Denis Sung-ho Janssens leads four string artists on ‘journey to the sun’ Italian composer and violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was also a guitarist, composing more than 100 songs for guitar. Paganini’s Sonata for Violin and Guitar in E minor became especially famous in Korea after it was used as background music in the 1995 SBS drama “Sandglass.” Korean-born Belgian guitarist Denis ...

Program includes new song ‘He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang’ Canadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt said he will perform his song “He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang,” the No. 5 track of his new album “Someday, Somewhere,” at his upcoming concert in Seoul. Barakatt is scheduled to hold a “White Day” recital at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall on Sunday and Monday, as March...

Two old friends to stage complete cycle of Beethoven’s violin sonatas They’re old, but not in spirit. When talking about their passion for music, the two musicians’ eyes twinkle like stars. The 69-year-old violinist Kim Min, music director of the Korean Chamber Orchestra, had thought his most recent recital “My Life, My Music” at the Seoul Arts Center in 2008 would be his last stage performance...

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to perform Dvorak violin concerto, Bruckner symphony The world’s oldest civic orchestra, which moved Korean hearts with its uniquely weighty sounds in 1995, is to return to Seoul with maestro Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly taking the helm Monday and Tuesday. The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra has its origins in “Grand Concert,” a concert society founded by 16 text...

Fans can go crazy with their pop idols sometimes. This time, an ardent fan of pop star Justin Bieber got his hair. The Canadian pop singer’s hair has been sold for $40,688 on eBay, CBS News reported. The star had a hair cut the day after his 17th birthday and drew attention from many fans who described his new look as “Bieberish.” After the hair cut, he brought the lock of his hair in a box...

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill said it has launched a brunch program offering a New York Metropolitan Opera, filmed live. At the hotel’s theater, a high-resolution 16-by-7.5 meter screen with a 7.1 surround audio system will play the Metropolitan Opera’s 2010-2011 season programs, including all-time favorites such as “Turandot” from March to December, the hotel said. The theater’s Met Opera Brunch ...

Reality show star Kim Kardashian released her debut single “JAM” on Ryan Seacrest’s morning radio show Thursday on KISS FM. As a reality star and co-owner of three clothing boutiques, Kardashian has launched her own perfume. “This was just a fun new experience. I am glad I went for it. And the proceeds to JAM are being donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital,” she told te show. Her song "Tur...

TOKYO (AFP) ― Sony Music apologized on Wednesday for the Nazi-style uniforms worn by a Japanese pop band under its management in an MTV broadcast that triggered a protest from a U.S.-based Jewish rights group. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles had voiced its “shock and dismay” at the appearance of the six-member J-Pop band Kishidan in SS-style uniforms with Nazi insignia such as the Iro...

SM searches abroad as overseas producers eye K-pop trends to keep hits coming This is the final of a two-part series exploring the increasing involvement of foreign producers and composers in the K-pop scene. ― Ed. With the K-pop market going increasingly global, the pressure is on to churn out an array of catchy and addictive tracks that feed the public’s increasingly selective appetite for mu...

Music industry slump and digital downloads spur increase in East-West collaborations This is the first of in a two-part series exploring the increasing involvement of foreign producers and composers in the K-pop scene. ― Ed. When footage of The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am working with girl group 2NE1 hit national television last year, it was a defining moment for the K-pop industry. Though the ...

World musician Kidjo and jazz singer Nah Youn-sun bring their unique sound to Seoul Those tired of Seoul’s brutally cold winter may want to check the upcoming concerts by two female vocalists, Angelique Kidjo from Africa and Nah Youn-sun from Korea, at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. Their powerful and energetic voices, combined with experimental and fun music will melt and unlock the mos...

Foreign fans of K-pop group JYJ said on Tuesday that they submitted a petition on Monday to the Seoul Central District Court and the Fair Trade Commission for the recognition and protection of the boy-band’s legal and human rights. The petition urges prompt action by the South Korean government and justice system to “concretely block the illegal interferences and anti-trust activities of SM En...

Foreign fans of K-pop group JYJ said on Tuesday that they submitted a petition on Monday to the Seoul Central District Court and the Fair Trade Commission for the recognition and protection of the boy-band’s legal and human rights. The petition urges prompt action by the South Korean government and justice system to “concretely block the illegal interferences and anti-trust activities of SM Ente...

Singer Kim Bo-kyung is still an unfamiliar name to most Koreans. But once associated with the word “Superstar K,” her name almost instantly translates into the name of the song, “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson, which she sang during the Korean version of American Idol aired on cable channel Mnet. Despite her mature and appealing voice, Kim failed to get into the show’s top 11 partly because o...