SPO's new principal guest conductor ready to enrich the orchestra By Yun Suh-youngThierry Fischer, newly appointed principal guest conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra/ Courtesy of SPO"I believe that developing a symphony orchestra is a possibility to make others create harmony," said Thierry Fischer, the newly appointed principal guest conductor (PGC) of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), introducing himself for the first time to the press, Monday.Fischer is scheduled to hold his first concert in Seoul as the principal guest conductor of the SPO today and Friday. The concert will be held at the Lotte Concert Hall today and at the Seoul Arts Center on Friday. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra had not had an artistic director since maestro Chung Myung-whun who had led the orchestra for 10 years abruptly resigned from the position in 2015 due to a conflict with its former CEO. Ever since, the orchestra has been stumbling to regain stability and decided to adopt the principal guest conductor system."To fill the artistic director vacancy, we adopted the principal guest conductor system and have recruited two conductors _ Thierry Mar 8, 2017
INTERVIEW Galaxy Express prepares to rock Trump's America Members of the rock band Galaxy Express pose in this photograph. They are from left Park Jong-hyun, Lee Ju-hyun and Kim Hee-kwon. / Courtesy of LoverockGalaxy Express to represent K-rock at South by SouthswestBy Kim Jae-heunEleven Korean music groups are heading to the U.S. this weekend for South by Southwest (SXSW), one of America's biggest music festivals set to begin this Friday. These acts include K-pop girl group Red Velvet and popular rappers Tiger JK and Yoonmirae, but also singer-songwriter Big Phony, punk band No Brain and garage rockers Galaxy Express.For Galaxy Express, it is their fourth time traveling to Austin, Texas, performing unrelenting psychedelic rock ‘n' roll music in front of American audiences.The group features three members ― Lee Ju-hyun playing bass, Kim Hee-kwon on drums and Park Jong-hyun on guitar. The rockers are all in their late 30s, but they are confident to say they are the most energetic Korean musicians out there."We play music like three veteran soldiers," said Park Jong-hyun during an interview with The Korea Times at the CKL Stage buildingMar 6, 2017
Korea Times spring concert due Thursday Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra By Yun Suh-young Conductor Park Sang-hyunSinger Park Ki-youngThe 12th annual Spring Music Festival hosted by The Korea Times will be held Thursday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.Celebrating the 67th anniversary of the paper's establishment, the concert invites its readers as a token of gratitude for their loyalty and readership.The Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Park Sang-hyun will once again lead the Korea Times annual spring concert. This year's performers include chanson singer Monsieur Ko, singer Park Ki-young, musical singer Park So-yeon, sopranos Kim Soo-yeon, Lee Min-ji and Lee Young-in, and tenor Ryu Jung-phil.The concert will begin with the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra’s Carmen Overture by Georges Bizet. Following the performance, soprano Kim Soo-yeon will sing Johann Strauss' “Voices of Spring” to refreshingly begin the spring concert. Tenor Ryu Jung-phil will sing Carlos Gardel's “Por Una Cabeza” with dancer Kim Nang-hee performing in the background. Soprano Lee Min-ji wiMar 5, 2017
Korea-China conflict over THAAD takes toll on K-pop stars The management agency for Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Beom and Kim Ji-won, Korean stars who are all popular in China, experienced a huge drop in sales in the second half of last year.That was because their profits from the Chinese entertainment and advertising markets have effectively vanished since October when Beijing restricted Korean entertainers from working in the country in protest against Seoul's decision to deploy a high-tech U.S. anti-missile battery on its soil."The company has earned not a penny from China due to the political row over THAAD," Lee Jin-seong, chief of King Kong by Starship, told Yonhap News Agency on Sunday. "We did occasionally receive inquiries for advertisements until the end of last year but no contract was actually signed." China has been one of the top consumers of Korean pop culture. But it has denied permission for Korean entertainers to perform or appear on television shows in China since October, three months after Seoul agreed to host a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) to better defend itself against North Korea's constant militaryMar 5, 2017
Gu9udan fails to make go of second EP Jellyfish Entertainment’s first girl band gu9udan performs at a press showcase at the YES24 LIVE HALL in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Jellyfish EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunCover of gu9udan's second EP "Act.2 Narcissus" / Courtesy of Jellyfish EntertainmentK-pop girl band “gu9udan” of Jellyfish Entertainment returned with second mini-album “Act.2 Narcissus,” Thursday, hoping to grab people’s attention this time. However, it doesn’t look very favorable for the band as their title track “A girl like me” has already been pushed out of the top 50 on online music charts in a day.The girl group debuted as the company’s first girl group last June, however their first mini-album didn’t achieve much as its title song “Wonderland” only ranked 35th on the Gaon Music Chart.Gu9udan first came into the spotlight for its two group members Kim Se-jeong and Kang Mi-na, who rose to stardom through the Mnet survival show Produce 101. They competed among 101 female trainees from various talent aMar 3, 2017
