Exhibition

“Anish Kapoor”: Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art holds the first exhibition of works by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. The first major show by Kapoor in Korea encompasses the artist’s major works from the early years of his career to the present. Some of the works include large-scale sculptors with unfathomable holes, three-dimensional monochromic paintings and stainless-steel sculptures that reflect or distort images. In the museum garden stands Kapoor’s huge stainless-steel sculptor “Tall Tree and the Eye,” which replaced the French sculptor Louis Bourgeois’ “Maman.” The exhibition continues through Jan. 27, 2013, at Leeum in Seoul. Admission is 8,000 won for adults and 5,000 won for students. For more information, call (02) 2014-6900. 

“Erwin Olaf”: Gallery Kong holds the first solo exhibition of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf in Korea. The international award-winning photographer exploits his experience as a successful commercial photographer and creates his own distinctive style. Through his photos, Olaf explores social problems of the day such as isolation and hidden racial discrimination. He shows his two most recent series “The Keyholes” and “Dawn and Dusk” which use different mediums such as installation, photographs and films to maximize the viewing experience and convey his messages. The exhibition continues through Oct. 21 at Gallery Kong in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. For more information, visit www.gallerykong.com or call (02) 738-7776.

“The 7th Seoul International Media Art Biennale”: Seoul Museum of Art holds a new media art festival, which explores the convergence of media technologies and contemporary art. With the theme “Spell on You” this year, the exhibition aims to expose current social and political contexts through diverse media. In its seventh edition, the media art festival has positioned itself as one of the leading media art exhibitions in the world, garnering attention from outside the country. The exhibition is held at the Seoul Museum of Art and Digital Media City Center in Sangam-dong, Seoul, till Nov. 4. Admission is free and guided tours are offered at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day. For more information, visit www.mediacityseoul.kr.

“Deoksugung Project”: The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea and Deoksugung Office of the Cultural Heritage Administration launched the Deoksugung Project with 12 contemporary artists who presented their own interpretations of royal history in the forms of installation, sculpture, video and performance throughout the Deoksugung grounds. The artworks will be installed inside the palace buildings, and the Deoksugung office allows visitors to step inside the buildings during the festival which runs till Dec. 12. Entrance to Deoksugung is free for elementary, middle and high school students and 1,000 won for adults. Guided tours on the Deoksugung grounds will be offered at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. every day. For more information, call (02) 2188-6000 or visit www.moca.go.kr.

“Dung-seob, Go to Renaissance!”: Seoul Museum, a private museum founded by pharmacy business magnate and art collector Ahn Byung-gwang, holds its inaugural exhibition focusing on Korea’s modern painters such as Lee Jung-seob, Han Mook and Park Ko-suk until Nov. 21. The exhibition sheds light on painters who were active in the 1950s-70s and contributed to the cultural renaissance in Korea. long with the special exhibition, another exhibition featuring some top names such as abstract painter Yoo Young-guk, media artist Paik Nam June and painter Chun Kyung-ja will be held throughout the year. Seoul Museum is located in Buam-dong, northern Seoul. For more information, call (02) 395-0100 or visit www.seoulmuseum.org.

Pop music

“Singing the Beatles”: A special two-concert event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles. Eleven artists from the Korean indie rock scene including the Moonshiners, Jang Jae-in, the Windy City, the Mentles, Kingston Rudieska, Yozoh and many more will hit the stage with their versions of more than 30 classic Beatles hits. The performance will be held at the Mapo Art Center on Nov. 2-3 at 8 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Tickets range from 22,000 won to 33,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“Owl City: The Midsummer Station World Tour”: The electronica one man show Adam Young of Owl City will hold a concert in Seoul on Nov. 10 at the V-Hall in Hongdae at 7 p.m.. Owl City rose to fame with the 2009 debut album Ocean Eyes, which included the quadruple-platinum hit single “Fireflies.” Young is not only the lead vocal but does all the programming, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitars, bass guitar, drums, percussion and vibraphone for his tracks. Tickets are 88,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“Norah Jones Live in Seoul”: American singer/songwriter Norah Jones, who rose to stardom with her hit song “Don’t Know Why,” will hold a Seoul concert on Nov. 17 at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. Jones launched her solo music career with the release of the critically acclaimed album “Come Away with Me,” a fusion of jazz, pop and country music. This album sold more than 26 million copies and earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist. Her fifth studio album, “Little Broken Hearts,” was released on April 27. Tickets range from 99,000 won to 165,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man Tour”: The legendary rocket man himself, Sir Elton John will return to Seoul after eight years with a live performance celebrating his 40-year career in the music industry. The solo concert will be held at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Gymnasium on Nov. 27 starting at 8 p.m. The legendary singer, songwriter, composer and pianist has sold more than 250 million albums making him one of the most successful artists of all time. Tickets range from 77,000 won to 250,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Festival

“Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival”: Suncheon Bay in South Jeolla Province, well known for its vast reed field, holds the 14th Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival that will offer visitors various programs to be enjoyed in nature. Under the theme “2012 Suncheon Bay, Sing the Reeds,” the festival will be held from Nov. 1-4 and feature a symposium on reeds, and ecological tours in Suncheon and Dongcheon. It will also hold a “Gangnam Style” flash-mob event. For more information, call (061) 749-4221~3.

“Hampyeong Grand Chrysanthemum Festival”: Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, holds a chrysanthemum festival from Oct. 26-Nov. 11 at Hampyeong Expo Park. The festival boasts a vast field of chrysanthemums around the central square of the park and holds various hands-on experiences for visitors such as flower picking, Korean traditional folk games, harvesting agricultural crops and more. The festival also exhibits artworks created with chrysanthemum flowers. The admission tickets cost 7,000 won for adults, 5,000 won for teenagers and 3,000 won for children. For more information, call (061) 320-3364, or visit www.hampyeong.go.kr.

“Sunchang Gochujang Festival”: Sunchang in North Jeolla Province, famous for producing good-quality “gochujang” red pepper paste, hosts the 7th Gochujang Festival in November. The three-day event features a cooking competition, traditional Korean entertainment activities, singing contest and concerts. A highlight of the event is making a 107-meter fermented soybean block, which is a primary ingredient of gochujang. The festival runs from Nov. 2-4 in Sunchang Gochujang Village. For more information, call (063) 650-1635.

“Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival”: Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province has Korea’s largest chrysanthemum flower field, accounting for about 13 percent of the country’s chrysanthemum crop. It holds a flower festival every year to promote its flower brand “Autumn Chrysanthemum” and related products. The festival will feature a variety of programs this year from flower art exhibition, tea sampling event to food event using the flower as an ingredient. It will take place at the first port of Masan and many other places in the city including Chrysanthemum Park in Sapa-dong and Jinhaeru from Oct. 25-Nov. 4. For more information, visit festival.changwon.go.kr/gagopa or call (055) 225-2341.


Theater

“Long Day’s Journey into Night”: American playwright Eugene O’Neill’s 1956 work “Long Day’s Journey into Night” is being staged in Seoul. The piece, which tells the story of a dysfunctional family, is based on O’Neill’s personal experience with his own family. In the play, three of its male characters are alcoholics, while its female character Mary is addicted to morphine. The current run is directed by Japanese theater director Tamiya Kuriyama and performed by the National Theater of Korea. The show is being performed in Korean with English subtitles. The show runs until Nov. 11 at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call 1688-5966.

“Rudolf”: A Korean adaptation of the famous European musical “Rudolf” will be staged in Seoul for the first time. The show is about Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (1858-1889), and his extramarital affair with Baroness Mary Vetsera. The piece is written based on the widespread assumption that the crown prince and his mistress committed suicide together at his Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889. Korea’s musical stars Im Tae-gyeong, Ahn Jae-wook and Park Eun-tae are sharing the role of the prince. The show runs from Nov. 10 to Jan. 27, 2013, at Chungmu Art Hall in central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 6391-6333.

“Phantom of the Opera”: Tickets are available for the upcoming run of the world’s beloved musical, “Phantom of the Opera.” The show opens on Dec. 7 at Blue Square’s Samsung Electronics Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical tells the story of the beautiful soprano Christine, and a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who becomes obsessed with her. Australian actress Claire Lyon will play Christine, while veteran Broadway actor Brad Little will perform as the Phantom. The show was first staged in Korea in 2001, and its last Korean run was in 2010 in Daegu. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 160,000 won, and a 15 percent discount is available for those who have seen the show in Korea in the past. For more information, visit www.phantomoftheopera.co.kr or call 1577-3363.

