Sunwoo Yekwon performs for his mentoring project for young Korean pianists Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon will join a mentoring project for young Korean pianists as artistic director of the “Korean Young Pianist Series.” His special concert on Aug. 26 at Myeongdong Cathedral is part of the project. Courtesy of Jino ParkBy Anna J. ParkPianist Sunwoo Yekwon, one of the most sought-after Korean pianists on the international stage, is slated to perform a special concert at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Aug. 26. The winner of the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017, the most prestigious piano competition in North America, will present Schubert's “4 Impromptus, D 935” and Chopin's “24 Preludes, Op. 28” during the 75-minute concert, without intermission. It is rare that the Myeongdong Cathedral, the church for the Archdiocese of Seoul, has given the green light for artists to perform there. But Sunwoo's special concert is part of a joint social mentoring project in which he is collaborating with the Catholic Church to give emerging classical musicians scholarships and opportunities to perform. As Artistic Jul 31, 2019By Anna J. Park
Block B's P.O releases new single featuring best friend Block B's P.O releases his third single on Tuesday evening. Capture from Instagram @blockb_official_By Lee Han-naBlock B's P.O will release his third single, “Tony Lip,” Tuesday evening. The title song is “Promise,” which features MINO of boy band WINNER, his best friend.The rhythmic hip-hop song carries a tropical ambience to chase away the heat of summer.The two teaser images of the album show the playful friendship of the artists. Capture from Instagram @blockb_official_The track is inspired by the movie “Green Book” and the theme is about friendship and partnership. Likewise, the album teasers show playful images of the two artists. P.O, 26, debuted in 2011 with seven-member boy band Block B's single “Do You Wanna B?” Aside from singing, he has been an actor since 2018. Currently, he plays the role of Ji Hyun-joong, a front desk worker, in tvN's drama “Hotel Del Luna.” Jul 30, 2019
British singer lauded for caring attitude British singer Anne-Marie / Screen captured from Anne-Marie's twitterBy Jung Hae-myoung British pop singer Anne-Marie hosted an “emotional” free concert for Korean fans who were disappointed by the abrupt cancellation of her performance at the Holiday Land Festival.Her goodwill concert came after the festival organizer announced on Sunday on a large screen that the British singer had canceled her performance, which Anne-Marie said was not true. On Monday, she was compared to the Portuguese superstar Christian Ronaldo who disappointed Korean fans by staying on the bench throughout his team's football game against the Korean All-Stars last week. Compared to the footballer, Anne-Marie, however, did her utmost to honor her commitments to perform for Korean fans. “I DID NOT CANCEL THE SHOW PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD,” Anne-Marie wrote on Twitter in all-caps. She uploaded the post with a video saying the festival organizer, Fake Virgin, stopped her from taking the stage as she didn't sign an intrusive statement requiring her to take responsibility if fans are injurJul 29, 2019
Park Bo-ram returns with summer song 'Do As I Like' Singer Park Bo-ram has released the tropical summer pop song "Do As I Like." Capture from Instagram @ramramram2By Lee Han-naSinger Park Bo-ram, who earned popularity with “Beautiful” and “CELEPRETTY,” has returned with another rhythmic summer dance song, “Do As I Like.” It was released on Friday morning. The music video will be unveiled at 6 p.m. Friday.“Do As I Like” is the brainchild of famous music producer Oreo and Park, who worked together to create the tropical synth pop song that offers a perfect blend of Park's soft voice and light drum beats. The song talks about the self-confidence and self-esteem of a woman in her 20s, exploring herself to know what she wants in life and to fight stereotypes and pressures around her. The music video's teaser shows Park in short pink hair and bright-colored clothes that her agency said delivers the image of a carefree and cheerful young woman who enjoys being on the beach. Park made her musical debut through TV audition program “Super Star K” season 2.Jul 26, 2019
INTERVIEW German violinist Weithaas puts solo violin masterpieces by Bach and Ysaye together Antje Weithaas is scheduled to perform solo violin sonatas by Bach and Ysaye this Thursday at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei. Courtesy of Giorgia BertazziAntije Withaas performs violin sonatas by Bach, Ysaye in SeoulBy Anna J. ParkAntje Weithaas, renowned German violinist and professor at Berlin's prestigious Hanns Eisler School of Music, is currently staying in Korea for her concert on solo violin sonatas by Bach and Ysaye this Thursday at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul. Invited by the art hall for its “International Masters” series concert, Weithaas, 52, held the first part of the performance last Thursday, and is scheduled to present the following part this Thursday. Throughout the two concerts, she will be performing six sonatas and partitas for solo violin by Bach, all in pairs with Ysaye's entire set of six sonatas for solo violin.During a recent interview with The Korea Times, the master violinist said there are great structural similarities between Bach's solo violin sonatas and partitas and Ysaye's six sonatas for solo violin. Although the two composers are separated by two centJul 22, 2019By Anna J. Park
