Pianist brings to stage Elgar, StraussBy Do Je-hae An upcoming concert at the Sejong Chamber Hall will feature chamber music that is rarely performed here, like the Elgar Sonata for Violin and Piano and songs by Richard Strauss. Pianist Lee Jee-hee will lead the Jan. 12 concert, which also involves the participation of two singers — a baritone and a soprano — and a violinist and an additional pianist. Lee is a professional accompanist trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The program will also include a solo performance of Mendelssohn’s “Phantasie Op. 28” and Liszt’s “Concerto Pathetique,” the Hungarian composer’s most substantial and ambitious two-piano work played without orchestra. The concert is a rare occasion to experience various genres of chamber music in a single concert, according to Lee. “The most important aspect of our performances is communication. It is an occasion for various artists to connect emotionally,” Lee said in a statement. “I hope to display to the fullest my capacity not just as a soloist but also as an able accompanist.” A graduate of Hanyang UnJan 3, 2012By Do Je-hae
Violinist Chung Kyung-wha to perform BruchViolinist Chung Kyung-wha, who recently completed a four-city tour on Dec. 26, is returning to the stage on Jan. 15 with her younger brother Chung Myung-whun, music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. As soloist of the New Year concert of the SPO, she will play Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy,” a piece she performed for a legendary Decca recording with German maestro Rudolf Kempe conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1970s. The recording also features Bruch’s popular violin concerto. Ray Minshull, head of Decca’s classical artists’ department from 1967 to 1994, once made a remark about Chung’s impeccable interpretation of the formerly unknown “Scottish Fantasy.” “At the time there were considerable reservations about risking the (then) virtually unknown Scottish Fantasy, since the standard concerto to put on record with the Bruch had become the Mendelssohn, but the agreed feeling was that with a star of our soloist’s magnitude we could afford to take the risk,” Minshull wrote in an introduction for a re-isJan 2, 2012By Do Je-hae
Top performing arts school celebrates 20th anniversaryBy Do Je-hae The Korea National University of Arts (KNUA) was established as the only institute of higher education for nurturing artists 20 years ago by the culture ministry. The school will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding this year with a special concert on Jan. 11 at the arts theater of its campus in Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. It has an additional campus in Seocho-dong. "Our school was founded to prepare the nation for a new century in the arts. We have produced leaders in the field and contributed to improving Korea's international image through spreading Korean culture," KNUA President Park Jong-won said in a statement. The anniversary concert will be led by conductor Chung Chi-young with performances by soprano Kim Young-mi, tenor Choi Sang-ho and Kim Duk-soo, a master of "samulnori" (traditional Koran percussion music) and a KNUA faculty member. The concert will also feature young violinist Lee Ji-hye and the K’ Arts Ballet. KNUA has 26 departments in six schools: music, drama, film TV and multimedia, dance, visual arts, and Korean traJan 1, 2012By Do Je-hae
Evanescence, Beirut to perform in SeoulBy Noh Hyun-gi To start off the New Year, two American bands, Evanescence and Beirut, are holding concerts in Seoul for the first time. Both bands have enthusiastic legions of fans in Korea eager to attend a concert without having to travel abroad. Evanescence, a rock band known for the dreamlike voice of the vocalist Amy Lee, will be holding a concert in Feb. 17 at AX Korea in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul. This eagerly anticipated concert will feature songs from the newly released eponymous album “Evanescence.” In 2003, as one of the most successful new metal bands of the 21st century, the band shocked the world with its first full-length album ``Fallen.’’ Selling more than 800,000 copies in the United States alone, the debut album sold around 17 million copies worldwide. Introducing a genre of metal different from Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, Evanescence experimented with a more gothic sound. Given that the scene was heavily saturated with new metal based on hip-hop, the band’s success reflected the exceptional vocals and talent of its members. Beirut, an American bandDec 30, 2011
Chung Kyung-wha delivers safe program in return to stageBy Do Je-hae It’s hard to define the outcome of violin virtuoso Chung Kyung-wha’s return to the stage this week as a recitalist for the first time since a career-threatening finger injury sustained in 2006. The 63-year-old performed with a pianist during a four-city tour that started Dec. 19 in Incheon and concluded Monday at Seoul Arts Center. She delivered a program of pieces that she had played often in past recitals. She has always had a lovely tone, ideal for the lyrical sonatas by Franck and Brahms, the centerpiece of her recitals. They were performed during her recitals here in the early and late 1990s. The only glimpse of a new direction was provided at the opening of the show, a rendition of Mozart’s sonata in E minor. Chung has never recorded it and has shunned from playing the full cycle, unlike peers of similar stature like Itzahk Perlman or Pinchas Zukerman who have been ardent champions of the work on the stage and in recording studios. In interviews conducted in her early 40s, Chung said that she had the highest admiration for the Mozart cycle by violinDec 27, 2011By Do Je-hae