“Aida”: Korea’s Seensee Company once again presents the Korean adaptation of Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical “Aida.” The show was first staged in Seoul in 2005, and its second run was held in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in 2010. Based on Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian-language opera of the same title, the show tells the story of Aida, Nubia’s princess who gets taken into slavery in Egypt. She soon gets attention from Radames, captain of the Egyptian army, who is expected to succeed to the country’s throne after the Pharaoh’s death. For the 2005 run, idol star-turned-musical actress Ock Ju-hyun starred as the beautiful and captivating Aida. This year, actress Cha Ji-yeon and pop singer Sonya are sharing the lead role. “Aida” runs from Dec. 2 to April 28, 2013, at D-Cube Art Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.

Dance

“Dear Nongae”: The National Dance Company of Korea is presenting their original repertoire “Dear Nongae,” which is based on the life of the famous 16th-century “gisaeng,” female entertainer, Nongae. Nongae lived in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, during the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598). She is said to have seduced Japanese general Keyamura Rokusuke and led him to a cliff, embraced him and jumped, killing the general as well as herself. The show is choreographed by local choreographer and former dancer Yoon Seong-joo. She is said to have combined Korea’s traditional dance with ballet movements for the show. “Dear Nongae” runs from Nov. 16-18 at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. English subtitles available. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2280-4115.

“Eyes of Dawn”: Lee Won Kuk Ballet is showcasing its original drama ballet based on MBC’s mega-hit 1991 drama of the same title. The piece tells the story of two young men and a woman who live through the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War. Lee Won-kuk will dance the role of Dae-chi, one of the three main characters. The character gets drafted to the Japanese military during World War II, and eventually becomes a communist partisan. The roles of Yeo-ok, the love interest of Dae-chi, and the other male character Ha-rim will be shared by dancers Choi So-bin, Choi Ye-won and Lee Young-jin. “Eyes of Dawn” runs from Oct. 26-27 at Nowon Arts Center in northern Seoul. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 951-3355.

“Prince Hodong”: Korea National Ballet stages “Prince Hodong,” an original work based on Korean traditional tale “Princess Nakrang and Prince Hodong,” from Nov. 10-11 at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. Based on the Korean cultural text, the ballet depicts war, love, betrayal and death. The show was performed in Italy last year as the opener for the San Carlo Dance Festival. For more information, call (02) 587-6181 or visit www.kballet.org.

“Swan Lake”: Internationally acclaimed ballet company Mariinsky Ballet will be in Korea to stage the Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake.” The famous ballet tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. She tries to break the curse with her love interest prince Siegfried, but fails as the prince gets tricked by the sorcerer. The Russian troupe was founded in the 18th century and is now considered one of the world’s greatest ballet companies. The show runs from Nov. 12-13 at Sejong Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 270,000 won. For more information, call (070) 7124-1740 or visit www.uac.co.kr.


Classic music

“Kim Sun-wook plays Ludwig van Beethoven’s Complete 32 Piano Sonatas”: Pianist Kim Sun-wook will play four piano sonatas by Beethoven on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. at LG Art Center in southern Seoul. The concert is a part of the “Kim Sun-wook plays Ludwig Beethoven’s Complete 32 Piano Sonatas” which is scheduled to conclude next year. This is the fourth and last session of the year. The program will feature: Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major “Quasi una fantasia,” Op. 27, No. 1; Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Moonlight,” Op. 27, No. 2; Sonata No. 15 in D major “Pastoral,” Op. 28; and Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31, No. 1. Kim shot to international fame when he won the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006 at the age of 18. He has played with London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Radio France Philharmonic and many other noted orchestras. Tickets are priced from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. The organizers are giving 100 students a 20 percent discount. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com 

“Yundi Piano Recital in Seoul”: Star Chinese pianist Yundi Li returns to Korea with Beethoven sonatas on Oct. 31 at Seoul Arts Center. Yundi rose to fame after he won, at age 18, the first prize at the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2000. Chopin’s compositions have been his signature pieces but now the 30-year-old pianist brings his favorite Beethoven sonatas including “Moonlight,” “Pathetique” and “Appassionata.” Tickets are 50,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, call (02) 541-3183.

Sumi Jo concert: Soprano Sumi Jo will hold a concert on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at Seoul Art Center Opera House to mark the release of her latest album, “La Luce.” The album contains songs dedicated to Jo by Russian composer Igor Krutoy, who collaborated with the soprano for the 11th Winter Asian Games last year. The new album is more of a “light classic” featuring softer and emotional sides of Krutoy along with well-known repertoires such as “Music of the Night” from the musical “Phantom of the Opera” and others. Musical stars Ok Ju-hyun and Lim Tae-kyung will also perform. Tickets range in price from 80,000 won to 150,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3461-0976.