Rising Maestra Sung ReturnsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter A generation after maestri Marin Alsop and Simone Young took the baton to the glass ceiling there is still no consensus on how to properly address a female master conductor. While ``maestra'' may sound like a logical female form of maestro, it really denotes schoolteacher in Italian. This issue may become more relevant in the years to come, with promising young assistant conductors like the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Sung Shi-yeon and the New York Philharmonic's Xian Zhang. This points to a more general question: Does gender still matter? ``I do not think of my gender when I conduct, because it is my idea that colors my music,'' Sung told The Korea Times in a telephone interview. The statement seemed more like pensive introspection than an aggressive objection. The 33-year-old, tall, charismatic and almost fiercely energetic onstage, had a delicate, feminine voice bouncing with laughter throughout the conversation. After winning first prize at the 2006 International Conductors' Competition for Sir Georg Solti, she was invited by James LevinSep 9, 2008
Album ReviewsSara Bareilles Little Voice SonyBMG American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles scored her first number one hit on the Billboard charts last year with ``Love Song.'' ``Little Voice,'' her debut album on a major label, shows that Bareilles has anything but a small voice. She played the piano and wrote all the songs on the album. What makes the Little Voice special edition is an extra disc of ``stripped down" versions of favorites such as ``Bottle It Up,'' ``Gravity'' and ``In Your Eyes.'' With just a piano and her voice, Bareilles sings with heartfelt emotion that will enchant listeners. - Cathy Rose A. Garcia Sep 9, 2008
Pianist Lang Lang, Violinist Chen Xi Lead Classical MusicThis is the 20th and last in a series of interviews with the next-generation of classical musicians. ― ED. By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The 1981 Academy Award-winning film ``From Mao to Mozart'' documented the Western classical music scene in China as it emerged from the Cultural Revolution. The last 15 minutes of the movie showed an earnest 10-year-old playing the cello before Isaac Stern. This was none other than esteemed cellist Jian Wang. Now a generation later, China is becoming a major market for almost everything, and it seems classical musicians are one of its hottest exports. If Wang represented a changing China, here are the faces of ``new'' China, pianist Lang Lang and violinist Chen Xi. Lang Lang: Mozart Meets MTV At 26, Lang Lang already has a ``best of'' album, and recently performed before 5 billion viewers at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. It was ``unbelievable,'' he said about the opening ceremony in an email interview with The Korea Times. ``My heart is still pumping fast when I think about it. It was a miracle opening night, and represenSep 2, 2008
Album ReviewsNew Kids on the Block ``Greatest Hits'' SonyBMG It's hard to believe but it's been more than 20 years since the New Kids on the Block released their first self-titled album in 1986. Thanks to songs like ``Please Don't Go Girl,'' ``I'll Be Loving You (Forever)'' and ``Step by Step,'' the five boys from Boston sang and danced their way to the hearts of millions of teenage girls all over the world. This new Greatest Hits compilation album includes 14 songs from the New Kids' six albums and 4 bonus tracks, namely: ``2008 New Kids Mega Mix''; ``Angel of Love'' Jordan Knight's duet with Ana; ``The Right Combination,'' Donnie Wahlberg's duet with Seiko; and Joey McIntyre's solo ``Stay the Same.'' Die-hard fans should pick up the ``fan pack edition,'' which comes with a DVD of 14 New Kids music videos. - Cathy Rose A. GarciaSep 2, 2008
Billy Joel Brings New York State of Mind to SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter American rock-and-roll legend Billy Joel is finally coming for his first concert in Seoul this November. Joel, nicknamed the Piano Man, will perform Nov. 15 at the Olympic Gym, Olympic Park, southern Seoul. The 59-year-old singer has sold over 150 million albums around the world, and is considered the 6th best-selling artist of all time in the United States. Joel is also an accomplished songwriter, winner of six Grammy Awards and plays the piano, keyboards, guitar, harmonica and accordion. Among Joel's best known songs are ``New York State of Mind,'' ``Just the Way You Are,'' ``She's Always a Woman,'' ``My Life,'' ``Uptown Girl,'' ``Honesty'' and ``We Didn't Start the Fire.'' Born in 1949 in New York, Joel took piano lessons at a young age because his father was a classical pianist. But he was only inspired to pursue a music career, after watching the Beatles on television in 1964. At 14, he joined a local band, the Echoes. In 1971, Joel released his first solo album ``Cold Spring Harbor.'' He achieved breakthrough success wiSep 2, 2008
