By Culture Desk

Welcoming the New Year brings a multitude of emotions and vows. The masses are making resolutions, embarking on fresh beginnings and looking toward that gleaming hope on the horizon — but first, the conclusion of the past year must be sent off in style. So whether you’re looking to kick back with a 24-hour art marathon screening in the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art or rock out to the beats of local K-pop stars, bid a memorable farewell to 2010.

Make way, 2011!


Classical contentment

The Seoul Arts Center and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul will host their annual New Year’s Eve concerts, offering lineups of spectacular shows and events for the big countdown. The programs are particularly star-studded this year and music lovers may find it difficult to choose between the two.

The Seoul Arts Center will offer something thoroughly classic. The concert will begin at 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 at the Concert Hall, with esteemed violinist-professor Kim Nam-yun and a string orchestra comprised of her students. Two of her distinguished proteges — Clara Jumi Kang, winner of the 2010 Indianapolis Competition, and Shin Hyun-su, winner of the 2008 Long-Thibaud Competition — will also take the stage for a duo performance.


In the second part of the concert, popular young cellist Young Song (a.k.a. Song Young-hoon) will appear with the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme.” Last but not least the star dancers of the Korea National Ballet Company, Kim Joo-won and Kim Hyun-woong, will perform the grand pas de deux from “Giselle.”

The evening will culminate with fireworks in the outdoor plaza announcing the New Year. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 70,000 won. Call (02) 580-1300.

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, meanwhile, will offer crossover numbers and celebrations with wine in the concert that begins at 10:30 p.m.

Fans will be able to see two power vocalists onstage together — superstar soprano Sumi Jo and Broadway musical hero Brad Little. Each will sing their signature solos — arias from “Carmen” or songs from “The Phantom of the Opera” — as well as duets (Little will also appear with musical actress Yun Gong-ju).


A large screen will broadcast the traditional ringing of the Bosingak bell announcing the New Year, and concertgoers will be encouraged to keep their cellular phones during the countdown to send SMS messages to friends and family.

After the clock strikes 12 a.m., Jo and Little will give their first performance of the year by singing “Brindisi,” the much-loved celebratory song from “La Traviata.”

Other artists including classical guitarist Park Joo-won and crossover vocal group Viva Voce will grace the evening, offering a variety of beloved songs ranging from jazz and pop songs to operatic arias. Wine and refreshments will be served during intermission. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 100,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114~6.


Praying for prosperity

The religious circles are also getting ready to prepare for the New Year, especially with events that will mean something to others as well.

Buddhist temples are offering various events, mostly including overnight temple stays. Woljeong Temple in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, will hold a New Year’s event where monks and some 350 Buddhists will get together and perform the “Samboilbae,” or the practice where the Buddhists perform one full prostration for every three steps. The temple has beautiful scenery located right in the middle of the forest of Mt. Odae, which will offer a great view of the year’s first sunrise. For more information, visit www.woljeongsa.org.

Jeondeung Temple in Incheon will also have their own bell ringing ceremony, along with other colorful events like making “tteokguk,” or rice cake soup, roasting and sharing sweet potatoes and even a mini film festival from 8:30 p.m. Fun sunrise events for families and friends will also take place on Jan. 1. Call (032) 937-0125 (Korean).

Most Christian churches are having their own special events fit for the New Year, including the Christian Association of Yeoungwol. The group will hold concerts and donations throughout the last week of December, while the Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral will hold a New Year’s mass with Cardinal Nicholas Chung Jin-suk.

An artistic all-nighter

Christian Marclay’s debut exhibition in Korea will reach its peak in tandem with the 2011 countdown, at the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. The acclaimed, much anticipated domestic viewing of his 24-hour long “The Clock” will be shown perfectly aligned with real time, from 7 a.m. on Dec. 31 to 7 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2011. It will be the one and only chance to see the work in full here, which previously showed at the White Cube gallery in London.

“The Clock” comprises of thousands of film clips, threading together gripping scenes taken from heist films, action movies, dramas and comedies. For more information visit www.leeum.org or call (02) 2014—6900.

Dancing with the DJs

If you’re looking to party hard in a good-looking crowd, the massive shopping complex of Times Square in Yeongdeungpo-dong is holding grand festivities. Accompanied by international and domestic acts, Countdown Seoul 2011 will be headlined by French label Ed Banger Records founder Pedro Winter. DJing under the name Busy P, the music force — who has signed such electronic groups as Justice — will be leading the way into the New Year, backed by labelmate DJ Mehdi.

Japanese artist Takeshi Hanzawa (formerly known as FreeTEMPO) will play his first live show backed by a full band, while the fashion and DJ icon Mademoiselle Yulia of Tokyo will also spin tracks. Other names to look forward to include Strip Steve, Galaxy Express and Telepathy, among others. Shows start at 8 p.m. and run through 5 a.m. on the morning of the first. Tickets cost 66,000 won; for more information, visit www.countdownseoul.com (Korean and English).

Kick off with K-pop

Being in the heated atmosphere of a torrent of pop music fans is another way to send off the old year and welcome in the new one.

Rain, one of Korea’s top singers and movie stars now challenging Hollywood, is holding two concerts on Dec. 31, at 6 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. at Jamsil Indoor Stadium.

At the “Adieu 2010 with Rain” concert, the star’s first domestic performance in 14 months, he will be ready to rock the guests with a setlist of hits and powerful dance moves.

The guests of the latter show will have a chance to greet the New Year with the singer, who recently starred in the KBS drama “The Fugitive: Plan B.”

Tickets range from 66,000 won to 165,000 won.

Those who want more soulful music can head to the Coex to indulge in the vocal power of singers Kim Bum-soo, Lee Young-hyun and R&B duo Vibe.

At “The Soul,” Kim will sing his hit songs such as “I Miss You,” rearranged for this concert, and talk about his music and life. Vibe will sing their hit “Hateful but Once Again” and “I’m Always Drinking,” in addition to new songs from their latest album in Praha.” Known for her song “Resignation,” Lee Young-hyun, a vocalist from Big Mama, will fill the stage with her rich voice. In addition to solo sets, the three will also perform together.

Mint Paper, the organizer of the autumnal Grand Mint Festival, opens their inaugural year-end music festival on Dec. 30 and 31. More than 30 artists will perform at the event.

The two-day music fest will bring 14 acts on Thursday and 18 more on Friday. Guests can choose between two stages — one indoor and one outdoor dome — and a lounge for dancing during the night, with music from Vodka Rain, The Moonshiners, W&Whale, Guckkasten and several DJs.

On New Year’s Eve, modern rock band Jaurim will lead the countdown, followed by an hour-long show.

The concert starts at 4:30 p.m. and closes at midnight on Thursday; 5:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday. Tickets cost 44,000 won for Thursday, 55,000 won for Friday and 88,000 won for both days.

Visit www.ticket.interpark.com/global for reservations.