Like-minded musicians team up for crossover music Members of “G.rium Ensemble” pose in this photo. From left are cellist Choi Jeong-joo, violinist Ryu Si-yeon, flutist Yoon Hye-ri, pianist Lee Hyung-min, violist Shin Yoon-kyung and violinist Lee Kyung-sun. Courtesy of Universal Music KoreaSix classical musicians release album featuring folk music, children's songsBy Park Ji-wonClassical musicians tend to be orthodox when it comes to their musical turf, and thus they rarely traverse musical boundaries. A group of musicians, however, broke that norm and crossed genre lines to release an album featuring folk music and children's songs played in an ensemble format traditionally labelled as “classical.” Cover image of G.rium ensemble's recent album “Mama, Sister,” released on May 4 / Courtesy of Universal Music KoreaNow in its third year “G.rium Ensemble,” consisting of university music professors ― pianist Lee Hyung-min of Dankook University, violinist Lee Kyung-sun of Seoul National University, violinist Ryu Si-yeon of Sookmyung Women's University, violist Shin Yoon-kyung of Kookmin UniveMay 18, 2020By Park Ji-won
'I'm not pregnant': Celebrity businesswoman denies shotgun wedding Kim Joon-hee / Captured from her InstagramBy Park Si-soo Singer-turned-businesswoman Kim Joon-hee has denied rumors of a “shotgun wedding.” Her denial came a day after she made a surprise announcement of her wedding on May 2. She did not reveal her boyfriend's identity, the location for the wedding ceremony or other details. “I'm not pregnant,” she said angrily to a question she received while live streaming on Instagram on Tuesday. “There are so many weird people.” Earlier, she said the wedding ceremony would take place at an undisclosed location in Seoul with only family and relatives from both sides. Apr 28, 2020
Spring music festivals canceled, postponed due to coronavirus Seen is a poster for Beautiful Mint Life 2020, one of the major indie music events in Korea. Courtesy of MintpaperBy Park Ji-wonIn the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, most music festivals scheduled to be held in the spring have been canceled or postponed.Beautiful Mint Life, one of the major music festivals presenting indie bands, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. In a statement released Sunday, organizers said, “We decided to cancel the event planned to be held between May 16 and 17 to prevent possible COVID-19 infections for audiences, artists and staff.”It added that it also decided not to present the festival online citing costs including payment for musicians and operation fees.The most famous musicians in the indie scene and K-pop singers including BOL4, Jang Beom-june and Eric Nam were booked to perform in the yearly event.The cancellation came in line with canceling or postponing large festivals after the government's decision to extend the social distancing period until May 5. However, the event was largely expected to be held as planned aApr 27, 2020By Park Ji-won
Nashville musicians find themselves without jobs or benefits ``A lot of us went from having anywhere from four to seven gigs a week to nothing,'' Poulton said. gettyimagesbankColin Poulton moved to Nashville in 2008 to study commercial guitar. He dropped out of college but stuck with the city and the guitar, first playing in a series of original bands and more recently making his living in the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway along with ``a few wedding bands and some other bands.''All those gigs ended abruptly when the coronavirus hit. The clubs shut down on March 16 to slow the spread, and Nashville's normally packed downtown streets are all but deserted. Poulton applied for unemployment as soon as Congress passed the federal relief bill extending benefits to nontraditional workers. He's been without steady work for five weeks now but so far has received nothing. ``A lot of us went from having anywhere from four to seven gigs a week to nothing,'' Poulton said.With its vibrant music industry, Nashville is a magnet for people like Poulton. Music City is known as the home of country music in the U.S., but tens of thousands of professional musiciansApr 26, 2020
Trot music popular among candidates for campaign songs Comedian Yoo Jae-suk sings in this undated photo. Courtesy of MBCBy Park Ji-wonIf you walked down the street during the general election campaign, you would probably have heard songs that are both addictive and rhythmic with catchy campaign phrases. They instantly grab people's attention.These are “trot” songs. Unlike in previous elections, trot was a popular choice for campaign songs this year. Many candidates on the main opposition United Future Party's (UFP) ticket used the songs on their campaigns to appeal to the hearts and minds of voters. Earlier in March, the UFP unveiled a list of songs that it recommended its candidates to use to woo voters. Six out of the 11 on the list were trot. They included Youngtak's “Jjiniya,” TV personality Yoo Jae-suk's “Redevelopment of Love,” and Park Sang-chul's “Mujogeon,” which means unconditionally.Among them, “Jjiniya,” meaning “I am the real one” or “It's real” depending on context, was one of the most popular campaign songs. The song was most recently releApr 15, 2020By Park Ji-won
