Sarah Chang ReturnsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter After foraying into Baroque music two years ago, violin virtuoso Sarah Chang is back with Brahms and Bruch. In addition to releasing her 18th album (``Brahms & Bruch Violin Concertos,'' EMI Classics), the Korean-American artist will give a recital tour here for the first time in 10 years throughout the month of December. Her latest recording features formidable violin concertos by Brahms (D major, Op. 77), and Bruch in (G minor, Op. 26), which are considered to be among the Big Five violin concertos alongside those of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. The two Germans were not only contemporaries of the Romantic Viennese music scene but they both wrote the pieces with violinist Joseph Joachim in mind. Considering the monumental scale of each piece, violinists most often tackle the pieces in two separate albums. But the former child prodigy shows that she can straddle two roads at once. That said, the album is like a meal table with two weighty entrees. Albeit a very satisfying and filling, it is advised that listeners savor each with a Nov 10, 2009
Paik Fetes 20 Years on Int’l StageBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Pianist Paik Hae-sun may have been performing on the world stage for two decades, but wrestling with the keys seems to be a never ending process. ``All I can do is learn and practice endlessly. We artists can perform only if the audience wants to hear us,'' the 44-year-old told reporters last week, over a homey meal with ``dongdongju'' (rice wine) in Insa-dong, Seoul. She chose the down-to-earth venue over a more formal press conference to speak about before celebrating the 20th anniversary of her international debut with a homecoming recital, Sunday, at Seoul Arts Center. A new compilation album, ``Best of Haesun Paik'' is also in stores (EMI Classics). ``I've been so busy raising kids that this is such a luxury for me,'' said the mother of two, chuckling, about being able to drink during the visit. It's a break from her New York life, she said. She made her debut there 20 years ago in 1989. It was a sold-out performance ― ``one could hardly have asked more from a debut recital. Ms. Paik seemed every bit the major talent her advanced Nov 10, 2009
Pianist Aviram Reichert Returns as ProfessorBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Thirteen years ago, Aviram Reichert left his mark on South Korea as the first prizewinner of the Dong-A International Piano Competition, and now he is back as a tenure-track professor at Seoul National University's College of Music. ``It's been a rollercoaster,'' said the Israeli-born musician about moving from Michigan to South Korea in February. He was busy planning out details in the faculty lounge for his upcoming recital Wednesday at Sejong Chamber Hall, downtown Seoul. The first few months of adjustment were hectic ― ``Seoul has changed so much from thirteen years ago!'' he said ― but he is more than happy to be at this ``academic paradise.'' ``The faculty is fantastic and extremely supportive, but above all the students are the best students in the world, it's a privilege to be here,'' he said with a ring of enthusiasm in his voice. ``The experience is about growing, for me as a musician, and not just about giving to the students.'' Reichert had been teaching at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI, and was looking for someNov 8, 2009
Album ReviewsMichael Jackson `This is It' (SonyBMG) The release of ``This is It," a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for what would have been Michael Jackson's comeback concert, might strike some as a blatant attempt to cash in on the King of Pop's memory. But it proves to be an extraordinary documentary that reveals Jackson as a pop music genius who is still immensely talented at 50. The soundtrack is not a greatest hits compilation, but it features songs that Jackson would have performed at the concert, such as ``Wanna Be Startin' Something," ``Black or White," ``Thriller, ``Man in the Mirror" and ``I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You." The only new track is ``This is It," which doesn't quite live up to expectations, although a second disc features four demo versions, including ``She's Out of My Life," and ``Beat It." ―Cathy Rose A. Garcia Michael Buble `Crazy Love' (Warner Music Korea) Michael Buble is back with a new album ``Crazy Love," a mix of pop, soul and jazz, as well as originals and remakes. The Grammy Award-winning crooner opens the album with the bombastic Nov 3, 2009
Nick Warren to Hit Seoul FridayBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Top DJ Nick Warren, one of the pioneers of the British club scene, will be performing at Le Nuit Blanche (formerly Club Answer), Cheongdam-dong Seoul, Friday. In an e-mail interview with The Korea Times, Warren said his gig in Seoul will be ``a night of great music spanning everything from deep house to techno with a heavy dose of progressive." Warren is currently ranked number 58 in DJ Mag's list of Top 100 DJs released last week, moving up 26 places from last year. He has brought his ``distinctly forward blend of progressive sounds, cutting-edge techno and atmospheric layers" to clubs and parties all over the world. The British club culture was fairly new in the late 80s when Warren started as a DJ playing in small clubs and house parties in his hometown of Bristol. ``I then became good friends with Massive Attack and they asked me to be their tour DJ, that was my big break," he said. It was simply his love for music that led him to DJ-ing. ``It was all about the music; I had all this amazing music and wanted to share it,Nov 3, 2009
