A concert dedicated to the traditional Korean string instrument ajaeng will be held on Feb. 14, at the Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater, located in Jongno-gu. Titled “Choi Hye-rim’s Ajaeng with Yang Seung-hwan,” the 60-minute performance is part of the traditional music performance hall’s project for this year, the organizer announced in a press release last week. Ajaeng is a horizontal zither mainly played in court music and folk music. The instrument has seven string

Korean classical pianist Lim Dong-hyek is bringing an all-Chopin program in February. This recital is to celebrate Lim’s first LP version released with Warner Music International and is also the first all-Chopin recital in seven years since 2016. Last year, marking the 20th anniversary of his debut, the pianist focused on Schubert for his recital. Under the title of “Regarding Chopin,” Lim will perform Nocturnes, Op. 27 and Scherzo No. 2 and Piano Sonata No. 2 and No. 3. &quo

The Bamberg Symphony, a prestigious German orchestra led by rising Czech conductor Jakub Hrusa, will return to South Korea for the first time since 2017. This time, the orchestra will join hands with South Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook. On March 29, the 77-year-old orchestra will perform Bruckner’s Symphonic Prelude, WAB 332 and Schumann's Piano Concerto, Op. 54 with Kim. After intermission, they will return to the stage with Dvorak Symphony No. 8, Op. 88, B. 163. at Seoul Arts Center

Dutch conductor to focus on introducing new music, Korean composers

Over 120 indie rock acts will participate in one of the biggest ever "Hongdae holidays.” The event, “2023 Kyungrockjeol -- Mapo Renaissance,” kicks off Feb. 8 and runs to Feb. 12 in hopes of reviving the indie, cultural and arts scene in Hongdae. The five-day festival is hosted by Crying Nut bassist Han Kyung-rock, also known as Captain Rock, celebrating the rock band’s 28th anniversary. Captain Rock Company announced on Monday the first lineup for this year’s

South Korea’s exports of cultural content hit an all-time high of $12.4 billion in 2021, boosted by the global boom of Korean pop culture, a government report showed. According to a 2021 research study on the cultural content industry released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the industry’s exports increased 4.4 percent to $12.45 billion in 2021 from $11.92 billion in 2020. The content industry is an umbrella term for organizations that produce copyrighted works availa

Eleven-year-old Korean cellist Kim Jung-a won the first prize in the cello section at the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Russia, according to Korea National University of Arts on Thursday. Kim competed against seven other cellists in the final round, which was held at the Grand Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic on Monday. A total of 128 contestants from 14 countries participated in the piano, violin and cello categories this year. The finalists performed

The legendary Woodstock festival is coming to Korea with the theme of "freedom, peace and love." The festival will be held from July 29 to 30, at the Hantangang River Geopark complex, in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province in memory of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement, SGC Entertainment announced Friday. The company said it has signed an official copyright agreement with the Woodstock Music and Art Fair to host the three-day festival in Korea. Launched in 1969 in Bet

As most of the world returns to pre-pandemic normalcy, the coming year is expected to bring in worldwide talents and provide many occasions to showcase collaboration between Korean musicians and renowned orchestras. As early as March, the 475-year-old German orchestra Staatskapelle Dresden, with its principal guest conductor Chung Myung-whun, will hit the stage of the Seoul Art Center. On March 5, featuring Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin, the orchestra will perform a Tchaikovsky piano concerto a

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's incoming music director Jaap van Zweden, will lead the opening concert of 2023 with his signature repertoire, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, at the Lotte Concert Hall, on Jan. 12 and 13. Van Zweden will lead the SPO six months earlier than originally scheduled. The Dutch conductor was scheduled to conduct regular SPO concerts in July, November and December in 2023. The Brahms' masterpiece took the German composer 21 years to complete

The Seoul Arts Center’s New Year’s Eve concert is scheduled to return Dec. 31, the first time that the concert that marks the end of the year for many classical music lovers will be back on the stage since the last three years prior. Conductor Hong Seok-won, the artistic director of the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, will lead the Korean National Symphony Orchestra for the SAC’s year-end concert, an annual tradition that started in 1994. Joining onstage are pianist Shin Chang-yong

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The “Organ Odyssey” -- an annual flagship concert series exploring the sounds and mechanisms of a pipe organ -- is set for the last concert of the year at 11 a.m., Wednesday at the Lotte Concert Hall, Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. For the special Christmas-themed concert, pianist and organist Cho Jae-hyuck, who also played in the 2017 edition, will perform signature music pieces for the organ, such as those by Bach and Dupre, highlighting the various tones of the instrument. Tenor K

Pianist-conductor Kim and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra heralds triumphant return to normalcy with Beethoven's Ninth

Celebrated gugak musician Ahn Sook-sun is scheduled to perform pansori “Chunhyangga” at the National Theater of Korea, in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Dec. 31. The best-known pansori “Chunhyangga” tells a love tale between Chun-hyang, daughter of a courtesan, and Yi Mong-ryong, son of a magistrate. Ahn and four other pansori singers will perform the entire "Chunhyangga," which will take about 210 minutes. Coming on stage as the third pansori singer, Ahn will perform