Series of spring music festivals derailed by coronavirus Seoul Jazz Festival. Courtesy of Private CurveThis year's Seoul Jazz Festival, a landmark annual outdoor jazz fest, has been postponed to become the latest springtime music festival to be derailed by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The festival's organizer, Private Curve, said Monday that the Seoul Jazz Festival 2020, originally slated for May 23-24 at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul, has been put off till autumn due to the novel coronavirus."Currently we are in discussion over rescheduling with the local and foreign artists in the original lineup," Private Curve said. The organizer said it will announce the rescheduled date of the festival within a month before unveiling the final lineup of participating artists by the end of May.Its lineup unveiled so far included American jazz bass guitarist Marcus Miller, American rock band MGMT and English electronic music duo Honne. From South Korea, sibling duo AKMU, R&B singer Crush and female singer-songwriter Baek Yerin were to join the show. Seoul Jazz Festival is only the latest in a series of spring music festivals that have been canApr 14, 2020
Pianist Cho Seong-jin reflects on wandering lifestyle in new album Cho Seong-jin Courtesy of Christoph Kostlin, DGBy Park Ji-wonAward-winning pianist Cho Seong-jin reflects upon his recent “wandering” lifestyle following his winning the Chopin Competition five years ago in his upcoming album "The Wanderer."Cho Seong-jin's new album “The Wanderer” Courtesy of Universal MusicAfter playing Chopin, Debussy and Mozart on recent albums, his new disc features Schubert, Berg and Liszt. “The Wanderer” will be released May 8, and he is planning to hold a solo recital in Korea in July.In a written interview with Korean reporters, he shared his thoughts on the album, his career and personal life. As the winner of the renowned competition and currently one of the most successful pianists, he has had a hectic schedule holding recitals and practices.Regarding the name of the album, he said he felt lost for years after he started living overseas, but ended up finding himself at home wherever he stays.“After moving to Paris in 2012 to study piano, I found it difficult to feel at home anywhere for several years… But afApr 14, 2020By Park Ji-won
'King of ballad' Shin Seung-hun celebrates 30 years of singing Singer Shin Seung-hun poses in this photo provided by Dorothy Company, April 7. / Courtesy of Dorothy CompanyBy Kwak Yeon-sooBallad singer Shin Seung-hun has released a special album, “My Personas,” to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut. The new album comes nearly four-and-a-half years after the release of “I am…& I am” in 2015.The 54-year old debuted in 1990 with “Reflection of You in Your Smile,” taking the music scene by storm and selling 1.4 million copies of his debut album. With accumulated album sales of 17 million, he still holds the record for most sold. “When I think of my music career as a marathon, commemorating 30 years feels like a big turning point for me,” Shin said during an online interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.“Instead of looking back on past glories and reflecting on the trophies, I'd like to focus on my next project and upcoming concert tour.”He confessed that his music goals have changed since the 1990s.“In the 1990s, I wanted to be a star, I wanted to be popular. In tApr 8, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Woo Ji-yoon quits K-pop duo BOL4 BOL4 members Woo Ji-yoon, left, and Ahn Ji-young at a showcase held at Ilji Art Hall in Seoul on Sept. 10 last year. Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooWoo Ji-yoon has quit K-pop duo Bolbbalgan 4 (BOL4) after four years, citing concerns about the direction of her career in the future.In a handwritten letter, Woo, the guitarist and backup vocalist, thanked her fans for their love and support but admitted she had been thinking about leaving for some time.“It was a process of contemplating about my future seriously, and it occurred to me that now is an important time to embark on a new challenge, before it's too late,” she said. Woo said co-member Ahn Ji-young and their agency Shofar Music had tried to persuade her to stay, but they respected her decision.“What I started in high school for fun has now grown into a group that many people pay attention to and root for, and I want to let you know that BOL4 is a precious memory to me,” she said. “Although I won't be able to continue on as a member, I will remain as a fan and a friend who fully supports BOL4. ThankApr 3, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Online concerts connect people in time of coronavirus quarantine Cho Seong-jin. Courtesy of Universal MusicSouth Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin appeared online in a casual navy shirt to play a Brahms intermezzo in a well-organized corner of his home in Berlin last week, bringing together millions of classical music fans in a livestreamed show."Now we are in a very difficult and challenging time, but I believe that we can overcome this situation very soon. I wish everyone good health during this time," Cho told the audience at the start of his performance of Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118. It was a rare gathering among global fans of Cho and classical music. Many public concerts have been postponed or canceled recently, as people have been advised to stay home and avoid public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Ten other globally-acclaimed virtuoso pianists performed as part of the global livestreamed show, organized by classical music label Deutsche Grammophon (DG) and streamed on YouTube and the website of DG to celebrate 2020 World Piano Day. The lineup included high-profile piano masters Evgeny Kissin and Maria Joao Pires. Each pianist created a Apr 2, 2020
