Voice of happiness revisits Seoul Don’t Worry Be Happy’ singer Bobby McFerrin / Courtesy of LG Arts CenterBy Kwon Mee-yooBobby McFerrin, a man of a thousand voices, comes to Korea for a concert with his latest album "spirityouall" at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul on March 10 and 11. Mostly well-known for feisty song "Don't Worry Be Happy," McFerrin will unravel musical traits down his family line at his fourth concert in Korea. The American musician talked about his upcoming concert in Seoul with The Korea Times via email, but the audiences will find surprises at the concert as McFerrin will perform absolutely impromptu as he always does. Q: Your musical instrument is in your voice. How did you find the extraordinary range of your voice?A: I grew up listening to both of my parents sing and teach. They both had beautiful voices and a lot of technical expertise. So I had that in my ears. But I thought of myself as an instrumentalist, not a singer. I started my musical career as a pianist. Then one day I was walking home from playing for a dance class and all of a sudden I could hear it in my head. IMar 3, 2015
KBS orchestra in dispute By Kwon Ji-younThe KBS Symphony Orchestra’s (KSO) management and membership are once again striking discordant notes.According to the KSO’s labor union, Monday, the KSO’s management has requested the members’ consent in having their affiliation transferred from the state-run broadcaster KBS to the KSO’s foundation.The dispute comes two years and sixth months after the management and union crossed swords over the same issue, as the KSO was re-launched as an incorporated foundation in 2012. In September of that year, the broadcaster asked that the members resign from KBS and join the KSO as KSO employees. When the members refused, the management agreed to second them to the orchestra for the time being and to discuss the issue again two years later.In September 2014, the management and union agreed to extend the dispatch period six months, during which they would try to reach an agreement.But as of Feb. 25, all 67 dispatched members of the orchestra have refused to have their affiliations altered. These members are persistently demanding KBS allow them to Mar 3, 2015
Seoul Phil needs to look beyond Chung SPO music director Chung Myung-whunBy Do Je-haeIn 2005, then Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, who later became president, invited Chung Myung-whun to lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) with the aim of making a Korean orchestra of international renown. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon appears as enthusiastic about Chung. During a recent meeting with city editors, Park said there was no other alternative than Chung to lead the SPO at the height of Chung’s duel with CEO Park Hyun-jung. Park resigned. Chung has been put under scrutiny for a wide range of irregularities outside the concert hall, on top of his big annual salary of 1.5 billion won. Despite the controversy, Seoul is ready to renew its contract with him. Here are points of consideration for Seoul, before re-signing. Only superstar conductors like Riccardo Muti, music director of the Chicago Symphony, get paid that much for a regular post with an orchestra. But the SPO is no Chicago Symphony and Chung, while undoubtedly one of the best Asia has produced since former Boston Symphony music director Seiji Ozawa, is nFeb 1, 2015By Do Je-hae
Korean faculty member at Julliard under probe Kang Choong-moBy Kwon Ji-younJulliard is conducting an internal investigation into a report of sexual misconduct by a Korean member of its faculty. Local media reported Thursday that a report filed with the school alleged that pianist Kang Choong-mo’s sexual misconduct involved a student and that Julliard filed a follow-up report with the law enforcement. Kang has been prohibited from returning to school premises. In a letter to members of the Julliard Community, President Joseph Polisi said Julliard is “cooperating fully with the external law enforcement investigation,” and that it “does not tolerate inappropriate or illegal conduct and investigates all allegations thereof.” However, Kang told the vernacular Chosun Ilbo on Thursday that he has never sexually harassed a student. “Julliard is a school that teaches dance and music, so there are stringent rules on physical contact,” he said. “The rule says that ahead of any physical contact, I need to ask the student’s permission, and I didn’t know this.” Kang said that hFeb 1, 2015
Chung demands new hall for Seoul Phil Conductor Chung Myung-whun walks to the podium as the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra face the audience following a performance during a New Year’s concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 5. / Courtesy of the Seoul Philharmonic OrchestraBy Kwon Ji-youn Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun said he has not yet renewed his contract with the SPO, and he will only do so if certain requisites are guaranteed by the Seoul Municipal Government (SMG). Speaking at a press conference Monday in the SPO rehearsal room in the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Chung said he will only renew his contract this year if SMG promises to build a music hall for the SPO, as well as providing its wholehearted support. “The SPO’s program from January through December has already been set, so technically I’ve extended my contract with the SPO,” said Chung, who provisionally agreed to remain as the SPO’s music director for one year following the resignation of CEO Park Hyun-jung. “But the construction of an SPO music hJan 19, 2015
