Kim Hyung-suk concert filled with romance From left, Kim Kwang-jin, Kim Hyung-suk, Kim Jo-han, and Na Yoon-kwon / Courtesy of K-tune e&mBy Park Jin-haiStar composer and producer Kim Hyung-suk welcomed spring on Saturday with three long-time friends and collaborators.Kim Hyung-suk & Friends has been an informal musical event where Kim sits at the piano and is joined by singers Na Yoon-kwon, Kim Jo-han and Kim Kwang-jin, sharing their personal stories with the audience.He had been holding the annual concert since releasing an album of the same name with various artists in 2006, until 2012.Dubbed a “hit-song maker,” Kim has written hundreds of hit songs and has more than 1,000 songs registered under his name at the Korea Music Copyright Association.However, lately he has been better known as a TV celebrity and music commentator, appearing on various talent shows including MBC’s “King of Mask Singer.”In a welcome return to the public stage after four years, audiences were soaked in a nearly three-hour-long romantic harmony.Na, a 31-year-old ballad singer originally picked up by composer Kim Mar 20, 2016
Foreign conductors to temporarily lead Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) on Thursday announced four foreign conductors who will lead the orchestra for its six upcoming regular concerts, replacing former music director Chung Myung-whun, who stepped down late last year.The four are Eliahu Inbal, Christoph Eschenbach, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Alexandre Bloch, it said.Chung was originally scheduled to lead all of the orchestra's regular concerts this year, but he resigned in December over his wife's alleged slandering of the orchestra's former president.So far this year, assistant conductor Choi Soo-yeoul has conducted two concerts and German guest conductor Eschenbach has conducted one, with six remaining.The French conductor Totelier will lead the orchestra in the July 15 concert featuring Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.Totelier is a conductor emeritus of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and a principal guest conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He will start working as the chief conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO) in September. This will be his first work with the Seoul Philharmonic OrMar 17, 2016
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Thomanerchor to perform in Seoul The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra will perform Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” in Seoul on March 26 with the Thomanerchor. / Courtesy of VinceroBy Yun Suh-youngThe legendary boys' choir from Leipzig, Germany, Thomanerchor (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig), will be performing one of the masterpieces of classical sacred music "St. Matthew Passion" in Seoul Wednesday, ahead of Easter which falls on March 27 this year.The Thomanerchor, on their fourth visit, will be performing with another world-famous group, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The two groups have been in close collaboration since the inception of the orchestra in 1781, which came 500 years after the choir’s 1212 establishment. The two's collaborative performance of “St. Matthew Passion” has been recognized as the best rendition ever of the difficult song.Before the Wednesday performance, the choir and orchestra will perform in Daegu on Tuesday at the Daegu Concert House. Their fourth visit to Korea this year follows previous visits every four years, in 2004, 2008 and 2012. This year’s perMar 13, 2016
Girls' Generation Yoona solo song features 10cm Yoona / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Kim Da-heeK-pop girl band Girls’ Generation’s Yoona will release her first solo track since debuting with the group nine years ago.The track titled “Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway” will be released on Friday, her management agency SM Entertainment agency said Wednesday.The song, featuring Indie band 10cm, offers a sweet melody and romantic lyrics about a couple walking along Deoksugung Place in Seoul.The song is the fifth to be introduced on SM Station, an online music channel on which SM releases new digital tracks every Friday. Mar 10, 2016
Korea's 'voice of God' rocks Sydney Opera House Lee Seung-chul at the Sydney Opera House in Australia / Courtesy of Jin & Won Music WorksBy Kim Da-heeSinger Lee Seung-chul performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.Lee held his solo concert titled “The Best Live In Sydney” last Saturday as part of his world tour, which took in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb 25 and Auckland, New Zealand on Mar 1.Lee Seung-chul performs live at the Sydney Opera House. / Courtesy of Lee Seung-chul's TwitterThe singer, 49, performed about 30 hits in Sydney, including “My love,” “Don’t Say Good Bye” and “Heeya” before about 3,000 fans.“It’s my honor to have a concert in such a world-renowned place,” he said during the concert. “I always hoped to have a concert on this stage.”Lee Seung-chul at the Sydney Opera House in Australia / Courtesy of Lee Seung-chul's TwitterIt was his first concert tour to Australia and New Zealand in 31 years since his debut in 1986. Mar 7, 2016
