Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Soprano Sumi Jo, HK idol band Mirror's Keung To sing in harborfront concert in Hong Kong
The poster for “Music on the Harbourfront” / Courtesy of Hong Kong Generation Next Arts Limited
By Park Ji-won
By Park Ji-won
HONG KONG ― Soprano Sumi Jo and Keung To of Hong Kong's idol boy band Mirror will be singing a Mirror song in Cantonese and Korean during the opening concert on Nov. 18 for a music festival scheduled at Hong Kong's scenic West Kowloon harborfront. It will be one of the first large-scale concerts to be held as well as the first public appearance of a Mirror member singing since the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Music on the Harbourfront festival is scheduled to be held from Nov. 18 to 20 on the Great Lawn of West Kowloon Artpark, which can host 4,000 audience members.
The duet will be singing one of the Hong Kong group's most famous songs, which has yet to be disclosed. HKGNA Music Festival Youth Orchestra and Refiner Drums will play the song led by conductor Andrew Ling.
“When Keung To joined our festival, we asked Sumi Jo if she could sing together one song with Keung To. She generously said yes and was open to a suggestion,” Michelle Kim, founder and artistic director of HKGNA, said during a press conference held at the M+ museum in Hong Kong, Thursday. “We thought it might be more meaningful to sing one of the popular Mirror songs by Keung To which Sumi Jo will also be singing.”
On Nov. 19, music comedy duo Igudesman & Joo, canto-pop star P1x3L, pianist Anson Wong and violinist Sophie Leung will also be performing. On Nov. 20, local international school students will sing as a chorus, while Canadian pianist Matt Herskowitz, canto-pop singer Jade Kwan, HK Phil Concertmaster Jing Wang and other young artists from HKGNA will be performing.
On the sidelines of the event, there will be film screenings of “Anita,” “Up to his ears” and “In our prime.”
For more information, visit HKGNA's website.