Legendary Korean singer Cho Yong-pil is likely to release his first new album in nine years sometime this year, according to music industry sources and local media Wednesday. The 72-year-old singer has recently started working on a new album, aiming to release it within this year, according to reports. He is said to be considering various genres and concepts for the upcoming album. If Cho drops...

Japanese New Age composer and pianist Yuhki Kuramoto is returning to Korea for a nationwide tour starting in May. The 70-year-old musician will kick off the tour on May 15 with a Jeongseojin Spring Classic performance in Incheon, followed by recitals in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on May 20; Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province on May 21; Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, on May 27; and Yeoju...

Maurizio Pollini, who is considered one of the world’s leading pianists, is coming to South Korea for the first time for two recitals next month. The 80-year-old pianist will take the stage on May 19 and May 25 at Seoul Arts Center. Much anticipated by his fans, his 100-minute recital, titled “The Emperor of Piano: ‘Once in a Lifetime,” marks Pollini‘s Korea debut. However, the upcoming recital...

Songkran Music Festival will be held in Korea for the first time in July, fighting off the summer heat with water and heart-thumping music, according to the festival organizer BEPCTangent Creative on Tuesday. S2O Korea will take place at Seoul Land in Gwacheon, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 9 and 10. It will feature top electronic dance musicians while 1 million liters of water is ...

Some 624,000 people joined K-pop supergroup BTS’ latest live concert series both online and offline, according to data compiled by the band’s agency Big Hit Music. During the four “Permission to Dance on Stage - Las Vegas” shows on April 8-9 and Friday and Saturday at Allegiant Stadium, nearly 200,000 fans -- 50,000 attendees per session -- showed up to the sold-out concerts. It was also estima...

Disbanded girl group 2NE1 surprised music fans by reuniting to perform at Coachella music festival in the US as a four-member act for the first time since disbanding six years ago. The reunion took place on the main stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which was held in Indio, California, Saturday. Following a mini solo set by former leader CL, the former bandmates -- CL, Sand...

K-pop boy band Seventeen’s first all-English language single “Darl+ing,” which was released Friday, has received favorable comments from foreign media. US music magazine Billboard took note of the 13-member act’s latest release, calling it “a touching song that acts as a love letter and shows appreciation to their dedicated fanbase.” “For Seventeen, doing the work of recording in another langua...

Seoul Park Music Festival will hold in-person concerts in June at the Olympic Park‘s 88 Jandi Madang in southern Seoul. This year’s Seoul Park Music Festival will be held for two days starting June 25 and operate with reserved seating for floor seats with chairs and a picnic zone. Only one stage will be available, in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines, according to the festival organizers BEPC...

‘Tomorrow’s National Singer’ winner Bak Chang-geun touches hearts after 23 years as nameless singer

A concert seeking to shed light on the musical talent of King Sejong the Great will take place next week at the National Gugak Center. King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) was the fourth ruler of the Joseon era, whose remarkable legacy includes, most notably, the creation of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. The Court Music Orchestra of the National Gugak Center will celebrate one of King Sejong...

Now in her 11th year as an independent artist, singer and songwriter Fromm’s her unbounded music style, charming low-pitched voice and poetic lyrics have earned here the nickname “Goddess of Hongdae” amongst her fans. With her stage name signifying “the music story that starts from me,” her music tells a story that is easy to relate to. “I think musicians are like novelists. After all, they are...

“We cannot live without smartphones. We want to get photographed and get attention from others. It’s a sad reality,” she said. She sang some parts of the song, which includes lyrics such as “zoom in, zoom out” and “we all live to take pictures.” “If you listen to it, you will be able to relate to the lyrics. ... After all, it’ll be a song that will make you feel happy. You’ll end up finding your...

17th Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music to focus on cello

Korea‘s hip-hop power couple Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae are to perform on “The Grammy Museum: Global Spin Live” this month. The icons of Korean hip-hop will perform at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. on April 27. They will be the only K-pop musicians to appear at the concert venue. Tiger JK and Yoon will discuss their music career, creative process and musical influences before taki...

Local composer Kim Joo-won’s “Queen Heo” and Giacomo Puccini’s “La boheme” will be staged by the Gimhae Cultural Foundation and Beseto Opera Company, respectively. The National Opera of Korea will perform Giuseppe Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani” for the first time in the country, while composer Jung Mi-sun’s “Woman With a Fan” and Edward Barnes’ “Dream of Ralph” will also be staged by NMK and the M...