Album review: T-Pain, ’Revolver’Revolver Why we don’t recommend it: nothing special, nothing really T-Pain Recommended track: “Fantasy” is a saving grace that is at least T-Pain material The album “Revolver” is the fourth studio album by T-Pain released on Dec. 2, 2011. Though the artist confirmed that the recording for the album was completed in 2010, he delayed the release due to concerns about the deteriorating music market. And the album probably won’t do much good for the market. Stylized as “RevolveЯ” so that without the R’s at the end the middle spells evolve, the title is a misnomer; none of the 14 tracks exhibit any evolution of T-Pain as an artist. The official single of the title track “Best Love Song” featuring Chris Brown was released on March 22 and garnered significant attention worldwide but it might as well be Brown’s track featuring T-Pain. YouTube covers of the track by aspiring artists online are more interesting than the original. “Fantasy” featuring female singer Dawn is the only offering that carries T-Pain’s style of sexual lyrics carried with his weirdly soothing voice.Dec 20, 2011
Maestro Chung to renew SPO tenure'Overpay' controversy tarnishes Seoul Phil. music director's image By Do Je-hae What will be the definitive legacy of conductor Chung Myung-whun with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) after his renewed three-year term ends in 2015? The 58-year-old conductor and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon agreed to a new contract last Friday, extending his current term which concludes at the end of the month. Despite causing a public stir for being paid an “excessive” salary, Park reportedly asked Chung to stay with the SPO. “I respect the passion he has given to the orchestra,” Park said after the meeting. “Under Chung’s leadership, I hope that the SPO will reach a level that the citizens can be proud of.” Chung expressed his hope to contribute to improving the level of the local classical music community. “It has been six years since I joined the SPO. Making a global orchestra is an extremely difficult task. We need cooperation from all sides,” Chung said. Chung’s new three-year tenure will be finalized during an SPO board meeting later this week. Because the Europe-based ChDec 18, 2011By Do Je-hae
America-Korea friendship concert on SundayBy Noh Hyun-gi The America-Korea Friendship Holiday Concert, featuring the Eighth U.S. Army Band and noted artists including soprano Shin Young-ok will be held at the Seoul Arts Center, southern Seoul, Sunday. The concert, organized by the Eighth U.S. Army, is to mark 61 years of friendship and alliance between South Korea and the United States for peace on the peninsula. Organized into two parts, the event will open with famed baritone Seo Jung-hack and the Eighth U.S. Army Band performing “And the Mountains Echoed: Gloria!” by Robert Longerfield. Dewayne Kendricks, the chief warrant officer four and conductor of the Eighth U.S. Army Band, will lead the performance. The first section will continue with more classics for the holidays like Tchaikovsky’s “Overture Miniature” and “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker” In the second part, soprano Shin Young-ok and the Violin Orchestra will present Shubert’s “Ave Maria.” The group comprises of some 70 violinists who are studying at Korean National Research Institute for the Gifted in Arts and Korea National uniDec 16, 2011
Show what you’ve got at 2012 auditionsBy Noh Hyun-gi With the popularity of audition shows like “Super Star K,” “The Great Birth,” and “Survival Audition K-Pop Star,” the door to stardom has widened. This month, major Korean talent agencies JYP Entertainment, SM entertainment and DSP Media are starting their search for star material. JYP Entertainment, the agency for the Wonder Girls and 2PM, is now accepting applications for first round auditions for aspiring stars in six regions: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Chungju, Gangneung, and Gwangju. The deadline for applications is the day prior to the audition date in each location. The agency is looking for fresh faces in five categories: singers, actors, models, VJs and producers/songwriters. One can submit an application with appropriate material at http://audition.jype.com. The final audition will be held in February, and the top three winners will receive opportunities to train with the agency. This year, JYP Entertainment is collaborating with a clothing brand Hum. One contestant from the final round will receive the Hum Star Award to become a trainee at theDec 14, 2011By Do Je-hae
Get holiday spirit with beatsBy Noh Hyun-gi One of the joys of Christmas season is listening to the renditions of classic holiday songs as well as new beats that carry on the spirit by your favorite artists. After four years of absence, entertainment agency SM released “The Warmest Gift” on Tuesday. SM Town or the agency’s singers had released holiday music starting with the first album “Christmas in SM Town” in 1999. But it stopped producing such albums in 2007. This return to tradition features a vast lineup of the agency’s artists including TVXQ, BoA, Girls’ Generation SHINee and Super Junior. To global fans’ joy, all 11 tracks are in English with seven new songs and four remakes of holiday staples such as “Last Christmas” by SHINee and “Sleigh Ride” by TVXQ. The title track “Santa U Are the One” by Super Junior is an upbeat song that will surely entertain. The music video was released Tuesday, showing behind-the-scenes clips of SM Town artists working on the album. It is released today in Japan. R&B singer Kim Dong-ryul also made a long overdue comeback in time for the holidays. He reDec 13, 2011