Chang Han-na appointed chief conductor of Norwegian orchestra Chang Han-na conducting an orchestra / Courtesy of EMI ClassicsBy Yun Suh-youngKorean cellist and conductor Chang Han-na, 33, was named chief conductor and artistic leader of Norway’s Trondheim Symfoniorkester (TSO), announced the orchestra on its website, Friday (KST).Chang will take up the new position at the start of the 2017/18 season. She has already served as the TSO’s principal guest conductor since Sept. 2013."The orchestra has immensely enjoyed developing its relationship with this dynamic conductor since her first visit in February 2013," said Roar Leinan, managing director of the TSO. “We look forward to her taking us even further.”"I am inspired by the passion and dedication of the musicians of the TSO and I am delighted that we have an opportunity to weave together lasting moments of inspiration through the great symphonic repertoire for our cherished audiences in Trondheim," said Chang in a statement on the website.After making a sensational conducting debut at the BBC Proms in September 2014 with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Chang has guestMar 6, 2016
It's GFriend Time / Graphic by Cho Sang-wonSix-member idol group sports 15 trophiesThis is the second in a series of interviews on top K-pop idols. ― ED. By Kim Jae-heun K-pop girl group GFriend of Source Music may not be well known abroad yet, but they are undoubtedly one of the hottest idol bands in Korea right now. The six-member group debuted last January and released their third EP, “Snowflake,” this January, whose track “Rough” achieved triple crowns at Korea’s top three TV music shows. GFriend added their 15th trophy on Sunday at SBS’s Inkigayo, one of the country’s most popular music TV shows. If the song wins at any of the music shows one more week, the girl band can tie Apink’s record-winning 17 trophies for their song “LUV.” Girls’ Generation’s megahit “Gee” and “Lion Heart” are ranked third with 14 champion titles.GFriend’s “Rough” also set a new record on the MelOn chart, the country’s biggest music website, for holding the no.1 position for over 400 hoursMar 2, 2016
'A song for spring' Marianne Bylund, first secretary and head of Administration and Consular Affairs at the Embassy of Sweden, second from right, and her husband Tommy Bylund look at the brochure for the Spring Music Concert hosted by The Korea Times at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulKorea Times annual concert celebrates 66th anniversaryBy Yun Suh-youngThe Korea Times concert, celebrating the 66th anniversary of the newspaper, ended with a standing ovation, Thursday, at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.Over 1,700 guests including the newspaper’s readers, government officials, diplomats, business leaders and cultural figures attended the annual spring musical event.A variety of genres of music delighted the audience — from classical and jazz to popera (pop and opera) — performed by some of Korea’s top musical talents, including soprano Kang Hye-jung, baritone Seo Jung-hack, tenor Choe Bo-han, chanson singer Monsieur Ko, jazz artist Woong San, popera singer Hanarin and singer Feb 25, 2016
Cho Seong-jin's new album sold out Cho Seong-jinPianist Cho Seong-jin's second live album has already sold out its initial production run on pre-order before its release.The 20,000 copies of the album, released Tuesday, have already sold out through online pre-order sales which began Feb. 5 and pre-orders received through offline music stores. The album is currently under production for additional orders.The newly released album is a recording of Cho’s performance at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition held last October in Warsaw, Poland. It was officially produced by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute which hosted the international piano competition. This is the second album featuring Cho's performance at the Chopin competition, following the first released by the Deutsche Grammophon (DG) label last November. The 50,000 copies of the first album sold out in less than a week and a total of over 90,000 copies were sold solely in Korea.Cho was the first Korean to win the competition which is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world.The new album differs from the 2015 album released last year,Feb 23, 2016
Beatles tunes to be available via streaming The BeatlesBy Yun Suh-youngThe legendary music of the Beatles will be available through streaming on Korean music websites starting Feb. 29, a local music distributor said Monday."Starting Feb. 29, the streaming and download services for the Beatles tunes will be made available via 10 local online music providers who will offer the services in both online PC versions and for the mobile web," Universal Music Korea announced Monday.With the new service, fans can download and use streaming services for Beatles' albums, from the group's debut album "Please Please Me" (1963) to "Let It Be" (1970) to compilations of their hit songs. The group has a total of 17 albums including 13 regular albums which will all be available starting next Monday.Local music distributors offering the streaming service include MelOn, Naver Music, Genie, Bugs, Mnet, Soribada, Milk Music, Kakao Music and Groovers.The music was opened to the public after a decision made last Dec. 24 by Apple Records which holds the rights to the Beatles' songs and Universal Music which took over the non-classical sector from EMI. Feb 22, 2016