Yamaha Students Showcase Talent in SeoulBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The 2009 edition of Yamaha's Asia-Pacific Junior Original Concert took place Saturday in Seoul, bringing together 11 children from eight countries. The leading instrument maker has a network of music schools in some 40 countries around the globe, and the Junior Original Concert (JOC) invites talented students aged 15 and under to present their original compositions. Since launching in 1972, the International JOC receives more than 35,000 submissions each year, and various concerts showcasing the selected works take place on a regional, national and international level. This is the first time South Korea has hosted the Asia-Pacific concert. The concert, which was held at COEX Auditorium, Samseong-dong, featured piano, electone and mixed media solo pieces by children from Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Korea's Gu Na-yeon, 9, performed her cheerful three-minute piano solo piece ``Joyful Day.'' The first-grader is the first local student to have been invited to participate in the internatioNov 2, 2009
Album ReviewsShakira 'She Wolf' (SonyBMG) Colombian superstar Shakira is back with her third English-language album filled with Latin-infused electronic tracks. The title track ``She Wolf" offers hip disco beats and wolf howling, but oddly enough it works. Shakira's voice goes from falsetto to throaty growls, creating songs with multilayered vocal tracks. The Neptunes produced several songs, including ``Did It Again" and ``Long Time" with its thumping Latin beats, while Wyclef Jean worked on their duet ``Spy." The 32-year-old made some risky choices in her attempt to break away from her pop-rock image, but it paid off. Overall, ``She Wolf" offers fresh and innovative music that stands out from the rest of the pack. ―Cathy Rose A. Garcia Mercedes Sosa 'Cantora' (SonyBMG) Legendary Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa died of kidney and liver failure on Oct. 4, but her music legacy lives on. ``Cantora," which means ``woman singer" in Spanish, is Sosa's last album. It is filled with collaborations with Latin musicians from different genres, including pop, rock and tango. Oct 27, 2009
Pop Singer Mika to Perform in SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Pop sensation Mika will be bringing his fun, catchy music to Seoul for the first time next month. Mika, whose hit songs include ``Grace Kelly'' and ``Big Girl (You Are Beautiful),'' is holding his first solo concert Nov. 28 at the Melon AX-Hall, Gwangjang-dong, Seoul. Mika was born Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. Aug.18, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon. He grew up in Paris, and later London where he attended Westminster School and the Royal College of Music. He left school to make his debut album with Casablanca Records. In 2007, the London-based singer-songwriter quickly gained critical acclaim for his first album ``Life In Cartoon Motion,'' filled with fresh-sounding pop music. Mika has said the songs mostly deal with coming-of-age issues he dealt with when he was growing up. The first single ``Grace Kelly'' spent five weeks on the number one spot in the U.K. charts, and the album sold four million copies in just 10 months in Europe. His falsetto voice and music earned him comparisons with Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Prince, RoOct 27, 2009
Steve Barakatt to Bring New Symphony as UNICEF AnthemBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Steve Barakatt's atmospheric music is sort of like a teabag ― it seeps into the local cultural fabric without notice but almost always leaves a deep stain. Though he has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, not all South Koreans may know his name ― but most will recognize his compositions from a TV commercial, film score or even the elevator of a department store. ``My music touched the Korean people, but it was a longtime process. I see this in a positive way, where music is part of daily life, for something specific but also meant for diverse uses to create an ambiance… Like the first kiss or love letters, something positive,'' the Quebec native told The Korea Times earlier this month in Seoul. He was in town to take part in the World Knowledge Forum and will return next month to give a concert. The 36-year-old will present to fans not only his hit piano pieces such as ``Rainbow Bridge'' and ``The Whistler's Song,'' but also his latest and most ambitious project ― a new symphony that will be the anthem for UNICEF. ``It was my biggest Oct 27, 2009
Concerts Celebrate Korea-Russia RelationsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Top South Korean classical artists took the stage in Moscow last Tuesday as part of a pre-celebration for next year's 20th anniversary of Korea-Russia relations. Russia's foremost musicians will, in turn, perform in Seoul next month during the event organized by the culture ministries of the two countries. The concert last week took place in Svetlanov Hall, Moscow International House of Music. Popular pianist Lim Dong-hyek, who studied in Russia for 10 years, appeared opposite the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, led by Mark Gorenstein. He chose to play Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, the piece that won him an award at the 13th Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. Rising young violinist Yu Sulki also presented a Russian classic, Glazunov's violin concerto. Grammy Award-nominated soprano Im Sun-hae sang the two operatic arias that Russians are said to love the most. Also featured in the program was the late Korean-German composer Isang Yun's "Traditional Costume." On Nov. 15, Russian musicians will perform with the Korean SymphOct 25, 2009