When the Gyechon Music Festival was being considered over a decade ago, residents of the village Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, expressed a preference for popular music genres like trot, rather than classical music -- or at least a mix of the two. Ten years on, no one is talking about a pop music festival. Rather, the village hopes to solidify its identity as an art village, with the rare outdoor classic music festival as the catalyst, according to Lee Dong-yeun, director of the festival and p

Culture April 17, 2024

Gyeongseong, as present-day Seoul was called during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, is the background of many popular TV shows, including “Mr. Sunshine" (2018) and “Gyeongseong Creature" (2023), or even in the musical “Il Tenoro" (2023). While watching “Mr. Sunshine,” the head and artistic director of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, Park Hye-jin, envisioned Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” set in 1900s to 1930s Korea

Culture April 17, 2024

Dutch organist Ben van Oosten, 69, has devoted his life to the instrument ever since his first appointment as a church organist at the age of 11. His father, an amateur organist and pianist, would take him to organ concerts in The Hague and to different churches where he played. His first impression of the instrument’s sound was overwhelming, and it soon became his favorite instrument. “Due to its almost limitless sound colors and dynamic possibilities, the organ is capable of provok

Performance April 16, 2024

Amid heightened interest in Hangeul, the King Sejong Institute, which is at the forefront of Korean-language education abroad, saw a surge in the number of students last year, according to the King Sejong Institute on Friday. The number of online students rose 44 percent to about 88,000 last year. Including some 128,000 offline students, the King Sejong Institute now serves well more than 200,000 Korean-language students. “This shows digital innovation for the King Sejong Institute is very

Culture April 15, 2024

Why do artists return to the annual Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, which is staging its 19th edition this year? Pianist Park Sang-wook and violinist Danny Koo, who have performed at the festival for several years, said that it’s a festival that offers valuable opportunities for artists and audiences alike. “Soloists spend a lot of time practicing alone and critiquing themselves, which can lead to feelings of depression. While I can express my emotions and colors during perfo

Performance April 15, 2024

In terms of personalities, celebrated Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum and Bulgarian violinist Svetlin Roussev are polar opposites. Son, an introvert who loves solitude, prefers not to engage in frequent phone conversations. She typically spends less than an hour on personal calls. Roussev, on the other hand, is an extrovert who loves to connect with people and enjoys spending time outside. He easily spends an hour on the phone. “He’s so energetic. Nothing matches outside of music,”

Culture April 10, 2024

The strong and positive audience reaction to the new musical, "Il Tenore," has led to a rerun just a month after the two month-long premiere concluded on Feb. 25. Additionally, the musical led Seo Kyung-su, who plays the lead role of Yun I-seon, a medical student with a passion for classical singing, against the backdrop of 1920s Korea during the Japanese colonial occupation, to volunteer to do an interview. Seo alternates the role with two other top actors, Hong Kwang-ho and Park Eun-

Culture April 9, 2024

When "A Midsummer Night's Dream," an opera adapted by Benjamin Britten, premieres in South Korea later this week in a production by the Korea National Opera, it will represent two rarities here. An opera with a libretto from William Shakespeare's play of the same title, it will stand out as a rare English-language opera in a country where the works of Verdi, Wagner and Puccini are beloved. Additionally, the opera is one of very few to include countertenors in the leading role

Culture April 8, 2024

The Beha Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a concert on April 12 at the Lotte Concert Hall. Conducted by Kim Bong-mi, the first part of the concert will feature vocal performances by three tenors and the second part will have an orchestral performance. Three tenors Jin Sung-won, Kim Dong-won and Lee Dong-myong will together perform ,"” a tenor aria from Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" and “Nessun dorma” from Puccini's oper

Culture April 8, 2024

South Korean violinist Kim Jae-won has been appointed a "supersoliste" (super soloist), or principal concertmaster with tenure, at Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, according to the Kumho Cultural Art Foundation on Wednesday. Having successfully auditioned for the concertmaster position in 2022, she took the position of the concertmaster of the Toulouse Capitole National Orchestra in 2023. In March 2024, she was given tenure, the foundation said. "Orchestre National du C

Culture April 3, 2024

In the upcoming performances of “St. Matthew Passion,” BWV 244 by J.S. Bach, in South Korea, renowned countertenor Philippe Jaroussky will join forces with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Francesco Corti. Jaroussky will sing “Erbarme dich” in the three-hour-long performance. “I’ve been working specifically on this aria for more than 6 months! I think the difficulty is to express the powerful expression of regret and the dramatic aspect of it, wit

Culture April 2, 2024

For conductor Jaap van Zweden, football manager Guus Hiddink is his "maestro," the artistic director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra said during a press conference at Seoul City Hall on Monday. On the same day, Hiddink, the first person ever to be given honorary South Korean citizenship, became the SPO’s first ambassador. In this honorary position, Hiddink will accompany the orchestra on its international tours, promote both the city and the orchestra, and participate in othe

Culture April 2, 2024

HONG KONG - Angelle Siyang-Le, the Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, marking her second year in the position, witnessed a remarkable return to full-scale operations post-pandemic this year. Art Basel Hong Kong, which ran from Thursday to Saturday, said it welcomed over 75,000 visitors from around the world across its VIP and public days, with participating galleries reaching 242, up from last year's 177. Although this falls short of the 2023 attendance of 86,000, the director of Art Basel Ho

Culture March 31, 2024

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- The Tongyeong International Music Festival commenced Friday with its artistic director Chin Unsuk saying she’s hoping to provide a beautiful moment that will remain forever with an underlying theme of diversity. "We always strive to present as many diverse elements as possible to the audience within this short period,” she said. “For the past two years of the festival, I have often thought that this moment, when we share this beaut

Culture March 31, 2024

HONG KONG -- Art Basel Hong Kong returned in full form last year to the excitement of the art community. This year, the fair is showing a steep recovery curve, with the number of participating galleries reaching 242, up from last year's 177. The 37 percent increase indicates a return to the show’s pre-pandemic scale, matching the 242 galleries that participated in 2019. Art Basel’s 2024 Hong Kong edition opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Tuesday with in

Culture March 27, 2024