Barakatt to compose tribute for Saemangeum Steve BarakattBy Park Jin-haiCanadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt said he will write a song for Saemangeum, one of the world’s biggest manmade dikes in North Jeolla Province, the Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency (SDIA) said Sunday.Barakatt, best known here for his fusion of classical and jazz music, will compose a three-minute-long song inspired by the coast and deliver the album to the SDIA by the end of February. His best-known songs include “California Vibes,” “Autumn in Quebec” and “A Night in New York City.” In 2011, he wrote “He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang” about hope for the unification of South and North Koreas.Barakatt recently performed in Seoul for his “Christmas Dream” holiday concert.The SDIA said the artist visited the site in November by the invitation of the Saemangeum Committee under the prime minister’s office.“The pianist, deeply impressed by the beautiful scenery of the site, expressed to the committee his intention to write a song dedicated toDec 26, 2016
New album is full of memories: Richard Yongjae O'Neill “British Viola” by Richard Yongjae ONeill / Courtesy of CrediaViolist Richard Yongjae O’Neill poses during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Yun Suh-youngAmerican violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, highly popular among Koreans, released a new solo album Monday, four years since his seventh solo album was released in 2012.“It’s a very special album which features the first piece I ever heard on the viola and it’s the reason why I play the viola,” said O’Neill, during a press conference held in Seoul, Monday, to introduce the album to the public.“I was told to listen to Walton’s album when I was playing in an orchestra for my community when I was 13. I come from a very small town in Washington state and I mention that because a lot of my inspiration as an artist comes from that period ― my childhood, my early adolescence. So I went home and listened and at first I thought it was weird. It's dark with dissonant chords... But I listened again and again and I became hooked on this piece. It has an amazing storDec 19, 2016
Cellist wins prestigious Janos Starker Award Cellist Mun Tae-guk performs during a press conference held at the Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, Monday./ Courtesy of Kumho Art HallBy Yun Suh-youngCellist Mun Tae-guk won the Janos Starker Foundation Award, a prestigious award given to cellists under 30 who have begun a significant career in music, his agency Credia announced Monday.The Janos Starker Foundation was established to support the future of cello playing and assist exceptional young musicians in advancing their careers. It provides financial assistance to young cellists who are selected as recipients of the Janos Starker Foundation Award, which was created in memory of Hungarian-American cellist Janos Starker. Mun will receive $25,000 in prize money.The late cellist Janos Starker, who debuted at age 11, was known to be a child prodigy who was teaching other children by age eight. He has been the principal cellist of the Budapest Opera, Budapest Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony orchestras. He taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music until his death in 2013. He won a Grammy in 1992 with his Bach solo cello suitesDec 12, 2016
Stravinsky's long lost 'Funeral Song' to premiere in Korea Composer Igor Stravinsky / Courtesy of SPOBy Yun Suh-youngIgor Stravinsky’s "Funeral Song Op. 5" which was lost for over a century was finally put together 108 years after it was composed and will be performed across the globe.The 12-minute piece, composed by Stravinsky (1882-1971) in 1908 as a memorial to his teacher Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov who died that year, was first performed in 1909 by Count Sheremetyev’s orchestra conducted by Felix Blumenfeld. Its second performance was held Friday at the Maryinsky concert hall in St. Petersburg, Russia, conducted by Valery Gergiev.Its third performance in the world will be held in Seoul as the Asian premiere on Jan. 20 and 21, 2017. Markus Stenz will lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) at the Lotte Concert Hall for the historical show. Following Seoul, 14 global performances are scheduled to be held during the year 2017, including in Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain.The score for the Funeral Song was lost in 1917 during the Russian Revolution after it was performed just once on Jan. 17, 1909. It waDec 5, 2016
Sechs Kies return with all-time hit remake Sechs Kies / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunSechs Kies, a popular boy band of the late 1990s to early 2000s, returned with a new album “2016 Re-ALBUM” under the management of YG Entertainment. The group was formed by Daesung Entertainment, now called DSP Entertainment, in 1997 and disbanded in 2000. They received much attention along with first generation idol groups, such as H.O.T., S.E.S, and Fin.K.L.The veteran acts’ new album consists of re-arranged music of their all-time hit songs like “Couple,” “Road Fighter,” “Reckless Love,” and Come to Me Baby.” YG Entertainment’s rapper Tablo and producer Future Bounce participated in re-recording and re-mastering Sechs Kies’ 10 best songs from before, plus a bonus track “Three Words.” The group tried to keep their original music style and identity by keeping the melody alive but YG producers gave a small twist in re-arranging the music to better suit it with the recent trend of K-pop music. Sechs Kies said they hope their re-make albuDec 2, 2016
