Europe’s feted Korean composer getting Asian premiere‘Universal appeal of individuality, Korean-ness secret to success’ By Lee Hyo-won The husband is always the last to know, and it took Korea more than three decades to invite one of its own artists who has been making waves in the European music scene. Younghi Pagh Paan will see the Asian premiere of her winning composition “Ta-Ryoung VI” at the Great Mountains Music Festival and School (GMMFS) in Daegwallyeong, Gangwon Province, Thursday. “It is an honor to shed light on the work of Younghi Pagh Pa-an, who is considered one of the most esteemed contemporary composers alongside Isang Yun in Germany and other parts of Europe but is not well known in Korea,” said Chung Myung-wha, co-director of the music festival. GMMFS kicked off Sunday under the theme of “Illumination” and continues until Aug. 13. Pagh attended Seoul National University before winning a scholarship to study in Germany. She adopted the pen name “Pa an” meaning “thinking composer” in 1977, just before winning a breakthrough first prize at the Boswil International Composition Competition. The Swiss eveJul 25, 2011
Europe’s feted Korean composer getting Asian premiere‘Universal appeal of individuality, Korean-ness secret to success’ By Lee Hyo-won The husband is always the last to know, and it took Korea more than three decades to invite one of its own artists who has been making waves in the European music scene. Younghi Pagh Paan will see the Asian premiere of her winning composition “Ta-Ryoung VI” at the Great Mountains Music Festival and School (GMMFS) in Daegwallyeong, Gangwon Province, Thursday. “It is an honor to shed light on the work of Younghi Pagh Pa-an, who is considered one of the most esteemed contemporary composers alongside Isang Yun in Germany and other parts of Europe but is not well known in Korea,” said Chung Myung-wha, co-director of the music festival. GMMFS kicked off Sunday under the theme of “Illumination” and continues until Aug. 13. Pagh attended Seoul National University before winning a scholarship to study in Germany. She adopted the pen name “Pa an” meaning “thinking composer” in 1977, just before winning a breakthrough first prize at the Boswil International Composition Competition. The Swiss event Jul 25, 2011
Hwanhee’s 1st solo album due FridayBy Lee Hyo-won Hwanhee of duo Fly to the Sky will release his first solo album Friday. The 29-year-old made his debut in 1999 along with Brian in Fly to the Sky, to become one of K-pop’s foremost R&B artists for more than a decade. The self-titled album “Hwanhee” is the singer’s first recording since he began performing solo two years ago. It features sad R&B tune “Jugeul geotman gata” (I Feel Like I’m Going to Die) as the title track. “Hwanhee has so far showcased songs featuring fast rhythms. But as this is his first studio album he has returned to his original roots that have been much loved by the public,” his agency said. The album’s release was not without its trials and errors. The first batch of 20,000 orders had to be destroyed because the songs needed to be re-mastered and remixed. “There was a lot of financial risk involved but we made the decision in order to provide fans the best-quality album possible,” said the agency. Hwanhee’s fans have given him plenty of support. One financed advertisements for the vocalist’s album to be plastered on the side Jul 25, 2011
Seoul Phil embarking on overseas tourBy Do Je-hae The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) and its music director Chung Myung-whun are renewing their mission to elevate the global status of Korea’s classical ensembles through a fresh overseas tour. The orchestra announced Monday that it will hold a special concert Aug. 9 to celebrate the forthcoming launch of their second European tour Aug. 19 to 27. The SPO will also travel to Japan and North America during the 2011/2012 concert season. Like last year, their European tour is sponsored by Hyundai Motor. Overseas tours have played a central part in the growth of the SPO, musically and mentally, for the nation’s oldest classical music orchestra. “Many critics and fellow musicians whom I spoke to were highly impressed. These tours are crucial in boosting the orchestra’s morale,” Chung said in a promotional video. The orchestra has been invited to some of Europe’s most respected musical festivals this year, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Musikfest Bremen and the Robeco Summer Series at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, home to the prestigiousJul 19, 2011By Do Je-hae
Rock festivals to sizzle up summerBy Kwon Mee-yoo Two rock festivals are ready to rock the summer with the hottest bands from overseas and Korea. Instead of giving rock fans an agonizing choice of which one to go to by holding them on the same weekend, the festivals are on different dates to provide more diverse lineups this year. As the events offer more variety, not only rock enthusiasts but also youngsters attend, as a summer escape. Jisan Valley Rock Festival Jisan Valley Rock Festival (JVRF) will feature 74 artists on four unique stages at the Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province from July 29 to 31. Jisan’s headliners are all British bands. Electronica duo Chemical Brothers (July 29), indie rock band Arctic Monkeys (July 30) and alternative rock band Suede (July 31) will lead the Big Top Stage which can house more than 20,000 audience members. The Chemical Brothers return to Korea for the second time after the 2007 