Avril Lavigne Rocks SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Canadian pop-punk star Avril Lavigne promised Korean fans she would give them ``the best damn'' concert and she certainly delivered on her promise Monday evening. Around 2,000 fans packed the Melon-AX Hall to watch Lavigne perform in her fourth visit to Seoul. Excitement filled the concert hall as the curtains were drawn to reveal the stage decorated with a huge pink skull and bones banner. Lavigne soon hit the stage, wearing a white hooded sweater and holding a pink glittery microphone. Screams greeted her as she sang the hit song ``Girlfriend.'' ``Annyeonghaseyo,'' she screamed, and the crowd went wild. Lavigne quickly followed up with ``I Can Do Better,'' a song she wrote about being strong. After the second song, Lavigne exited the stage and the band stopped playing. Many concertgoers were puzzled by the interruption, but it turned out some fans had been injured in the standing area in front of the stage. Security personnel asked the crowd to move back and refrain from pushing. The concert resumed after around 10 minutesSep 2, 2008
Rise of TecktonikBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter A Korean culture scene is known for its rapid changes in style and trend, not to mention the impact it brings to society as a whole. While some simply come and go, others expand to others aspects such as fashion, entertainment and commercials. Despite other events including the Olympics, the summer of 2008 has been soaked with ``Tecktonik,'' a groovy dance form that has swept European dance clubs for the past couple of years. ``Tecktonik is a dance, not a fashion or music style. It has been popular in Europe and finally hit Korea last year,'' singer and DJ Koo (Jun-yup) told The Korea Times. The former member of now disbanded duo Clon, Koo has been spreading Tecktonik here for the past year, with DJ mixes, songs and dance moves. Although the term Tecktonik is frequently used, few may know that it is actually a trademarked brand registered by Cyril Blanc, the artistic director of the popular club Metropolis in France, and his business partner Alexandre Barouzdin. It is the first dance to be protected by copyright registration. Thanks Aug 27, 2008
Asian Pop Stars to Gather in Seoul in OctoberBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Asian pop stars, such as TVXQ, w-inds and Fahrenheit, will shine in Seoul as the Asia Song Festival celebrates its 5th anniversary. The 5th Asia Song Festival promises to be bigger and better, with three days of events from Oct. 3-5 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, Sangam, Seoul. Organized by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) and Seoul Metropolitan Government, the festival gathers 20 pop stars from 12 countries including Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines on one stage. The festival kicks off with a free concert featuring ``Best New Asian Artists'' Oct. 3 at the Peace Plaza at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Performers include Korean boyband SHINee, Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo, Yoga from Taiwan, Peck from Thailand, BX from Mongolia, Rynn Lim from Malaysia and Jocie Guo Mei Mei from Singapore. On Oct. 4, big-name pop stars TVXQ, Fahrenheit and w-inds will perform at the main concert of the Asia Song Festival. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the World Cup StadiumAug 27, 2008
Album ReviewsVarious Artists `One World One Dream' SonyBMG The Olympics just ended but you can still keep the spirit alive by listening to the official album for the Beijing Olympics. Remember the exciting Olympic moments with uplifting power ballads, such as ``That's My Goal'' by Shayne Ward and ``Us Against the World'' by Westlife, and perky dance numbers like ``Take You There'' by Sean Kingston and ``Dream Catch Me'' by Newton Faulkner. Overall, many of the songs will still be worth listening to long after the Olympic memories have faded. Except maybe for ``Light the Passion Share the Dream'' (sung by the contestants of Miss World 2008) and ``China World,'' which grates on the ears with the chorus ``Beijing Olympic Games will be great.'' - Cathy Rose A. Garcia Aug 26, 2008
90s King of Pop Makes ComebackBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter In the 1990s, selling more than a million albums was common among popular singers. Today, as Internet users manage to download a song even before its release, sales seem relatively meaningless. For those who remember the domestic pop music scene of the 1990s, singer Kim Gun-mo's comeback is drawing attention. With his distinctive voice and songs, Kim topped album sales with a whopping 2.8 million copies in 1995. His ``Wrong Encounter'' became the biggest selling album in South Korea. The 40-year-old singer may have made headlines with his albums, but he is also known for his down-to-earth and sometimes blatantly honest personality. The Korea Times met the singer before a show, humming and warming up in front of a piano. ``It's been a while but I've been taking good care of myself. I quickly regained my musical touch in about two days,'' he said. His 12th album,``Soul Groove,'' is his first one since teaming up with producer and composer Kim Chang-hwan for the first time in 13 years. The inseparable duo shot to stardom with songs liAug 26, 2008