The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by music director Jacek Kaspszyk, will perform Thursday at Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul.In 2016, the WPO performed in Korea along with the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition prize winners, including the competition’s first-prize winner Cho Seong-Jin.  Jacek Kaspszyk, music director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Vincero)This time, the Polish orchestra will perform with Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder, a prize winner at the Chopi

Performance Jan. 15, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin has been awarded the eighth Kumho Musician Award by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the organization said Sunday.  Pianist Cho Seong-jin (left) poses with Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo at the eighth Kumho Musician Award ceremony in Seoul on Friday. (Kumho Asiana)“It is a great pleasure to present the award at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei,” Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo said during the award ceremony held Friday. “I am very proud of Cho Seong-jin, who ha

Performance Jan. 14, 2018

Tongyeong International Music Festival 2018 seeks to continue the legacy of the late Tongyeong composer Yun I-sang, known for his attempts to bridge the music of Europe and Asia as well as his experiments with different styles and sounds. This year’s TIMF will be held from March 30 to April 8, under the theme of “Returning Home.” World-renowned musicians from Korea and abroad will join the annual music festival to introduce musical works by Yun I-sang, as well as those of Western legends. (TIMF

Performance Jan. 14, 2018

Adding poetic elements to the public space was French artist Xavier Veilhan’s goal in creating “Great Mobiles” installed at the entrance of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2.Veilhan is best known for his angular sculptures, as well as “Studio Venezia,” a giant recording studio that transformed the 1912 French Pavilion, introduced at the Venice Biennale 2017.“Great Mobiles” consists of two mobiles that stretch 18.5 meters wide, hanging near the two entrances of the newly built second terminal.  Xavier

Arts & Design Jan. 14, 2018

Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun is to lead the One Korea Youth Orchestra’s debut performance in Seoul on Thursday, as part of efforts to continue his life’s calling to bring South and North Korea together. 　During Thursday’s performance at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Chung’s project orchestra is to perform Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, in collaboration with pianist Sohn Jeung-beum, the first Korean winner of the piano category at the ARD International Music Competition in September last year.

Performance Jan. 10, 2018

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea will step up efforts to lead the contemporary art scene in Asia, it said. During a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday, the MMCA Director Bartomeu Mari announced the museum’s 2018 exhibitions of acclaimed artists here and abroad, as well as projects underscored by its long-term vision of becoming a leading voice of the contemporary art scene in Asia. The MMCA Director Bartomeu Mari announces its 2018 programs during the press co

Arts & Design Jan. 10, 2018

Violinist Yang In-mo expressed confidence in performing Niccolo Paganini’s 24 caprices for solo violin -- notorious for their difficulty -- during a showcase at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul on Monday.“I have always wanted to play the 24 caprices by Paganini. I remember my aunt buying me the album when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I listened and thought that I would also play them someday. Instead of overwhelming me, they encouraged me to play the string instrument,” said Yang, Kumho Art Hall’s artis

Performance Jan. 8, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin on Thursday announced his first nationwide recital tour, scheduled to kickoff in Busan on Sunday. At a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday, Cho said that the program for the tour features his favorite pieces, including those by Beethoven, Debussy, as well as Chopin, for whom the Korean pianist is best known.Pianist Cho Seong-jin performs during a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)“I have been wanting to play

Performance Jan. 4, 2018

The 2018 Contemporary Music & Performing Arts Season at LG Arts Center features an exciting line-up of 12 productions, ranging from the highly acclaimed international theatrical works to cross-genre performances. Michael Keegan-Dolan’s ”Swan Lake/Loch na hEala“ (LG Arts Center)Michael Keegan-Dolan‘s “Swan Lake/Loch na hEala” will perform from March 29 to March 31. The contemporary reinvention of the Tchaikovsky ballet, “Swan Lake,” by the acclaimed Irish director and choreographer features 13 mu

Performance Jan. 3, 2018

Chin Un-suk, Berlin-based composer of contemporary classical music, on Tuesday said that she has decided to leave the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, where she has been its composer-in-residence since 2006. Chin also held the orchestra’s artistic adviser post since 2016, a year after maestro Chung Myung-whun left the SPO at the end of 2015 after 10 years. Chin Un-suk (SPO)“I hope to later return to make a contribution to Korean music,“ Chin said in the email she wrote to her colleagues and fans. “

Performance Jan. 2, 2018

South Korea has started to roll out measures to address the increasing public concern over the risk of earthquakes, after the nation was hit by two of the strongest earthquakes over the past two years.Korea has long been regarded as an earthquake-free country but the latest record-high quakes in Pohang and Gyeongju have triggered concerns over future quakes on the peninsula, with experts here forecasting possibilities of stronger quakes hitting in the future.Primary concerns are over the low rat

Industry Jan. 1, 2018

GS Retail, a major Korean convenience store chain operator that runs GS25, said Friday that the company will open its first branch in Vietnam in January. Starting with the first branch opening in mid-January, GS Retail plans to launch a total of four convenience stores in Vietnam’s largest city Ho Chi Minh next month, the company said.  (Yonhap)GS Retail expects its annual earnings to reach tens of billions of won from loyalties and also dividends, mainly from the joint venture it forged with Vi

Industry Dec. 29, 2017

Samsung Heavy Industries said Thursday that it will sign a deal worth 210 billion won ($195 million) to build a liquefied natural gas carrier.It will ink the contract with a foreign shipping company by the end of the year, Samsung Heavy Industries officials said. The name of the company, however, remained undisclosed.  (Yonhap)With the deal, orders secured by the shipbuilder this year will reach $6.9 billion for 28 ships, surpassing its annual target of $6.5 billion. The ship maker also said it

Industry Dec. 28, 2017

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea awarded outstanding reporters of the year at a ceremony held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Wednesday. Song Su-hyun, reporter at The Korea Herald, Lee Hee-soon, international desk editor at the Korea Times, Seo Ji-eun, senior reporter at Korea JoongAng Daily, and Wang Haina, reporter at Aju News, were awarded during the event.  From left, The Korea Herald reporter Song Su-hyun, Korea JoongAng Daily senior reporter Seo Ji-eun, Foreign La

Industry Dec. 28, 2017

LG Chem will invest a total of 300 billion won ($278.6 million) to expand its petrochemical facilities in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, the company said Tuesday.With the investment, the company plans to increase the annual production capacities of crude acrylic acid and super absorbent polymer by 180,000 tons and 100,000 tons, respectively.  (LG Chem)CAA is used to produce acrylates and other derivatives used in paint, paper, textile, adhesives, specialty coatings. SAP is mainly used in disposab

Industry Dec. 26, 2017