Pentaport Rock Festival. The Arctic Monkeys and Suede will visit Korea for the first time. The Arctic Monkeys is one of the hottest bands in the United Kingdom rigJul 19, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Asia Phil launches three-country tourBy Do Je-hae The Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) led by conductor Chung Myung-whun will tour Korea, Japan and China this summer. The festival orchestra brings together more than 90 musicians from the world’s finest orchestras, such as the Chicago Symphony, Munchner Philharmoniker and the New York Philharmonic, among others. The pan-Asian ensemble will perform Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7” on July 30 at the Incheon Culture and Arts Center. The orchestra will perform the same program the following day at Seoul Arts Center. In Japan, the APO will repeat this program at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall on Aug. 2, followed by a Mahler performance in Beijing on Aug. 4. Making a successful debut in 1997, the festival orchestra has grown in reputation over the years and is now recognized as one of the continent’s best. It was inspired by Chung’s aspiration to bring Asian countries closer through musical collaboration. The birth of the orchestra can be traced back to 1995, when Chung was invited to conduct a show for the opening of the Tokyo InternatJul 17, 2011By Do Je-hae
SHINee earns Gold Album in JapanFive-member boy band SHINee’s Japanese debut single “Replay” won a Gold Album for the first time as a Korean male group’s debut single, Monday. The Japanese single was released on June 23 and sold more than 91,000 copies in a week. The single has “Replay” and “Hello” in both Japanese and Korean. The group will tour Japan with their “SHINee Japan Debut Premium Reception Tour,” starting from July 22 in Fukuoka to Kobe, Tokyo, Sapporo and Nagoya. The Recording Industry Association of Japan awards Gold Album to those which are sold 100,000 copies. Other Korean groups who got Gold Album from the Japanese association include Big Bang (“Big Bang 2,” 2011) and Kara (“Kara Best 2007-2010,” 2010).Jul 12, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Taeyang working with Beyonce’s producerTaeyang of K-pop group Big Bang collaborated with U.S. production group the Underdogs last week. He wrote “Today I’m starting my session with the Underdogs. It’s gonna be awesome!” on his Twitter Thursday. Harvey Mason Jr. of the Underdogs also tweeted, “One record done. On to number 2 with @realtaeyang. Great artist to work with!” The Underdogs is an R&B and pop production duo composed of Mason and Damon Thomas. They produced many hit songs including Beyonce’s “Listen,” Justin Timberlake’s “Still On My Brain” and most recently “Up 2 You” for Chris Brown. However, the group’s agency YG Entertainment did not confirm the group’s outreach to the American market. “Taeyang is contacting the producers he wanted to work with,” an agency official said. Big Bang members are currently focusing on individual projects since Dae-sung turned out to be responsible for a deadly car accident in June.Jul 12, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
B2ST, 4Minute to hold concert in EnglandBy Kwon Mee-yoo With K-pop’s increasing popularity in Europe, Korean singers B2ST, 4Minute and G.NA will hold a concert in the United Kingdom in November. Cube Entertainment, the singers’ management agency, said it plans to hold the “United Cube Concert” in London on Nov. 19. “We were asked to hold a concert there by a local concert promoter. European concert organizers are much more interested in K-pop after the SM Town Live World Tour in Paris in June,” an official of Cube Entertainment said. “England is the home of pop music and we are glad to hold a K-pop concert there.” This is the first time for Korean singers to host a paid concert in the U.K. The entertainment company will hold the “United Cube” concert first in Seoul on Aug. 14 and travel to Tokyo on Aug. 25. The agency said they are also preparing for another concert in Brazil. Meanwhile, other K-pop fans in the U.K. are scheduled to hold a flash mob gathering “Bring YG to the UK” at Trafalgar Square in London Saturday to request a concert of singers who belong to YG Entertainment, according to the group’Jul 8, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Liszts cherished Bosendorfer piano makes Korean debutBy Do Je-hae Hungarian-born pianist and composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) had a lifelong relationship with the Bosendorfer, one of the world’s oldest handmade piano manufacturers. The Austrian piano maker was introduced to the Korean market for the first time, Thursday, through its Japanese owner Yamaha. Bosendorfer’s Korean debut coincides with Liszt’s bicentennial. To mark the occasion, the handmade piano maker has produced 25 Liszt models and one of them is currently in Korea. Based in the classical music capital of the world, the Bosendorfer runs an exclusive exhibition hall at the Musikverein, the world’s foremost music halls and home to the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic). “The level of music, both in classical and pop, is very high and is getting better,” Hitoshi Fukutome, president of Yamaha Music Korea, said during a launching event at Coex, Seoul. “We believe that Bosendorfer pianos will enhance the quality of local stages.” Several notable Korean pianists, including Han Dong-il, were present for the occasion. A young female pianist Kim HyJul 8, 2011By Do Je-hae