Legendary tenor on his final world tour By Yun Suh-youngJose Carreras speaks during a meeting with the press Thursday in central Seoul. YonhapJose Carreras, one of the three most famous tenors in the world alongside Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, has embarked on a final world tour and performs for the last time in Seoul, today.The tour dubbed "A Life in Music," is prepared as a token of gratitude to worldwide audiences who have shown great affection and support for him over the years."I'm trying to go to places that I have been singing before in my life. We'll try as much as we can to repeat the places that I sang even 30 years ago. Let's see how this tour is going to be," said Carreras, during a meeting with the press Thursday in central Seoul."Sooner or later I will retire and this is probably the right time to end the world tour. I will sing for another two to two-and-a-half years and then it will be time to retire. I'm already melancholic thinking about retirement."But as is the nature of life, he is prepared to meet his retirement and, until then, sing as long and as much as he can."That's the law of life. TheMar 3, 2017
NOTICE Korea Times to hold annual spring concert March 9 The Korea Times invites its readers to a music concert featuring Korea’s top talent in classical and pop music. The annual event at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is offered to readers as a token of gratitude for their loyal readership.This year’s event features the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Park Sang-hyun; chanson singer Monsieur Ko; singer Park Ki-young; musical singer Park So-yeon, sopranos Kim Soo-yeon, Lee Min-ji and Lee Young-in; and tenor Ryu Jung-phil.Readers can receive free tickets to the concert by visiting The Korea Times website and signing up for them. They can pick up their free tickets at the box office starting 30 minutes before the performance.Date: March 9 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m.Venue: The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Grand TheaterTickets: Two free tickets per person for a maximum 500 guests on a first-come first-served basis (prior registration needed on The Korea Times website)For more information: call (02) 724-2868 or visit www.ktimes.com Mar 2, 2017
Sunwoo Yekwon to hold piano recital Sunwoo Yekwon Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon will hold a solo recital on March 11 at the LTI Art Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.Sunwoo will begin the program with Russian composer and pianist Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 82.Following the Prokofiev, Sunwoo will perform Franz Schubert's Impromptu Op. 142, No. 3 in B major, D. 935 and Piano Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D. 958. The first piece is more romantic and the second more lonely, depicting Schubert's struggle with illness.Sunwoo rose to fame after a couple of consecutive wins at international piano competitions. In 2014, he was the first Korean to win the Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival and the first Korean to win the prestigious International German Piano Award in 2015.He made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 2008 and has performed at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with conductor Itzhak Perlman and the Juilliard Orchestra. He has also collaborated with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Belgium.Tickets are 30,000 won. For more information, call (031)779-1504. &nbFeb 28, 2017
Appeals court upholds entry ban on Korean-American singer By Lee Kyung-minAn appellate court upheld a lower court ruling Thursday that banned a Korean-American singer from entering the country because he obtained American citizenship to dodge compulsory military service here.The Seoul High Court ruled against Yoo Seung-jun, 41, internationally known as Steve Yoo, who filed a suit against the Korean consulate in the United States after it refused to issue him a visa in October 2015.Yoo requested the visa 13 years after the Ministry of Justice first banned him from entering the country following a barrage of public criticism after he obtained U.S. citizenship and forfeited his Korean citizenship in January 2002, despite his repeated promises to fulfill his military duty here.“The lower court ruling was apt in denying Yoo entry, following which he would have resumed entertainment activities without any consequences for dodging military service,” the court said.“Such an act not only demoralizes many young soldiers who sacrifice their valuable time, but also could end up encouraging others to attempt to dodge compulsory duty, wFeb 23, 2017
'Wings: You Never Walk Alone' of K-pop boy band BTS ranks on Billboard chart K-pop boy band BTS (Bangtan Boys) ranked on Billboard's main albums chart for the fourth consecutive time, setting a record for a South Korean act, the group's management said Thursday.The seven-member act's latest album "Wings: You Never Walk Alone" hit No. 61 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart to be updated on March 4, according to Big Hit Entertainment.This marks the group's fourth time on the chart, following "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2" released in December 2015, "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever" in May 2016 and "Wings," which hit the record-high No. 26 in October of the same year.The album also ranked on other Billboard charts. It snatched the top spot on the Social 50 list and the World Albums charts, ranked No. 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and landed at No. 21 in the Artist 100 chart. Moreover, it also placed high on the Canadian Hot 100.In Billboard's World Digital Song Chart, four tracks from the album took the top four spots. The lead song "Spring Day" soared to No. 1 and "Not Today" ranked second."The feat is truly unprecedenteFeb 23, 2017
