Entertainment - The Korea Times

Berlin brass virtuosos to charm local fans

By Rachel Lee The Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble is in Korea for the first time, sharing its distinctive sound and traditions to audiences during a five-city concert tour that began yesterday in Busan. The tour will take them to Goyang, Seoul, Gwangju and Incheon through July 3. “Our first concert here was a great success,” said Sarah Willis, a French horn player in the ensemble, on Thursday. “I have come to Korea with the orchestra a couple of times, but stayed briefly so I didn’t get a chance to get to know it properly. This time, I’ve realized that Korean audiences are absolutely amazing, really fantastic.” Willis is the first female brass musician to be hired by the Berlin Philharmonic. Hosted by Eagon Windows & Doors, this event, designed for the disabled, offers a wide ranging repertoire including “London Miniatures” by Gordon Langford, “Homage to the Noble Grape” by Goff Richards and “Jealousy-Tango” by Jacob Gade. This is the 23rd annual music concert held by the company since 1990. The members will also hold a master class at a special school for v

Jun 29, 2012

Super Junior releases 'Sexy, Free & Single'

By Rachel Lee Korean boy group Super Junior will return to the local stage with a new album next week. According to SM Entertainment, their sixth studio album titled “Sexy, Free & Single” will be released on July 1 through various music websites and will hit store shelves on July 4. The album is about the successful life story of single men and incorporates the genre of soulful house in its tracks. The 13-member group has garnered attention from media and fans around the world since the release of teaser photos of the group members, themed “beautiful men,” via their Facebook page, from on June 21. Last year Super Junior topped various music charts in Korea and overseas with their 5th album “Mr. Simple.” They also won the grand prize at music awards including the 24th Golden Disk Awards in 2009 and the 21st Seoul Music Awards this year. They also successfully completed a world tour “Super Show4” in cities worldwide— including Seoul, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Macao, Bangkok, Paris, Shanghai, Jakarta and Tokyo — lasting 6 months from last November.

Jun 27, 2012

Star on the rise

Petite soprano Kathleen Kim lures opera fans with big voice By Kwaak Je-yup You cannot help but be struck by her pint-sized figure when you first see the Korean-born American soprano Kathleen Kim. But her stage presence is everything but small. She made her professional debut in 2007 at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, arguably the operatic world’s most exclusive and important stage, and returned to shine as brightly as the industry’s biggest stars, receiving lengthy ovations at curtain calls. Critics and fans have tipped her as a star in the making, and her bookings, extending four years ahead, already show its early signs. Seeing her so effortless on stage can lead to one thinking that success must have come naturally for such a great talent, but only less than a decade ago, she was stuck — and felt unsure of herself. “I used to go to the same practice room all the time. I practically lived there,” she said, referring to the years at the Ryan Opera Center in the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a professional artist development program only open to a handful every ye

Jun 18, 2012

The Ten Tenors of Australia to perform in Seoul

The Ten Tenors, dubbed the "Hero of Popera," will perform at Sejong Center in central Seoul on Monday and Tuesday, marking the group's third appearance before South Korean audiences following shows in 2008 and 2009. The Ten Tenors (also known as TTT or 'The TEN') is an Australian musical group that has toured worldwide. In a typical set, the group performs Queen standards including "Bohemian Rhapsody", and "The Show Must Go On," in addition to tracks from a Meat Loaf medley, AC/DC and many more. The performance will include Allegri's "Miserere," "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's opera "Turandot," "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, the Beatles' "Hey Jude," "Il Gradiatore" from the movie Gladiator, and "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel. Prior to the Seoul performance, the group will perform at Suseong Artpia in Daegu on Saturday and at the Busan Cultural Center in Busan on Sunday. (Yonhap)

Jun 15, 2012

I Musici to hold seven concerts in Korea

Italian chamber orchestra I Musici will wind up its two-year-long World Tour to celebrate its 60th anniversary by touring South Korea, beginning with a concert in Seoul Friday. I Musici, nicknamed “the legend of chamber music,” will start its Korean tour at the Seoul Arts Center, followed by a concert at the Euijeongbu Art Center in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday. It will also perform at the Suseong Artpia in Daegu (Sunday), the Gyeongnam Culture and Art Center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province (Tuesday, June 19), the Anyang Art Center in Anyang, south of Seoul (June 21), and the Busan Citizens Hall in Busan (June 22), before a final concert at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province (June 23). Kim Se-hwang, the guitarist for the Korean rock group N.EX.T., will join the Italian ensemble to perform Luis Bacalov's Concerto Grosso for I Musici's 60th Anniversary. I Musici means "the musicians" in Italian and was formed in 1952 by 12 graduates of the renowned Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Music, in Italy. The group is well known for its interpr

