Lindenbaum Music Fest to LaunchBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Maestro Charles Dutoit, 72, is undoubtedly one of the busiest conductors in the world., but he will take a break from helming the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic to lead and inspire an ensemble of young Korean musicians in an all-new festival. The inaugural edition of the Lindenbaum Music Festival (LBMF) will take place from July 26 to Aug. 1 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul. ``I like to work with young musicians and to bring them our Western knowledge and to exchange ideas and cultures,'' Chantal Juillet, artistic director of the festival, said in an e-mail interview about her reasons for joining the project. ``I never thought it possible we would gather, in a very short time, such an extraordinary array of musicians coming from all over the world to teach and play with the young generation of Korean instrumentalists,'' said the 49-year-old violinist about organizing the festival rather late in January. She had difficulty recruiting a conductor so late in the season. None other than the greaJul 21, 2009
Album ReviewsJonas Brothers `Lines Vines and Trying Times' (Universal Korea) Jonas Brothers are trying extra hard to prove that they're not just another cute boy band. Their third album shows the boys doing their best attempt at a more mature sound, without alienating their core teen audience. Songs like ``World War III'' and ``Paranoid'' do offer something edgier than their usual sweet pop songs. Nick Jonas sings with rumored girlfriend and teen queen Miley Cyrus on the ballad ``Before the Storm.'' Joe Jonas takes a swipe at ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift, singing ``I'm done with superstars,'' on the 80s sounding ``Much Better.'' Overall, it's a decent album that teen fans will buy, but the boys will have to do better to attract adult listeners. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia Jul 21, 2009
Weezer Prepares Surprise for FansBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter For American rock band Weezer's first ever performance in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival this Friday, frontman Rivers Cuomo is preparing something special for Korean fans. In an telephone interview with The Korea Times, Cuomo revealed that he's been to Korea twice but never had a chance to play here. ``I'm super-excited to play in Korea for the first time. I love Korea. I have so many Korean friends but I've never had a chance to perform there. So this is just going to be great. I'm having a special guitar made, with Korean colors and imagery on the guitar. It's a special guitar just for this show. And I want to sing a song in Korean, too. I was trying to find it online but I only know the melody. Maybe it should be a surprise,'' he said. Cuomo, vocalist and guitarist, along with drummer Patrick Wilson, bassist Scott Shriner and guitarist Brian Bell, will be headlining the Jisan Valley Rock Festival in Icheon, Friday evening. Weezer was formed in 1992 in Los Angeles, and they released their self-titled album in 1994.Jul 21, 2009
Shoo to Appear as Solo ArtistShoo, a former member of the three-girl dance and singing group S.E.S., will resume singing as a soloist after a nearly seven-and-a-half-year hiatus. The 28-year-old singer revealed her plan at a cafe in Itaewon, central Seoul, Thursday morning, during her session to publicly announce a photo shoot, taken at a scenic Philippine resort with the theme of 'Sweet & Sexy Angel.' . Shoo said she will appear on stage as a solo artist soon, releasing a mini-album or a digital single in late August or September. Her last performance of note was as a featured singer alongside "Yoo Nan Hee (유난히)" on the first mini-album of hip-hop duo ShowHow in 2008. Currently, it is highly probable that her new song will be a dance number. She is busy recording, and said she is ready to put her best effort in her return to stage. Jul 17, 2009
Album ReviewsIncubus `Monuments & Melodies' (SonyBMG) Alternative rock band Incubus' greatest hits are compiled in their newest release ``Monuments & Melodies.'' It's been 10 years since Incubus made a mark with their breakout album ``Make Yourself.'' Since then, they have chalked up hits like ``Drive,'' ``Pardon Me,'' ``Megalomaniac'' and ``Wish You Were Here,'' which are all included in the album. A second disc features rare tracks, unreleased songs, and alternate versions such as ``Neither of Us Can See,'' ``Pantomime'' and a cover of Prince's ``Let's Go Crazy.'' And if you're wondering about the cool album artwork, it's by frontman Brandon Boyd. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia Jul 14, 2009
