The Korea Times

'Music in PyeongChang' calls on audience to ponder meaning of being alive

Son Yeol-eum, pianist and artistic director of “Music in PyeongChang,” speaks during a press conference held to promote the biannual classic festival at the Korea Press Center, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe poster for “San, Alive,” the summer series of the biannual classic festival, “Music in PyeongChang.” Courtesy of Music In PyeongChang“Music in PyeongChang,” a biannual classical music concert, will be held in Gangwon Province from July 28 to Aug. 7. The concert, which began in 2004, aims to get the audience to ponder the meaning of being “alive” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert is titled, “San (Korean), Alive,” using the Korean word meaning both “mountain” and “alive.” Up to 22 concerts will be performed by leading artists from Korea and abroad in various concert halls around the mountainous province, about 100 kilometers northeast of Seoul.Most of the main concerts, or 12 programs, will be held at the Alpensia Concert Hall inside the Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang, whi

Jun 15, 2021By Park Ji-won

'Music in PyeongChang' calls on audience to ponder meaning of being alive

Trends

South Korean bishop becomes Vatican Prefect

By Park Ji-wonArchbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, who was newly named as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See / Catholic Bishops' Conference of KoreaPope Francis has appointed Lazarus You Heung-sik, currently Bishop of Daejeon, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy on Friday while conferring on him the title of Archbishop-Bishop Emeritus of Daejeon. He is the first South Korean to assume the position and the second Asian to do so after Jose Tomas Sanchez, a Filipino cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. The congregation is responsible for handling matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders, as well as seminaries, overseeing more than 400,000 priests around the world. He will be serving in the position for the next five years.“The Prefect, which leads one of nine Roman Congregations in the Roman Curia, the central administrative organization of the Catholic Church, is largely considered to be led by Cardinals. So it is highly anticipated that You will be appointed to the position of Cardinal in the future,” the Archdio

Jun 14, 2021By Park Ji-won

South Korean bishop becomes Vatican Prefect

Arts & Theater

Ballerina Park Sae Eun becomes Paris Opera Ballet's 1st Asian principal dancer

Ballerina Park Sae Eun of the Paris Opera Ballet poses after being promoted to principal dancer, or “danseuse etoile,” after playing Juliet for “Romeo and Juliet” at Opera Bastille, Paris, Thursday, local time. Park is the first Asian dancer to secure the highest ranking in the dance troupe's history. Courtesy of Ballet Opera Paris By Park Ji-wonBallerina Park Sae Eun of the Paris Opera Ballet was promoted to principal dancer, or “danseuse etoile,” Thursday (CET), after performing Juliet for “Romeo and Juliet.” Park is the first Asian dancer to secure the position in the history of the troupe, which was founded in 1669.According to the Paris Opera Ballet's official social media accounts, Aurelie Dupont, dance director of Ballet Opera Paris, and Alexander Neef, director of the Paris Opera, named Park as principal dancer on June 10, right after the opening performance of “Romeo and Juliet,” which is running from June 10 to July 10. Since joining the ballet company in

Jun 11, 2021By Park Ji-won

Ballerina Park Sae Eun becomes Paris Opera Ballet's 1st Asian principal dancer

Trends

'Visit Korean Heritage' campaign to be expanded in preparation for post-pandemic era

Kim Hyun-mo, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) speaks during a press conference held to promote its flagship “Visit Korean Heritage” Campaign to promote cultural assets, at Korea House in Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe government's two-year-old “Visit Korean Heritage” Campaign promoting cultural assets will be expanded as a preemptive measure for the recovery of international tourism to Korea after the COVID-19 pandemic.Hosted by the Cultural Heritage Foundation and run by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), the campaign aims to attract 20 million foreign tourists to Korea per year and vitalize the visitation of cultural assets and thus regional tourism across the country. It will introduce up to 10 tourist destinations paired with various cultural assets throughout the nation, as well as various online content, physical exhibitions and events throughout the year.“It is largely expected that foreign tourists will be visiting Korea from the start of next year. This year we will focus on preparation of the campaign for next

Jun 11, 2021By Park Ji-won

'Visit Korean Heritage' campaign to be expanded in preparation for post-pandemic era

Music

Korean composer Chin Un-suk awarded Leonie Sonning Music Prize

Composer Chin Un-suk / Courtesy of Chin Un-sukBy Park Ji-wonKorean composer Chin Un-suk became the first Asian to receive Denmark's prestigious Leonie Sonning Music Prize. The organizer of the prize, which has recognized international composers and musicians since 1959, announced the award ceremony was held at the DR Concert Hall in Denmark, June 5. The award has been given out since 1959 to honor internationally recognized musicians, including composers and conductors. Past winners include iconic composers Igor Stravinsky (1959), Leonard Bernstein (1965) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1973).“I am deeply humbled and grateful to win the Leonie Sonning Music Prize 2021. It is an honor as well as a great challenge, all the more given my great admiration for the previous awardees, most of whom have served as personal heroes and role models during my musical life. I am enormously touched by the jury's accolade and feel a great affinity for the high artistic values represented by the Leonie Sonning Foundation. I look greatly forward towards reconnecting with your beautiful and highly artis

