. The Jeonju International Sori Festival is scheduled to take place at Jeonju Hanok Village as well as 14 cities across North Jeolla Province, from Sept. 15 to 24. “We aim to create a unique program with top-notch performances that cannot be experienced elsewhere,“ said Lee Wang-jun of the festival’s organizing committee during a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee added that a

July 9, 2023

Empty seats dampen Lim Yun-chan, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra concert

Piano sensation Lim Yun-chan's performance with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra was eagerly anticipated. It was Lim’s first concert with an overseas orchestra in South Korea and the first performance in six months here as the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition has been traveling around the world. It’s also Switzerland's oldest orchestra’s first return in four years, this time with new artistic director Michael Sanderling. Together, they

July 5, 2023

For Yoo Jun-sang, enduring means living every moment to the fullest

Since its premiere in 2013, “The Days," a jukebox musical based on songs by the late Kim Kwang-seok, has had five successful runs, garnering 11 prestigious awards and captivating countless audiences. Throughout this journey, actor Yoo Jun-sang has continued to grace the stage as Jeong-hak, the central character of the musical. As the musical returns for its sixth run in July, Yoo will share the role of Jeong-hak, a security guard who works at the presidential office, with three ot

July 5, 2023

Seoul Arts Center features rising new musicians, Rachmaninoff in 2 upcoming series

South Korea's top performing arts institute Seoul Arts Center has prepared two series featuring rising talent at a relatively unknown facility. Inchoon Art Hall, which opened on Aug. 28, 2020, has 100 seats, allowing for an intimate setting for both the performers and the audience. Titled “The Next,” one of the series feature the next generation of Korean classical talent, introducing 10 rising young musicians selected by the Seoul Arts Center. The series kicked off in May with

July 3, 2023

Son Suk-ku makes comeback in highly anticipated play 'Army on the Tree'

South Korean actor Son Suk-ku, who emerged as one of the biggest stars of 2022 with the TV series “My Liberation Notes” and action blockbuster “The Roundup,” has made a comeback with the play “Army on the Tree.” All tickets to the play, which was to run June 20-Aug. 5 at the LG Arts Center, have been sold out. The play has been extended by a week to Aug. 12, and the tickets for the extra shows have yet to go on sale. When asked about the difference between act

July 3, 2023

Public theater Quad to showcase two anticipated hybrid performances

Two hybrid performances that feature a mix of traditional and modern are set to kick off at the Quad, a public theater operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, in Daehagno, in July. “Everything OK,” set for Friday-Sunday performances, is a new collaborative work by contemporary dancer-choreographer Ahn Eun-me's dance company and vocalist Seo Do from the Seo Do Band. Seo Do Band is known for pioneering the Joseon Pop genre, a term now used to refer to music that has

July 2, 2023

Eight South Koreans honored at Tchaikovsky competition

A total of eight South Korean classical musicians have received awards, including three first prizes, at this year’s International Tchaikovsky Competition, a once bustling but now diminished event amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The International Tchaikovsky Competition is held every four years in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia for pianists, violinists, cellists, woodwind players and brace performers aged 16-32 and singers aged 19-32. According to the competition's web

June 30, 2023

Monthlong summer Yeowoorak Festival explores future of traditional music

The National Theater of Korea's summer music festival Yeowoorak Festival kicks off Friday, featuring collaborations across generations, cultures and genres that seek to redefine traditional Korean music. Under the theme of “Homo Festivus,” the festival presents 12 performances until July 22 at the Daloreum Theater, the Haneul Round Theater and the Cultural Plaza. Master pansori singer Yun Jin-cheol and shaman Kim Dong-eon will perform “Break a Common Law” on Friday.

June 29, 2023

Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder expresses undying love for Beethoven

Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder is finally bringing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas to South Korea, marking his 60th cycle since he embarked on the journey in the 1970s. Starting from Wednesday, he takes the stage seven times at Seoul Arts Center through July 9. Several hours before his first performance of the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle, for which he will perform Nos. 1, 4, 10, 13 and 14, the famed "Moonlight Sonata," he met with reporters and delved into his dedication t

June 28, 2023