Poor acting at KNO‘s ‘La Boheme‘ By Do Je-hae One of the problems with Korean opera singers has been that their acting ability is not as proficient as their singing. This seemed to be a problem at a dress rehearsal for the anniversary performance of the nation’s oldest opera company. To mark its 50th year, the Korea National Opera (KNO) is staging performances of Puccini’s “La Boheme,” among the most popular operas of all time. During an open rehearsal for the press Monday, two young Korean singers in their 30s sang the role of lovers, Mimi and Rodolfo. Soprano Hong Ju-young (Mimi), and tenor Yosep Kang (Rodolfo), the first Korean singer to join the prestigious Deutsche Oper Berlin, were fine singers, but their acting failed to move the heart. In particular, Kang, who had been hand-picked by maestro Chung Myung-whun for the role, seemed nervous on stage. Kang and Chung met last year during a Mahler performance. The 34-year-old singer is one of the rising Korean tenors, who gained critical acclaim last year when he appeared at the Great Mountains Music Festival & School in PyeongChang, Gangwon PApr 4, 2012By Do Je-hae
2PM play dress-up for fans By Kwaak Je-yup Even with just about 4,000 in the Seoul auditorium, 2PM’s fans could easily out-scream the crowds at world’s largest music festivals like Glastonbury or Coachella. Cheering and hollering the band members’ names, the entirely female audience seemed unable to contain their excitement, fuming every emotion out in full force at every opportunity and leaving no part of their vocal chords unmoved. The commotion was understandable, given that the group has been arguably the most popular boy band in the country with a streak of No. 1 hits since their 2008 debut. But there was more to the occasion than just a massive group of pre-teen girls going gaga over the exceptional proximity to their idols, from the looks of the Sunday spectacle at the Grand Peace Palace in Kyunghee University, Hoegi-dong, eastern Seoul. Termed “fan meeting,” this integral part of K-pop serves as an exclusive channel for the registered official fan club members to not only see their favorite entertainers up close and personal but to also express their desires and wishes to the artists anApr 3, 2012
Lorin Maazel brings Mahler in Seoul By Do Je-hae U.S. conductor Lorin Maazel, who is leading the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Far East tour, will bring the London-based orchestra to Seoul for two concerts on April 7 and 8, with a highly-anticipated Mahler program. A common trait among great conductors of the past and present has been a deep affection for the music of the master symphonist Gustav Mahler (1860 ― 1911) and Maazel is no exception. Top maestros of our time, such as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Mariss Jansons, Riccardo Muti, have also continued to express their absolute fascination with the Austrian composer and conductor that redefined the symphony in the 20th century. “The last time Maestro Maazel brought this orchestra here was in 1994. Together, they embarked on a Mahler symphony cycle in 2010, to mark the 100th year of Mahler’s death,” Oh Chae-eun, an official with Mastmedia said. “For local Mahler fans, the upcoming concerts will be a rare opportunity to hear Maazel’s interpretation of the Austrian master’s symphonies live.” A late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conducApr 1, 2012By Do Je-hae
‘Gukak‘ performances to be held By Do Je-hae A traditional music troupe based in Seoul will hold performances in the coming weeks, with unique programs combining up and coming, and master performers. The Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra (SMTMO) will present a concert of new compositions by young and established composers related to the theme of spring. The pieces will be played using traditional string and percussion instruments. The concert will be held on April 3 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The pieces on the program were newly written or edited for this concert, like composer Kim Sung-kyung’s “Moonlight in Springtime,” inspired by passages from the famous Korean novel “Honbul” by Choi Myung-hee. The orchestra is one of the nine art troupes housed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The “Stage of Masters” concert to be held at the center on April 19, brings together four virtuosos of various traditional instruments, voice and dance. The concert will feature solo and concerto performances. The highlight of the performance is Ahn Sook-sun, one of theMar 27, 2012By Do Je-hae
Korean pianist wins Maria Canals Concours Korea's Ann Soo-jung has won the 58th Maria Canals International Music Concours which ended in Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday, according to the contest's homepage and Ann's family in Seoul Thursday. The 24-year-old pianist defeated Nozomi Nakagiri from Japan and Ukraine's Vadym Kholodenko with a score of 9.33 by playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major. She received a prize purse of 20,000 euros (29.9 million won). Nakagiri and Kholodenko received 9.2 and 8.73 points, respectively, to finish second and third. Ann is a graduate of Seoul's Korea National University of Arts. (Yonhap) Mar 22, 2012
