Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Top spring chamber music festival to highlight bigger ensembles
The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, a highly anticipated annual event led by violinist Kang Dong-suk, is set to return bigger this May with the theme, "The More, The Merrier!," featuring larger ensembles than in previous years. Going beyond traditional small chamber music ensembles, this year’s festival will offer a variety of sextets, septets and octets, according to the festival's organizers on Monday. The festival will commence April 26 at the Sejong Center for th
March 20, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Universal Ballet's 'Korea Emotion' captures 'jeong' through ballet
The Universal Ballet is set to capture the unique emotion of “jeong” through the language of ballet expressed with traditional Korean music in "Korea Emotion," which kicks off the company's 2023 season this week. “Korea Emotion,” choreographed by the company's artistic director Liu Bingxian, will be performed at the Haeoreum Grand Theater from Friday to Sunday. “Jeong” is an emotion for which it is hard to find an English equivalent. It is
March 14, 2023
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Pianist Son Yeol-eum releases Mozart complete piano sonatas album with recitals
It was an impulsive decision to start recording Mozart's piano sonatas, as the opportunity only presented itself due to the availability of time and place. However, as Son Yeol-eum began recording at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in January, she felt as though she had returned home and she decided to finish the complete collection of Mozart’s 18 sonatas. The pianist's ninth album, "Yeol Eum Son: Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas," is being released Friday. Even though it felt
March 14, 2023
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Four top classical musicians to showcase duo dynamism
Four top classical musicians, including recent international competition winners Yang In-mo and Choi Ha-young, will showcase their virtuosity and harmony as a duo. Yang In-mo, 28, the double winner of two prestigious competitions, and Kim Da-sol, also with an impressive track record, join forces to perform Webern’s Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7, Brahms’ Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 78, Furrer’s Lied for Violin and Piano (1993) and Beethoven’s Sona
March 14, 2023
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Paris Opera Ballet announces its first Black 'etoile' in Seoul
The Paris Opera Ballet has appointed Guillaume Diop to its highest “etoile” title, marking the first time a black dancer has reached the top rank of honor reserved for just a handful of dancers in the company's 354-year history. "In the life of the dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, there is a rare and collective moment which we share with the public at the end of the performance,” said director Jose Martinez in making the announcement on stage after Diop’s perf
March 13, 2023
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BLACKPINK sets Guinness world record for most-streamed girl group on Spotify
K-pop girl group BLACKPINK was inscribed on the Guinness World Records as the most-streamed girl group on Spotify in the world, the group's agency said Saturday. The band's songs had garnered 8.88 billion streams as of March 3, breaking the previous record of 8.4 billion streams set by the British girl group Little Mix, YG Entertainment said, citing the announcement from the Guinness World Records. "Shut Down," the main single off BLACKPINK's second full-length album, to
March 11, 2023
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Rachmaninoff gets spotlight to mark 150th anniversary of his birth
Sergei Rachmaninoff's music holds a special place in the hearts of many Koreans, with his Piano Concerto No. 2 consistently ranking among the top five classical music pieces in surveys conducted by KBS Classic FM in 1982, 2009, 2016 and 2021. The Piano Concerto No. 3 has become more familiar for Korean audiences after Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan's captivating performance during the final of the 2022 Van Cliburn International Competition. The video of his performance on YouTube has garn
March 9, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Jung Jae-il: Breaking barriers beyond international success
Music director, composer and instrumentalist Jung Jae-il gained international recognition with his musical work for critically acclaimed films and TV dramas such as “Okja” (2017), “Parasite” (2019) and “Squid Game" (2021). In Korea, the 41-year-old has been making his mark on the industry for 25 years since his debut at 17. Jung is currently working with movie director Bong Joon-ho for his next film ‘Mickey 17.’ He recently had the opportunity to wo
March 8, 2023
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Paris Opera Ballet's 'Giselle' to capture essence of romantic French ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet, one of the leading ballet companies in the world, is set to stage “Giselle,” an iconic French romantic ballet, from Wednesday to Saturday. The oldest national ballet company in the world premiered the piece in 1841, and will be performing in Korea for the first time in 30 years. The same piece was performed in Korea in 1993. “‘Giselle’ is a performance that best captures the characteristics of French ballet,” said Jose Martinez, directo
March 7, 2023
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Creative team of 'The Phantom of the Opera' talks about much-anticipated return
The musical “The Phantom of the Opera” will kick off in Busan in March, a significant event on many levels. Not only is it the third Korean production of the iconic musical that took the local musical industry by storm with its debut in 2001, it is returning to Korea after 13 years. Danny Sihn, CEO and producer of S&CO, told reporters during a press conference on Monday that the latest production is focused on preserving the original vision of the 35-year-old musical created by l
