Kaori Muraji Brings People Back to Classical GuitarBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter This is the fifth in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians ― ED Apparently, you don't have to rock to be a star in Japan. One of the most popular guitarists is a soulful classical musician, Kaori Muraji. Praised for her virtuoso technique and emotional breadth, the 29-year-old has gone from being the nation's child prodigy to a full-fledged artist. ``I express what is transmitted from generation to generation. It's just simple but so precious,'' Muraji said about her role as a musician in a recent email interview with The Korea Times. ``Generally it is said that the young don't go to classical music concerts. But recently in Japan, a comic book series, `Nodame Cantabile,' which is about the classical music world, was a huge success. They say that it caused the young to go to orchestra concerts,'' she said. The TV soap version, starring heartthrob Hiroshi Tamaki, also aired in Korea, garnering a sizeable fan base. ``There are many young artists who won foreign competitions and debuted triumphantly. I thinkMar 18, 2008
Musicians to Honor Isang Yun at TongyeongBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Premier world musicians will take center stage at Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province ― ``the Naples of Korea'' ― to commemorate the late Korean-German composer Isang Yun (1917-1995). The annual Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) was launched in 1999 as a one-night concert paying homage to Yun. He is recognized as creating ``one of the very important postwar contemporary works,'' according to conductor Vladimir Jurowski, who recently visited Seoul with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Yun gained international prominence when he was identified with the German avant-garde movement in the 1960s. But his life took an unexpected turn when he and other Korean artists/intellectuals residing in Berlin were charged with treason in the 1969 ``East Berlin spy incident.'' A show trial sentenced him to life imprisonment but he was released after international protests led by maestros such as Igor Stravinsky and Herbert von Karajan. He returned to Berlin and became a German citizen, never to return to his homeland. Yun died in 1995 and wasMar 17, 2008
Star Musicians Hype Up Spring FestivalBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Concertgoers welcomed the new spring season at the annual ``Spring Music Festival,'' hosted by The Korea Times Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center. Charismatic musicians like Jang Sa-ik led the musical festivity, adding warmth to the already sunny afternoon. Some 2,400 people, including foreign envoys from South Africa, Greece, Tunisia, Costa Rica and Hungary, filled the Concert Hall, even some of the chorus seats behind the stage. The Seoul Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Lee Jin-kwon, opened the show with the highlight of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, also known as the ``New World.'' Soloists Kim Dae-hwan and Joo Young-mok took the stage for the first movements of the Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (E minor Op. 64) and Chopin's Piano Concert No. 1, respectively. ``Bravos'' sounded after tenor Kim Jong-ho gave thoroughly pleasant performances of ``Mulmangcho'' (Forget-Me-Not) and ``Ah! Leve-toi soleil'' from the opera ``Romeo et Juliette.'' ``The concert is wonderful,'' Adolfo Carafi Melero, Chilean ambassador to Seoul, told The Korea Times duMar 16, 2008
Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins to Go on StageBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins performs in Seoul for the first time in May. The 77-year-old jazz artist is expected to dazzle audiences with two exciting concerts at the LG Arts Center on May 23 and 25. Rollins is undoubtedly a living legend in jazz music. With his tenor saxophone, he became known as a formidable jazz improviser in the past six decades. He was born Theodore Walter Rollins in New York City. He started playing the alto saxophone at 11 in Harlem. When he was 16, he switched to the tenor saxophone and started following Charlie Parker. He then came under the wing of piano legend Thelonious Monk. Monk became Rollins' musical mentor. He was soon recording with Monk, Babs Gonzales and Miles Davis. He released a series of records in the mid-1950s, such as ``Saxophone Colossus'' and ``Tenor Madness'' that showed new improvisation techniques, and established his reputation as an innovative saxophonist. Rollins is also credited with not using the piano, but only the bass and drums to accompany his solos inMar 12, 2008
Album ReviewsJanet Jackson `Discipline' Universal Pop diva Janet Jackson returns with her landmark 10th album, ``Discipline'' on which renowned musicians such as American big-name producer Rodney Jerkins and Ne-Yo worked. Her latest album proves her charismatic musical prowess, which has lasted for about 25 years. The opener, ``Feedback'' is a hit single known for its eye-catching music video featuring elaborate computer graphics, while ``Rock With U'' is an up-tempo electronic retro number co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Ne-Yo. ``Can't Be Good,'' ``Never Letchu Go'' and ``Greatest X'' are sophisticated and romantic pop ballads that are expected to be beloved by Korean pop fans. -Chung Ah-young A Fine Frenzy One Cell in the Sea EMI Indie singer A Fine Frenzy has a haunting voice that lingers in your head, even hours after you've listened to her songs. A Fine Frenzy, whose real name is Alison Sudol, not just sings but also writes poetic lyrics and plays the piano like a dream. Her debut album ``One Cell in the Sea'' is a solid musical effort for the 22-year old SeaMar 11, 2008