Korea National Opera to stage ‘La Boheme‘ Chung Myung-whun to conduct 50th anniversary performance By Do Je-hae Those who are familiar with renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun’s career history would agree that there is no one better to lead the orchestral accompaniment at the 50th anniversary concert of the nation’s premier opera company. The Korea National Opera (KNO) will fete its 50 years with a production of Giacomo Puccini’s tragic love story “La Boheme,” in collaboration with Chung’s Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) accompanying a cast of established and up and coming vocalists. The performances will take place April 3-6 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater. He is well-known for conducting operas from memory, as he did during a performance of “Simon Boccanegra” with the Vienna State Opera last year. This is an incredible feat, considering that an opera usually lasts more than two hours. Opera has been hugely important in the development of Chung’s career in Europe, where he made a name for himself as an opera director in the late 1980s-1990s. Chung’s expertise in opera This is the third tMar 21, 2012By Do Je-hae
Midori fetes 30 years on stage By Do Je-hae Few would contest that violinist Midori is one of the most gifted instrumentalists of our time. This year has a special meaning for the Japanese-American who celebrates the 30th anniversary of her international debut. Since her first appearance in 1982 with the New York Philharmonic, the 41-year-old has played all over the world. But what makes her unique among elite musicians is that she is also one of the most devoted teachers and passionate advocates of music education. She divides her time between concertizing and teaching at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (USC). Star soloists of her caliber usually teach master classes, and few commit themselves as faculty members of music institutes while in their 30s. Midori has been teaching since her early 30s, starting with the Manhattan School of Music. She is the founder of Midori & Friends, bringing classical music to public elementary schools in the United States and reaching some 100,000 children annually. She also heads other programs like Music Sharing, constructed to bringMar 20, 2012
Album review By Do Je-hae For piano lovers, Poland is inevitably associated with the composer Frederic Chopin. The central European country is also the homeland of many legends of the piano such as the late Artur Rubinstein and Krystian Zimerman. The latest to continue this legacy of exceptional pianists is Rafal Blechacz, the 2005 laureate of the prestigious Chopin Competition. Like his compatriot Zimerman, the 25-year-old has been very active with promoting composers of his homeland, including Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937). For his fourth album with Deutsche Grammophon, Blechacz has chosen some unknown jewels of Szymanowski, who left behind some important works for pianists. Szymanowski was influenced by Chopin and from Polish folk music ― like Chopin he wrote a number of mazurkas for piano. But it is the rarely played sonata in C minor that Blechacz presents in his latest album, along with works by Debussy. "There is a lot of expression in Szymanowski's sonata ― beautiful melodies, interesting harmony and wonderful modulation," Blechacz said. The young pianist also Mar 20, 2012By Do Je-hae
20th anniversary of Seo Taiji and Boys By Noh Hyun-gi “Nan, arayo!” (I know! in English) With that musical declaration, the history of Korean pop music changed completely 20 years ago Friday when a group of three boys released the album and title song, “I Know.” In 1992, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-Suk and Lee Juno shocked the music scene with combined elements of hip-hop and rock, bringing rhythm, rap, break dance and most importantly the bold attitude. Until their sudden disbandment in Jan. 22, 1997, Seo Taiji and Boys produced four albums. These days, the most successful of the three is Yang, CEO of entertainment agency YG. The former rapper and dancer of the legendary band founded the company only one year after the trio went their separate ways. The agency represents and produces Jinusean, Big Bang, 2NE1, and Se7en. He also sits as a judge on the popular audition program “Survival Audition K-pop Star” with BoA (SM Entertainment) and Park Jin-young (JYP Entertainment). He has expressed in interviews that his experience as part of Seo Taiji and Boys forms the bedrock of his company. Though many festivities took pMar 20, 2012
Tongyeong International Music Festival puts spotlight on Asian composers Asian music will be among the highlights of the 10th Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) to be held under the theme of "without distance" from Friday through March 29 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. The organizers of the festival said Tuesday the 10-year-old festival is now turning its eyes toward Asian music, which has received less attention in the international music scene. The Asian Composers' Night on Saturday will feature music by Isang Yun, one of Korea's great contemporary music composers, Artyom Kim of Uzbekistan, and works by Central Asian composers. Ensemble Omnibus from Uzbekistan will perform music by Asian composers. Pianist Yuki Kuramoto of Japan, Korean traditional music singer Lee Jaram and Japanese guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita are among the Asian musicians to be featured during the six-day festival. The festival also includes the debut of the "Tongyeong Festival Orchestra," made up of promising young musicians currently taking part in the world's leading orchestras. The orchestra, under the baton of the festival's artistic directorMar 20, 2012