March 6, 2023
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SPO and van Zweden to hold charity concert in April
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, with its incoming music director Jaap van Zweden, will perform a special concert in April for those in need. On April 7, "A Very Special Concert" will take place at Ewha Womans University with guest violinist Kong Min-bae, an 18-year-old violinist who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 5. He first learned to play the piano as part of his treatment. At 10 years old, Kong started to take violin lessons. During a press conference i
March 6, 2023
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OPL returns to Korea after 20 years, this time collaborates with cellist Han Jae-min
Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg (OPL) returns to South Korea for the first time since 2003 this time with conductor Gustavo Gimeno. On the Korea-only tour, the Spanish conductor, 47, will lead the orchestra for four performances around the country with 16-year-old Korean cellist Han Jae-min, the youngest winner of the George Enescu International Competition. For the first part of the concert, the orchestra and Han will present Dvorak Cello Concerto, Op. 104, B. 191. After the intermission
March 3, 2023
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Wind quintet Les Vents Francais returns to South Korea
Les Vents Francais, a French wind quintet, return to South Korea, bringing along with them their music which is full of colors and a sense of humor, Paul Meyer, clarinetist and founder of the ensemble, said in an email interview last week. “In German romanticism and Russian music, expressions are direct, especially in those of anguish. French music treats the same thing (with a) certain modesty. The taste of French modesty is closer to politeness or humor,” Meyer said. On Wednesday,
Feb. 28, 2023
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Contemporary Gugak Orchestra to revisit chamber music by leading composers
The Contemporary Gugak Orchestra under the National Gugak Center returns with a chamber music performance that features the musical works of six leading composers in Korean creative traditional music. "The Korean Composers Series" will be held on March 9, at Umyeondang of the National Gugak Center, located in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The series selects the works of Korean composers who have helped shape contemporary gugak music traditions and provides a stage for reflection on the meaning and
Feb. 27, 2023
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Jung Jae-il releases first Decca album 'Listen'
Jung Jae-il, 41, one of South Korea's best-regarded composers and music directors, released "Listen," his first album under Decca Records, on Friday. Jung earned his international reputation with his musical work for the critically acclaimed film “Parasite” as well as Netflix series “Squid Game.” He was recognized by the Hollywood Music In Media Awards for his work on “Squid Game.” The seven-track record conveys his message to pay attention to t
Feb. 24, 2023
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Nine-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis in Seoul for jazz concert in March
Nine-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is scheduled to perform on March 19 at LG Arts Center Seoul as part of the center's signature program CoMPAS23, a specially curated series of eight performances by top Korean and international artists. The American jazz musician is recognized for his wide range of techniques and genres, from classical to modern jazz as well as composition. Sharing the stage with Marsalis are pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez, drummer Obed Calvari
Feb. 24, 2023
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Changgeuk adaptation of 'Jeong-nyeon' offers what only live theater can
The National Changgeuk Company of Korea kicks off the 2023 season with a changgeuk adaptation of the hit webtoon series “Jeong-nyeon” from March 17 to March 29 at Daloreum Theater, the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. Based on the webtoon of the same title by Seo Ireh and Namon, the changgeuk follows Jeong-nyeon, a young actor-singer in the making who dreams of becoming the best "gukgeuk" performer in the the heyday of the performing art form in the 1950s. Gukgeuk, or &q
Feb. 23, 2023
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Park Hae-soo returns to theater as Mephisto in 'Faust'
Actor Park Hae-soo is returning to the theater stage after sweeping the globe in Netflix’s “Squid Game,” “Money Heist” and “Narco-Saints.” Park plays Mephistopheles, or Mephisto the devil, in Goethe’s tragic play “Faust” slated to run at LG Arts Center Seoul, from March 31 to April 29. Before his fame in film and television after making a breakthrough performance in tvN’s “Prison Playbook,” Park had been a prolific sta
Feb. 22, 2023
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World-renowned musicians debut experimental opera in Korea
International chamber ensemble Sejong Soloists will join hands with Joyce DiDonato, one of the world's most celebrated opera singers, to perform the Asian premiere of Tod Machover’s “Overstory Overture” in Seoul on March 16. “Overstory Overture” is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Overstory” by Richard Powers, which explores the relationship between humans and nature. Machover, known for his innovative approach to music, said in a r
Feb. 22, 2023
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NTCK starts new season with ‘Manseon’
The National Theater Company of Korea starts the 2023 season with realism drama “Manseon: The Yearning of a Fisherman” in March. The acclaimed play of depth and energy is slated to run at Myeongdong Theater from March 16 to April 9. Set in a small village on the southern coast, a fisherman named Gomchi harbors dreams of making a fortune with a boatload of fish -- white croakers specifically. However, he becomes penniless when the ship owner charges him extortionate rates of interest
Feb. 21, 2023