Jimmy Strain releases 4th album "Jimmy Strain"Multi-genre performer Jimmy Strain has released his fourth regular album. The compilation album consists of six parts which are offered on six CDs. There are 60 songs in total with a runtime of four hours. Appropriately, it took him a great deal of time to produce it -- five years.Jimmy Strain, who is a Seoul-born artist, taught himself guitar and music composition. He studied biotechnology in university but dropped out to focus on music.The six-part album consists of almost all genres of music including instrumental, folk, soft rock, electronic, dance and heavy metal.Part 1 is composed of piano instrumentals which sound more like movie soundtracks and are good for easy listening. Part 2 consists of folk songs and soft rock songs written in English which have a similar vibe to foreign pop songs. Part 3 consists of Korean songs which try to maximize the beauty of the Korean language in a poetic, singer-songwriter style. Part 4 features upbeat and fast-tempo electronic sounds which carry heavy lyrics talking about human rights and sexual minorities. Part 5 and 6 carry rocNov 30, 2016
Award-winning pianist's first album "Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Ballades" Pianist Cho Seong-jin's first studio album "Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Ballades" was released Nov. 25 by Deutsche Grammophon.The album consists of eight tracks, with a bonus track on the deluxe album.The 83-minute special deluxe album is released only in Korea with an additional track "Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor Op. Post" included as a bonus for Korean fans. The album features "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1" which is the piece Cho won the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition with last year. Cho recorded the album with conductor Gianandrea Noseda and the London Symphony Orchestra.His studio album includes ballades that weren't on his previous two albums which were recordings of his live performance at the competition. For Cho, the four ballades were a dream repertoire that he had been bracing to record one day since he heard it on Krystian Zimerman's CD when he was 11.His ballades are beautiful and comforting as he felt comfortable playing it. The studio recording features his performance on the last day of a three-day rNov 30, 2016
Mariss Jansons to perform with Bayern Radio Symphony Orchestra Mariss Jansons / Courtesy of VinceroBy Yun Suh-youngMariss Jansons will conduct the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) on Dec. 4 and 5 at Seoul Arts Center.It is his third visit to Seoul in four years since his 2012 and 2014 visits with the BRSO and his sixth visit in total since his Korea debut in 1992. This is also his second performance in Korea with violinist Gil Shaham following their 2010 collaboration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Gil Shaham will be performing on Dec. 4.The Dec. 4 repertoire includes Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 and Stravinsky Firebird Suite No. 3 (1945 version). On Dec. 5, Jansons will stage Haydn Symphony No. 100 in G Major, Hob.I:100 "Military" and R. Strauss' An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), Op. 64.Shaham who will be playing on Dec. 4 has performed several times with the Latvian conductor and retains the same high quality in his performances in comparison to violinists of similar age. He has released 30 albums but has never recorded a Beethoven Violin Concerto and the live performance will be a unique opportunity.FirNov 29, 2016
President 'a BITCH' in new hip-hop song? Scandal-plagued President Park Geun-hye (left) and her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil are the subjects of rapper San E’s satire in his new song “Bad Year.” Choi allegedly has been using the relationship to meddle in state affairs and prod Korean conglomerates into donating money to her non-profit foundations. By Ko Dong-hwanSan E Korean rapper San E has allegedly called scandal-plagued President Park Geun-hye a ‘bitch’ and expressed enmity towards her in his new song that topped online charts Thursday.San E released “Bad Year,” a rap number composed and written by the hip-hop artist, 31, at midnight Wednesday. Just six hours later, the number dominated Naver Music, Mnet and Olleh Music.In “Bad Year” ― a homonym in Korean that can also mean “a bitch” ― San E portrays his romance with a cheating girlfriend that ends in a break-up.Many phrases in the song allude to the scandal involving Park and her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil. Choi is suspected of meddling in state affairs, being given unlawfulNov 24, 2016
Pianist Cho Seong-jin becomes first classical musician on V Live Pianist Cho Seong-jin poses at the press conference, Thursday. / YonhapBy Yun Suh-youngPianist Cho Seong-jin, who was catapulted to fame after winning the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition last year, spoke to fans for the first time since his win in a live internet broadcast on Wednesday.On Naver’s V Live channel and its synchronizing app, Cho's interview was simultaneously broadcast online for 90 minutes from 8 p.m. and viewed by more than 55,000 people.Earlier that day, he spoke to the media about his recent album release with Deutsche Grammophon, which will be available from Nov. 25 in Korea; his recent U.S. tour and his daily schedule. On the V Live broadcast, Cho explained why he chose "Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, Ballades" (featuring the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda) and four ballades for this album."In the album, there are four ballades,” he said. “In the competition I also played four ballades. The reason why I chose these four is because the first album I bought when I started piano at the age of nine was KryNov 18, 2016