Korean Symphony Orchestra's 'Classic Hero' concerts feature pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon and violinist Lim Ji-young A poster image for the 'Classic Hero' concert series. Courtesy of Korean Symphony OrchestraBy Anna J. ParkThe Korean Symphony Orchestra presents its new concert series “Classic Hero” for audiences this summer. The orchestra tapped two internationally-rising Korean classical stars, pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon and violinist Lim Ji-young, to play with the orchestra for each concert, slated to perform on July 19 and August 1, respectively. What the two Korean artists have in common is that they both became the first Korean winners of prestigious international competitions; Pianist Sunwoo won the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, among many of his winning records including the Sendai International Music Competition in 2013 and International German Piano Award in 2015. Violinist Lim also became the first ― and only ― Korean ever to win the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2015. Both have very active globe-trotting concert schedules, and the two young performers are expected to dazzle Korean audiences with their stellar talent at the concert series. Pianist Sunwoo YekwoJul 17, 2019By Anna J. Park
Pianist Son Yeol-eum to make her BBC Proms debut later this month Pianist Son Yeol-eum makes her international debut at BBC Proms on July 23 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. She will play Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 15. Courtesy of Woongchul AnBy Anna J. ParkSon Yeol-eum, one of Korea's most popular star pianists, will make BBC Proms debut this summer. Founded back in 1895, the Proms is considered the world's largest classical music festival. The annual music festival offers dozens of concerts and performances every single day during its eight-week program in summer and attracts hundreds of thousands of listeners every year. Son will play Mozart's “Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat major, K450” as a soloist at 7:30 p.m. on July 23 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Maestro Omer Meir Wellber, the chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, will lead the orchestra to perform Schumann's “Symphony No. 4 in D minor,” Schoenberg's “Five Orchestral Pieces,” and Ben-Haim's “Symphony No.1” at the concert. Tickets will cost from ￡7.50 to ￡41. Hosted annually by the Jul 15, 2019By Anna J. Park
30th Eagon concert features guest musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Berlin Philharmonic Eagon Ensemble plays Grieg's "The Holberg Suite” during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of EagonBy Anna J. Park Don't miss out on the rare chance to listen to a world-class classical music ensemble for free in Korea. Ten musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and two other guest musicians, cellist Tatjana Vassiljeva and organist Christian Rieger, began their free concert series here in Korea on Friday. They have six concerts in various cities, including Seoul, Incheon, Gwangju and Busan, and the Korea tour will finish in Daegu on July 11. Marking the 30th installment of the annual Eagon concert, the Seoul-headquartered construction material company Eagon has invited the musicians to perform for the free concerts, aiming to spread classical music to those who usually do not get a chance to listen to music at concert halls. The concert series is filled with some of the most famous classical masterpieces, such as Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons,” Bach's “Air from Orchestral Suite No.3,” and Grieg's “The HolbeJul 5, 2019By Anna J. Park
Incoming Music Director Osmo Vanska unveils strategies for Seoul Phil Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (SPO) newly-appointed Music Director Osmo Vanska, right, poses for a photo with SPO's CEO Kang Eun-kyung at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of SPOBy Anna J. ParkSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (SPO) newly-appointed Music Director Osmo Vanska, who will lead the orchestra from January next year for three years, has unveiled a three-point vision and strategy for the orchestra. Vanska said he would strive for the construction of a dedicated concert hall for the orchestra, release quality recordings, and earn good feedback while working hard to build a strong internal and external reputation for the SPO. He unveiled his vision, along with other specific goals during a news conference in Seoul, Monday, after he was tapped to lead the orchestra. Vanska took the helm amid a leadership vacuum that continued for three years since December 2015 when his predecessor maestro Chung Myung-whun left after a clash with then CEO Park Hyun-jeong The Finnish conductor is renowned for his stable and harmonious leadership, as demonstrJun 25, 2019By Anna J. Park
Star pianist Lang Lang inspires aspiring students with his latest album 'Piano Book' Pianist Lang Lang's latest album cover image. Courtesy of Universal Music Group and Deutsche GrammophonBy Anna J. ParkStar pianist Lang Lang is currently staying in Seoul for a couple of concerts and a master class. In commemorating of his latest album “Piano Book,” he is scheduled to give a master class to four aspiring young Korean musicians at the 6,500-seat auditorium of SaRang Church in southern Seoul at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The event's organizer J&A Music told The Korea Times that it had received free online registrations for attendance of the event, and it is now all booked with students and general audiences who'd like to closely watch the virtuoso pianist's golden tips to be a prominent pianist. During his visit to Korea, Lang Lang has so far performed at two other occasions; one was held at Club Chroma of Incheon Paradise City on the evening of June 22 as the Universal Music Korea's 16th Yellow Lounge concert, designed to let audiences to enjoy classical music in a more relaxed and free environment. The other concert was held in the afternoon of June 23 at tJun 23, 2019By Anna J. Park