Jun 9, 2021By Park Ji-won

Korean composer Chin Un-suk awarded Leonie Sonning Music Prize

Arts & Theater

Korean sculptor becomes Italian town's honorary citizen

Sculptor Park Eun-sun, center, receives an honorary citizenship from Alberto Stefano Giovannetti, the mayor of Pietrasanta, a town in Tuscany, Italy, Saturday local time. Courtesy of Park Eun-sunBy Park Ji-wonItaly-based sculptor Park Eun-sun has received honorary citizenship from Pietrasanta, a town in Tuscany, Italy, for his artistic contributions to the city famous for sculpture.Pietrasanta Mayor Alberto Stefano Giovannetti awarded the certificate to Park during a ceremony attended by Korean Ambassador to Italy Kwon Hee-Seog at the Church of Saint Augustine, local media outlet La Nazione reported. Park is known as the third foreign artist having received honorary citizenship from the Italian town. The two others are Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero and Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj.In an acceptance speech, he was quoted as saying by the local newspaper, “I am touched and honored. I want to thank all the people who have helped me and my family. In Pietrasanta I made my dreams come true, it is my home … We are happy. The city has made me grow as a person and artist. It

Jun 8, 2021By Park Ji-won

Korean sculptor becomes Italian town's honorary citizen

Arts & Theater

One-person stage plays are on the rise amid pandemic

A scene from the play “The Heart” / Courtesy of Project Group IldaBy Park Ji-wonOne-person plays are not a very common form of theater here, but more production companies are focusing on solo stage performances and other small-scale productions as they are more social-distancing-friendly and deal with self-reflecting subjects amid the pandemic.At least five one-person shows are expected to be staged this year. “An Iliad,” a stage adaptation of Homer's “Iliad” written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare, will premiere at YES24 Stage on June 29 for a run until Sept. 5 in Korea and performed by three actors: Hwang Suk-jeong, Choi Jae-woong and Kim Jong-gu. The play, directed by Kim Dal-joong, will explore various voices of people hit hard by the Trojan War through the performers' narration.“The Heart” tells a story revolving around Simon Limbres, a 19-year-old boy who was declared brain-dead after a car accident. This one-person show was written by Emmanuel Noblet, who adapted the book of the same title written by Maylis de Kerangal. It runs

Jun 8, 2021By Park Ji-won

One-person stage plays are on the rise amid pandemic

Arts & Theater

Plays, performances on labor issues hit stages

“Sweat,” performed by the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) / Courtesy of NTCKBy Park Ji-wonA series of plays and dance performances focusing on the lives and deaths of factory workers are running in local theaters in June and July.The musical, “1976 Harlan County,” which runs from May 28 to July 4 at the Chungmu Arts Center, revolves around miners in the United States who went on strike against their employer in 1973. The piece is inspired by the Oscar-winning documentary film, “Harlan County, USA,” which was released in 1976.Director Yoo Byung-eun said, “I wrote the first edition of this work in 2016. As a father raising children, I started to write the script while thinking about how to express the tragedy of the Sewol ferry disaster.”The National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) will perform “Sweat,” a play written by Lynn Nottage that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017. It won the prestigious award for its nuanced depiction of hardships facing factory workers who continue to strive for the American dream, according to

Jun 7, 2021By Park Ji-won

Plays, performances on labor issues hit stages

Arts & Theater

'The Taming of the Shrew' to undergo revision after criticism of being disablist

A scene from “The Taming of the Shrew” by the Korean National Ballet / Courtesy of Ballet Festival KoreaBy Park Ji-wonPoster for “11th Ballet Festival Korea” / Courtesy of Ballet Festival KoreaThe revised version of the ballet, “The Taming of the Shrew,” which was originally choreographed by John Cranco based on Shakespeare's work of the same title, will be presented during the 11th Ballet Festival Korea, which will be held at the Seoul Arts Center from June 15 to 30, after facing a backlash from audiences that it is disablist or prejudiced against people with disabilities.“We reported the controversy to the John Cranko foundation, which owns the copyright for the choreography of 'The Taming of the Shrew.' The foundation took it into consideration and changed the choreography that may be disparaging to the disabled. The Korean National Ballet is currently practicing the revised choreography,” an official of the Korean National Ballet said during a press conference held to promote the festival at the Seoul Arts Center, Tuesday.The remark

Jun 6, 2021By Park Ji-won

'The Taming of the Shrew' to undergo revision after criticism of being disablist

Entertainment

Album honors legendary singer-songwriter Kim Min-ki

K-pop idol Red Velvet's Wendy records vocals for a tribute album for Kim Min-ki in this undated photo. The first set of the album's tracks will be released on Sunday, 6 p.m. Courtesy of GyeongGi Cultural FoundationBy Park Ji-wonA tribute album honoring legendary singer songwriter, Kim Min-ki, will be partially released on Sunday 6 p.m. via music streaming platforms, the GyeongGi Cultural Foundation said. Kim, not only a musician but also an outspoken political activist, was met with great resistance from Korea's corrupt leaderships resulting in his music becoming subject to a more than decade-long ban on performance and record sales from 1975 under the then-authoritarian regime.The state-run foundation said it will release the first set of songs, which include four of Kim's songs sung by four different singers: “Facing the Barbed Wire Fence,“ sung by Maytree, “A Song of an Old Solider,” sung by Glass Box, “A Beautiful Human Being,” sung by NCT's Taeil and “The Peak,” sung by Han Young-ae.The tribute album, consisting of 18 songs, was or

Jun 6, 2021By Park Ji-won

Park Ji-won

Read more

'Music in PyeongChang' calls on audience to ponder meaning of being alive

South Korean bishop becomes Vatican Prefect

Ballerina Park Sae Eun becomes Paris Opera Ballet's 1st Asian principal dancer

'Visit Korean Heritage' campaign to be expanded in preparation for post-pandemic era

Korean composer Chin Un-suk awarded Leonie Sonning Music Prize

Korean sculptor becomes Italian town's honorary citizen

One-person stage plays are on the rise amid pandemic

Plays, performances on labor issues hit stages

'The Taming of the Shrew' to undergo revision after criticism of being disablist

Album honors legendary singer-songwriter Kim Min-ki

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