Cellist Oh Ah-mis Courageous CrossoverBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Crossover music is now a well-established genre that continues to grow with innovative new ideas, but the thought of an electronic cello going solo was inconceivable for many in Korea. For crossover cellist Oh Ahmi, it took a single album to show the cello can take center stage ― with hip music and sexy dance moves. ``I take pride in the fact that this is a relatively unexplored field. There are electronic cellists, of course, but there aren't too many who have made a solo debut like this,'' the 25-year-old told The Korea Times in a recent interview. Indeed, she is the first electronic cello soloist in Korea. Violinists Vanessa Mae and Eugene Park have paved the way for electronic classical instruments, adding a modern flair to the classical genre with exciting moves and a strong stage presence. While the violin, be it classical or electronic, allows room for improvisation with its prolific sound and compact size, for the cello, it's a different story. Even in classical music, it took pioneering artists like Yo-Yo Ma to prove that the cello canMar 11, 2008
Maestro Jurowski to Lead Korean ArtistsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski will lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra with solos by violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill tonight and pianist Paik Kun-woo Wednesday and Thursday. Maestro Jurowski and star musician O'Neill shared their musical perspectives with the press in a Seoul hotel Monday before taking the stage tonight at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in northern Seoul. This marks Jurowski's first time visiting Korea and performing in Asia. Also a trained singer, the Russian maestro made his conducting debut at the 1995 Wexford Festival in Ireland and since been leading major opera productions and orchestras all over the world. The conductor said his only encounter Korea has been through Korean-German composer Isang Yun's chamber pieces, which he calls ``very important post-war contemporary works.'' Also known to be interested in Eastern philosophy, Jurowski has not yet expressed it musically, but said ``I hope some of my interest will be visible in the future.'' It will also be Jurowski's first collaboration with KorMar 10, 2008
Backstreet Boys Still Gets Crowd ScreamingBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Backstreet Boys, one of the most popular boy bands of all-time, returned to Seoul for a successful concert at the Olympic Fencing Stadium, Saturday evening. On their 16th year as Backstreet Boys, the now four-member group still has what it takes to get a crowd of thousands on its feet and screaming. Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A. J. McLean and Nick Carter showed a lot of energy during the Seoul concert, which was their last stop on the Asian leg of their ``Unbreakable'' world tour. Once the lights dimmed, the crowd roared with excitement as one by one, the Backstreet Boys appeared on stage. Each member was introduced in the same way a boxer is before a fight. Appropriately enough, they were all wearing satin boxer's robes as they sang ``Larger than Life.'' ``It's great to be back to this beautiful country,'' Dorough said, in between songs. Backstreet Boys performed several ballads and pop-rock songs from their recent albums ``Never Gone'' and ``Unbreakable.'' However, it was apparent the crowd knew more of the songs from Mar 10, 2008
Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill’s Art of GivingThis is the fourth in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians. ― Ed. By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill reminds you of the Energizer Bunny. He keeps going and going. For the 29-year-old violist, it would be typical to go on a cross-country tour with Schubert across Korea, and then fly to Los Angeles to teach for eight hours before heading to New York. After a few days of playing chamber music at the Lincoln Center and fiddling contemporary pieces at the Guggenheim, he's on the move again. Following a quick stop to lecture at UCLA, he's in Milan with John Zorn, making modern music history. This is how 2007 zipped past for the musician. One of the few violists to ever receive the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as a Grammy Award nomination (Best Soloist with Orchestra), Richard Yongjae O'Neill is rising to prominence as one of the leading artists of his generation. But it seems to be more than a deep passion for music that keeps him going. It is the power of sharing through music. ``An artist should giMar 9, 2008
Swedish Metal Band to Perform in SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Swedish metal band Arch Enemy will perform in Seoul March 15. The band will stage its first concert here at the Seoul Fashion Art Hall in Dongdaemun, Seoul. Arch Enemy is known for their ``melodic death metal sound'' around the world. The band has undergone several line-up changes throughout the years, but it is currently composed of Angela Gossow, Michael Amott, Christopher Amott, Sharlee D'Angelo and Daniel Erlandsson. Michael Amott, a guitarist, decided to form Arch Enemy after he left British metal band Carcass in 1996. Since then, the band has released seven albums and DVD ``Live Apocalypse.'' Their first album ``Black Earth,'' featuring the single ``Bury Me an Angel,'' achieved moderate success in Japan. Their second album ``Stigmata'' was released worldwide in 1998, giving Arch Enemy wider popularity in Europe and the United States. The following year, Arch Enemy released another album ``Burning Bridges,'' featuring a more melodic sound compared to their first two heavy metal albums. In 2001, German journalistMar 5, 2008