Jun 13, 2012

Russian National Orchestra to perform in Seoul

The Russian National Orchestra will visit Seoul next week to hold its first concerts here in three years.Founder and artistic director, Mikhail Pletnev, will conduct the orchestra at the Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul on June 19. The orchestra will hold a second concert at the Incheon Culture and Arts Center in Incheon on June 20.Programs will include Alexander Glazunov's "Suite From the Middle Ages" Op.79 and Peter Tchaikovsy's ballet suite "Swan Lake" edited by the conductor. South Korean pianist Cho Sung-jin will join the Russian musicians to play Frederic Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1.The Russian orchestra received a warm welcome from its Korean audience for its last concert here in 2009, where it played Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.6, "Pathetique"Pletnev is an internationally renowned pianist, composer and conductor, who won the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978 at the age of 21.More information on the Seoul concert is available on the Gandong Art Center's Web site at www.gangdongarts.or.kr or by phone at 02-440-0500.Information on the Incheon concert is avai

Jun 11, 2012

Mraz in top shape at Rainbow fest; logistics rob audience

By Kwaak Je-yup Most of the 20,000 people attending the Rainbow Festival Saturday seemed to have come expressly for Jason Mraz, looking at the audience flow before and after. And the American singer-songwriter did not disappoint, treating the audience packing Nami Island, 70 kilometers east of Seoul, to an unforgettable performance. In an era where many live concerts increasingly resemble music video taping sessions — carefully calibrated with no room for improvisation — Mraz’s two-hour gig bucked the trend to great effect. There was a constant sense of unpredictability even in this pre-fixed set list; his melisma kept everyone in the house on the tip of their toes, waiting to hear where his versatile voice would transport them next. That is why Mraz’s songs are infinitely better live. Whether his often saccharine lyrics are to your taste or not, you have to accept that he is a fantastic interpreter of music. On this second night of his “Tour Is A Four Letter Word” world tour, after the first stop in Busan Friday, he proved that once again. He could dwell

Jun 10, 2012

Mayer find 'own authentic self' in new album

By Kwaak Je-yup Few recording artists today can match the level of commercial success and critical acclaim John Mayer has achieved over the last decade. His latest studio album “Born and Raised” topped Billboard as well as several other charts worldwide when it was released on May 22 to rave reviews. But his life in the public sphere has been a bit more troublesome. Controversial interviews about his celebrity relationships and other gaffes have kept Mayer as puzzling a person as when he first hit it big with “No Such Thing,” a song about being a loner in high school. In this fifth studio album — a culmination of a two-year break from singing after the surgical removal of a granuloma in his throat — all signs say he is making a complete departure from the party-boy years. In this email interview with The Korea Times, he says he is happy with his newfound freedom and career progression. The self-penned songs may reek of loneliness, yet Mayer feels he found his “own authentic self” in the recent seclusion. Earlier this year he had to cancel his world tour due t

Jun 8, 2012

Traditional folk song Arirang evolves

By Rachel Lee The 2012 Arirang Festival will be held at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul from June 15 to 17. The cultural event is designed to raise national and international awareness of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang,” amid public outrage over China’s claim to register it as a cultural asset on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The song embodies the sorrow of the Korean people. “Arirang is seen as the root of the Korean wave which is already well known throughout the world,” said Kwon Oh-sung, chairman of the Arirang Globalization Committee. “This folk song is the symbol of our culture.” Themed “The Arirang,” the festival will comprise of concerts and various programs in which participants can experience and learn the value and diversity of the song. “Smiling Arirang” and “Sharing Arirang” will be highlights of the festival. The former will reinterpret the traditional music in a contemporary way, collaborating with K-pop artists. Singer and actress Oh Jung-hae will emcee the concert. It will also feature veteran singer Insooni and other K-pop stars s

Jun 5, 2012

Korean piano makers lack presence in US market

By Do Je-hae Despite a reputation for both quality and affordability, Korean piano brands don’t seem to be living up to their potential in markets overseas. Top Korean brands like Young Chang and Samick have not sufficiently been able to lure U.S. consumers, according to Yoheved Kaplinsky, a renowned piano teacher at the Juilliard School in New York. “I haven’t really seen the level of Korean pianos recently. We don’t have very much access to them,” the professor said in a recent Korea Times interview at the COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. “They haven’t really made their way into the schools yet, or concert halls.” Kaplinsky has chaired the piano division at Juilliard since 1997 and also serves as artistic director of the school’s pre-college division. She was in Seoul last week to conduct her first master class here in 18 years, at the invitation of Yamaha Korea. A benchmark for Korean piano makers is Yamaha, manufacturer of some of the world’s greatest pianos with a history of more than 100 years. Renowned musicians like Michael Tilson Thomas, pianist and music directo

Jun 4, 2012By Do Je-hae

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