Wouter Hamel to Serenade Fans in SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Rising jazz star Wouter Hamel will once again serenade Korean fans with his romantic tunes in late August. Hamel first charmed fans with a mesmerizing performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival last May. This time, Hamel's concerts on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 will be held outdoors at the Waterside Stage, Olympic Park, southern Seoul. Only 1,000 seats are available, creating a more intimate setting for the artist and fans. The Dutch singer-songwriter is considered one of the hottest ``it'' guys in the jazz world. His music has an up-tempo swing beat and seems to blend jazz and pop effortlessly. Hamel won the Dutch Jazz Vocalist Competition in 2005. He was quickly noticed in the music scene, scoring nominations for the Deloitte Jazz Award and Edison People's Choice Award. In 2007, he released his debut album``Hamel,'' which received critical acclaim and commercial success not just in Netherlands but other countries. He won the prestigious Dutch Silver Harp award and a Gold Disc award. His sophomore album ``Nobody's Tune,'' now avaJul 14, 2009
Escala Electrifies With New AlbumBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The popular talent show ``Britain's Got Talent'' has discovered its share of musical sensations like Paul Potts, Andrew Johnston, Connie Talbot, and most recently, Susan Boyle. The all-female electronic string quartet Escala is proving to be no exception. Composed of cellist Tasya Hodges, violinist Izzy Johnston, violist Chantal Leverton and violinist Victoria Lyon, the group found fame when they reached the finale of ``Britain's Got Talent" last year. In an e-mail interview with The Korea Times, Hodges talked about Escala's experience joining the hit TV show and recording their first album. The four girls met when they worked in the string section of the orchestra on tour with band McFly in 2005. Prior to that, Leverton and Lyon were in a junior orchestra together, and Leverton also worked with Johnston in a group named Wild. ``We were all originally musicians, and the community is small, so we knew each other for a long time. … The four of us got together as a band to play at parties and weddings. We've been together forJul 14, 2009
Fall Out Boy Excited to Perform in KoreaBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter American rock band Fall Out Boy is gearing up for their first performance in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Icheon, June 24. Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy's bassist and lyricist, appeared apologetic to their fans in Korea for taking such a long time to perform here. ``I got a lot of emails (from Korean fans) asking us when we're going to get there. We're really excited about our first performance in Korea. We're looking forward to go and see our fans this summer,'' Wentz said in a phone interview with The Korea Times. Wentz will be joined at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival by the rest of Fall Out Boy: vocalist and composer Patrick Stump, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley. Wentz and Trohman formed a band in Wilmette, Ill. in 2001, later joined by Stump. In one of their early shows, the band asked the audience for name suggestions. One fan shouted ``Fallout Boy,'' referring to the sidekick to Radioactive Man on ``The Simpsons,'' and the name stuck. Little did the band members know how much success they wouldJul 13, 2009
Romanticism Reigns in Alexeev’s WorldBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Dmitri Alexeev recently appeared as a jury member at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition ― an event founded in honor of the American pianist who captured top prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow during the height of the Cold War in 1958. Alexeev himself partook in a historic cultural exchange some 20 years ago, when he played with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea. It was the first time a Russian ensemble visited Seoul since the North-Side divide of the Korean Peninsula. ``Now of course it’s completely different,’’ the master pianist told The Korea Times, Friday evening at KBS Hall, downtown Seoul, before performing with the Hannu Litnu-led KBS Symphony Orchestra. He had wowed crowds the previous evening at Seoul Arts Center with a timeless Russian work, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2. ``It was good, with a nice orchestra and a good conductor, and the audience was enthusiastic,’’ he said, recalling the evening. Only recently has the technically taxing, emotionally tumultuous piece been spotligJul 13, 2009
Great Mountain Fest to Fathom Song MeaningsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The Great Mountain International Music Festival & School (GMMFS), Korea's foremost summer music event, explores the meaning of song titles in its sixth edition, which opens amid the backdrop of Yongpyeong, Gangwon Province's cascading mountains from July 22 to Aug. 14. Having attracted more than 40,000 festival goers from near and far last year, it is one of the most highly evaluated arts events by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This year's program, titled ``What's in a name?'' includes well-known pieces as well as ones that are rarely heard of, said the event's artistic director Hyo Kang. ``I hope this will be an opportunity to experience how a composer expresses the title of a piece of music and how the audience perceives that musical scent,'' said the Juilliard professor. The festival's most popular section, the Great Artist Concert series, welcomes back musicians of the highest caliber including members of the conductor-less ensemble Sejong and cellist Chung Myung-wha. On July 31, violinist Chee-Yun and pianist Evan SoloJul 8, 2009