Seoul International Music Festival features Wien-Berlin Brass Quintet Tapiola Sinfonietta, a Finish chamber orchestra led by conductor-pianist Ralf Gothoni, will perform during the Seoul International Music Festival from Jan. 22 to 24. / Courtesy of Seoul International Music FestivalViolinist Agata SzymczewskaBy Kim Jae-heunThis year’s Seoul International Music Festival (SIMF) will feature five international ensembles including the Wien-Berlin Brass Quintet. The concert series will take place at Seoul Arts Center (SAC) and six other venues across the metropolitan area from Jan. 15 to 31.The Wien-Berlin Brass Quintet, a collaboration between the Berliner Philharmoniker and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, will open the music festival on Jan. 15 at the Seongnam Arts Center and on Jan. 16 at SAC. Korean horn player Lee Seok-jun will accompany the performances as a special guest. Tapiola Sinfonietta, a Finish chamber orchestra led by conductor-pianist Ralf Gothoni, will perform Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony No. 7” for the first time in Asia over three days from Jan. 22 to 24. They have studied and revised to complete the Austrian coJan 9, 2015By Kim Jae-heun
Korean Chamber Orchestra opens new era Members of the Korean Chamber Orchestra / Courtesy of the Korean Chamber OrchestraAmerican actor and director John Malkovich will narrate toAlfred Schnittke’s relatively unknown “Concerto for Piano andStrings” at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the London SouthBankCenter on Feb. 23. / Courtesy of the Korean Chamber OrchestraBy Kwon Ji-younThe Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) has declared the beginning of a new era for the 50-year-old ensemble. Formerly known in Korean as the Seoul Baroque Orchestra (Ensemble), the KCO has decided to use its English label both on and off the international stage beginning 2015, and after a year of promotion, its former name will go into the books. Further changes are expected to allow the KCO a more varied repertoire, ranging from baroque to contemporary, as it shifts its strings-oriented focus onto the winds. Like renowned chamber orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the KCO will recruit more brass and wind instrumentalists, as well as invite prominent Jan 6, 2015
Impressive concerts await audiences in 2015 Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel will bring his orchestra to Seoul in March. / Korea Times fileBy Kwon Ji-younAn impressive concert line-up awaits audiences in 2015, with world renowned maestros set to visit Korea accompanied by equally esteemed orchestras. Also on the list are recitals and performances by top-notch musicians and dancers. Here’s a preview of what to look forward to next year: OrchestrasThe Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, with Polish conductor Marek Janowski and violin virtuoso Frank Peter Zimmerman, will steer in the line-up with authentic German performances on March 13. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and 33-year-old Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the very person who put his country’s musical ensembles on the map, will perform for the first time in Korea. In April, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will perform all of Beethoven’s symphonies over four days, a first in Asia. Prominent Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer will guide the orchestra from April 20 through 23. Summer will ring in with a performanceDec 30, 2014
Will the maestro stay? Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Park Hyun-jung, center, leaves after announcing her resignation during a press conference at the SPO rehearsal room of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Monday. Park has been embroiled in controversy for sexually and verbally abusing her staff. / YonhapFoul-mouthed Seoul Philharmonic CEO resignsBy Kwon Ji-younChung Myung-whunSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun is likely to extend his tenure with the nation’s top orchestra after its controversial CEO stepped down Monday.Park Hyun-jung, who has claimed that Chung was the driving force behind a conspiracy to remove her, finally resigned Monday. The announcement came a day ahead of an SPO board meeting scheduled to discuss her removal for allegedly mistreating employees.Park held a press conference Monday afternoon to confirm that she would be stepping down, effective today.“I did not keep my post because I was reluctant to give it up,” she told reporters at the SPO rehearsal room at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.“It was becaDec 29, 2014
Maestro Chung may quit Seoul Phil. Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun speaks during a rehearsal at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday./ YonhapBy Kwon Ji-younSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun slammed CEO Park Hyun-jung for her mistreatment of subordinates and threatened to quit if the matter is not addressed.The prominent conductor told reporters and orchestra members ahead of an SPO practice Wednesday that he had been aware of Park’s alleged wrongdoings for more than a year, and had no choice but to report them to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. “Park’s behavior borders on a violation of human rights, and this kind of inhumane treatment of employees is unacceptable,” Chung said. “When an employee goes to see her, she screams at him or her for hours, they told me.” Chung stressed that he had hoped to deal with such concerns in a discreet manner, but Park’s press conference on Dec. 5 ― at which she spent more than an hour disclosing a number of Chung’s alleged offenses during his time as musDec 11, 2014
