Chung Trio plays for late momBy Do Je-hae Mothers have played a deciding role in the development of prodigious musicians, like the members of the renowned Chung Trio. For violinist Chung Kyung-wha, her late mother Lee Won-sook was her biggest mentor and source of encouragement. Together with her pianist brother Chung Myung-whun and cellist sister Chung Myung-wha, the pioneering violinist played on the stage of the Grand Hall of Ewha Womans University Tuesday in a chamber music program to honor their late mother. The world's largest female educational institution hosted the concert for Lee, who graduated from the school in 1939. The program included pieces from Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninoff and Brahms. "Bach's Air on a G String is the last piece I played for my father before he died. The E minor violin sonata by Mozart is a piece the composer wrote shortly after the death of his mother," Chung said. This is the first time the trio has played in public here in seven years. In 2004, the Chung Trio held a five-city tour in Korea to celebrate their mother's 86th birthday. The 1967 Leventritt CompDec 13, 2011By Do Je-hae
Girls’ Generation tops Japan’s K-pop chartBy Do Je-hae Girls’ Generation topped Tower Records Japan’s 2011 K-pop chart, according to the largest Japanese record store Monday. The nine-member group’s first Japanese album “Girls’ Generation” was released on June 1, containing their Japan debut track “Genie,” “Run Devil Run,” the original Japanese song “Mr. Taxi,” along with other songs, totaling 12 tracks. In second place was Super Junior’s “Mr. Simple,” followed by KARA’s “Girls’ Talk.” Another album by Girls’ Generation “The Voice” came in fourth place. The chart was based on 37 categories, including classical music, Japanese music, jazz and others. The store did not release the exact sales figures of the albums.Dec 6, 2011By Do Je-hae
Jarvi in command at Paris postBy Do Je-hae Estonian-American conductor Pavvo Jarvi left the Cincinnati Symphony after a decade to fill some big shoes in Paris this year. The position of music director at the “Orchestre de Paris” (hereafter Paris Orchestra) had been occupied by such greats like Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti and Daniel Barenboim. The 49-year-old musician brought the top French orchestra to Seoul last week for two programs consisting of mostly French and Russian music. Jarvi chose music by two of the most revolutionary composers in classical music, such as Hector Berlioz and Igor Stravinsky. The first program was performed Friday at the Seoul Arts Center, featuring “Fantastic Symphony: An Episode in the Life of an Artist in Five Parts” by Berlioz. A program symphony written in 1830, it is one of the representative pieces of the early Romantic period. It has been rarely staged here despite its huge popularity. The following concert on Saturday was centered on Stravinsky’s ballet music “Petrouchka,” a story of a Russian traditional puppet composed in 1910. Korean pianist Paik KDec 6, 2011By Do Je-hae
Int’l K-pop fest to be held in ChangwonBy Do Je-hae The final round of the “K-POP World Festival,” organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism and KBS, will be held in Changwon, Wednesday. The event will also feature performances by some of the nation’s most popular bands, including Infinite, MBLAQ, T-Ara, Sistar, Secret and Boyfriend. The festival has invited performers from all around the world who passed the preliminary rounds of K-pop contests held at the overseas Korean cultural centers. The centers are run by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), an affiliate of the culture ministry. The final round will be held at the indoor race track stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7. A total of 17 teams from 15 countries, including Argentina, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Japan, the U.S., Poland, among others, will perform in the final competition, which will be aired live on KBS, the culture ministry said. The contestants were chosen during the last 8 months at the Korean cultural centers in the participating countries. Fans can participaDec 4, 2011By Do Je-hae
Crossover tenor returnsIm Taek-kyung to hold concert, release three recordings By Lee Hyo-won In September, Im Tae-kyung moved fans by reemerging on the stage of KBS2’s “Invincible Masterpiece 2.” After garnering many votes on the popular talent show for reinterpreting local pop classics, the crossover tenor suffered from chronic coughs and completely lost his voice. He had to stop hosting his radio show and even feared the end of his singing career. After undergoing treatment the 37-year-old has now returned fully recuperated, and is celebrating the occasion with a solo concert, ambitious recording projects and, moreover, a renewed sense of determination to work toward his dreams. “This is going to be my big comeback,” Im said about his concert this Saturday at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Peace Palace in Seoul, during a recent Korea Times interview. “I’ve been singing since I was five, and I never stopped, even when I had a cold or two broken ribs onstage during a musical performance. I kept on coughing without reason and I had to cancel everything — but I decided if I were to ‘die’ Dec 4, 2011
Cellist Chang Han-na to perform RachmaninoffBy Do Je-hae The Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was one of the finest pianists of his days. But he managed to write one of the greatest cello sonatas of the 20th century, according to the Korean cellist Chang Han-na. Chang has chosen the work as the centerpiece of her first recital here since 2009. “It is a piece of extreme intensity and is full of moving melodies that speak to the heart,” the cellist-conductor said at a press conference Monday at the Plaza Hotel in central Seoul. “The sonata was written around the time Rachmaninoff wrote some of his representative works, like the second piano concerto and the second symphony.” His single cello sonata in g minor was largely overshadowed by the popularity of the second piano concerto, but it remains a key piece for cellists. Most of the themes are introduced by the piano, while they are embellished and expanded in the cello’s part. The world-renowned cellist will go on stage with her pianist and recital partner Finghin Collins at Seoul Arts Center on Dec. 8. “The cello sonata by Rachmaninoff is tNov 28, 2011By Do Je-hae
Choruses combine for ode to Han RiverBy Lee Hyo-won Rarely does one see some 200 singers onstage, aside from the occasional renditions of Beethoven’s “Choral” symphony or exceptionally large-scale operas. Next month, however, such a union of local vocal groups and soloists will come together to premiere a grand ode to the Han River. The Seoul Metropolitan Chorus, joined by the National Chorus of Korea and Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus, will sing “Han River Cantata” at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on Dec. 8. Composed by Lim June-hee, a professor at Korea National University of Arts, to lyrics by music critic Tak Gye-seok, the specially commissioned work celebrates the deep historical and cultural symbolism the Han River has inspired for Koreans. The country’s rapid economic growth after the 1950-53 Korean War has been dubbed “the Miracle on the Han River.” Lim has previously written music dedicated to the river. The 2007 “Symphonic Poem Han River,” introduced not only here but also in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic and Turkey received favorable reviews. With woNov 27, 2011
Jarvi brings top French orchestraPaik Kun-woo returns with Schumann, Ravel By Do Je-hae Paris-based piano virtuoso Paik Kun-woo will perform a couple of concertos by Schumann and Ravel on Dec. 2 and 3 accompanied by Estonian-American maestro Paavo Jarvi. The two concerts at Seoul Arts Center will present masterpieces rarely performed in Korea, including “La Symphonie Fantastique” by Berlioz and “Offrandes Oubliees” by French composer Messiaen. Jarvi will conduct the Paris Orchestra, where he has served as musical director since 2010. This is a unique opportunity to hear the 65-year-old pianist renewing his focus on Romantic pieces like the Schumann piano concerto, after devoting the last few years to Beethoven’s huge repertoire of piano works. Paik, who has released the complete set of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas with Decca, combines moving lyricism and insightful interpretations with everything he plays, whether it be a short prelude by Frederic Chopin or a grandiose concertos of Sergei Rachmaninoff. The Financial Times has called him “the rare kind of virtuoso with whom the poetic idea comes fNov 25, 2011By Do Je-hae
Pianist Levin reinvents ’old music’By Do Je-hae Fingers, heart and brains — these are the three things that a musician needs, legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein once said. An example of this ideal combination would be the American pianist and musicologist Robert Levin, who is in Seoul this week for a series of concerts and a meeting with fans. After delivering a rare all-Bach program Monday at the Hoam Art Hall in Seoul, the 64-year-old presented a work never performed in Korea before — an unfinished solo work for piano by Mozart. Mozart at one time had been fascinated by the Baroque masters before him and realized he should write more music in their style. He embarked on creating a suite for piano in four movements — allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue — in accordance with the style of George Frideric Handel, the German-British Baroque composer. But Mozart never finished the last two movements, leaving nothing but a few first bars. Levin completed the last two movements, and he played the entire four movements Wednesday during a meeting with fans at an arts museum in cenNov 23, 2011By Do Je-hae
Top music agency head lauds SNS for K-Pop boomLee Soo-man, chairman of Korea's top record label SM Entertainment Co., said Wednesday the "Korean Wave" is fast spreading across the world through social network services (SNS), such as You Tube and Facebook. "There are many people all over the world who enjoy Korean music," said Lee in a forum in Seoul. "K-Pop helps expand the Korean Wave and contributes to its globalization." Lee has recently been in the media spotlight as shares of his agency have been on a roll for months on the back of K-Pop popularity across Asia and Europe. Since making its debut on the secondary KOSDAQ bourse more than a decade ago in 2000, the leading entertainment agency traded at 52,400 won per share as of Wednesday and has increased nearly three-fold from its price of 17,900 won in the beginning of the year. The agency represents the country's most lucrative pop idol group lineup, including Girls' Generation, Super Junior and SHINee. "SNS, mobile smart devices and other types of new media networks have helped build a virtual nation called 'SM Town,'" the CEO said. He defined a virtual nation Nov 23, 2011