After a four-year renovation, the Haeoreum Grand Theater at the National Theater of Korea is ready to welcome audiences back to its seats. The first complete overhaul of the theater since its opening in 1973 cost 65.8 billion won ($58.3 million). The theater‘s 2004 renovation was limited to the lobby and theater seats. “The theater was outdated and the stage needed to be modernized,“ NToK CEO Kim Cheol-ho said during a press tour of the theater on Tuesday. “There wer

The National Orchestra of Korea will use traditional instruments to perform one of BTS’ hit albums and a mobile game soundtrack, targeting young audiences who may be unfamiliar with “gugak,” traditional Korean music. The orchestra, under the National Theater of Korea, will hold a recital June 11 at the theater in central Seoul, introducing the gugak version of K-pop act BTS’ 2019 track “Mikrokosmos” and the soundtrack from hit mobile game “Cookie Run:

Soprano Kim Hyo-young and tenor Duke Kim are among the five winners of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Award. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 67th edition of the prestigious annual competition was held virtually for the first time in its history, garnering a total of 1,200 applicants from around the world. The competition, originally founded in 1954, changed its name this year, in recognition of

Well-known singers have come together with a message of hope in a remake of the 1999 song “Become One” (unofficial translation). The original song was created to deliver that message amid the 1997 financial crisis in South Korea. Big-name singers of the time, from Shin Seung-hun and Kim Jong-seo to Um Jung-hwa and hit K-pop acts such as H.O.T, Sechs Kies and Fin.K.L, took part in the recording, earning the iconic song the moniker “the Korean version of ‘We are the World

Kim Su-yeon became the first Korean pianist to win the first prize at the Concours Musical International de Montreal. The list of winners for this year’s competition, held for the piano discipline, was unveiled Friday, with Kim announced as the first prize winner. Kim will receive awards and scholarships valued at a total of over $180,000, along with a concert tour in three North American cities, a concerto performance with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal and a solo album record

Boryeong Mud Festival The 24th Boryeong Mud Festival will be held both online and offline, under the slogan “On and Off,” from July 23 to Aug. 1. According to organizers, the hybrid festival will connect online and offline content, introducing properties and uses for the mud of Boryeong and other local specialties. Details will be released after monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases through the end of May. The festival, which takes place at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, will fe

Singer J. Yoon of M.C the Max was found dead Thursday. According to the Seoul Mapo Police Station, J. Yoon, 39, whose legal name is Yoon Jae-woong, was found dead at his home in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. His agency, 325 E&C, called the police as it had been unable to reach Yoon. “J. Yoon left us on Thursday,” the agency said in an official statement. “Members of M.C the Max and the staff of 325 E&C are mourning his death with great grief,” the statement

Musical “Dracula” has postponed its opening by two days, following a string of infections involving four of its cast members. Actor Son Jun-ho, who performs in the musical, was confirmed with the virus infection on April 23, followed by more infections among its main cast members such as Shin Sung-rok, Jeon Dong-seok and Kang Tae-eul. “To put on a performance of better quality, the opening date of the musical ‘Dracula’ has been postponed from May 18 to May 20,&r

While going green has become an urgent agenda for many industries from retail, fashion to the performing arts and architecture is no exception. Amid the climate crisis, more individuals, companies and the government are paying attention to sustainable architecture, aware of the impact of the lasting footprint left by construction. “Green architecture” refers to an approach to architecture which acknowledges the necessity for improvement in both environmental impact and our healt

The KBS Symphony Orchestra has appointed Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen as its chief conductor and music director. The orchestra announced Tuesday that the Finnish conductor, 41, would fill the post. It had remained empty for two years, since conductor Yoel Levi left in 2019. The new conductor will begin in January and is set to stay until the end of 2024. Inkinen, who is also a violinist, studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He is currently the chief conductor of the

The “Les Miserables” concert by K&P Entertainment, slated to take place this month in Seoul and Busan, has become mired in a copyright dispute. On Monday, Les Miserables Korea, which holds performance rights to the Korean-language version of the English musical in Korea, claimed that the upcoming concert is an unauthorized production that violates the musical’s copyrights. K&P Entertainment on Tuesday refuted the claim, saying that the upcoming concert is based on

Ambiguous Dance Company, which rose to stardom with its 600-million-view YouTube hit video “Tiger is Coming” with alternative pop band Leenalchi, has joined hands with celebrated rock band Coldplay for its new single. The British rock band, led by lead singer and frontman Chris Martin, released its new single “Higher Power” Friday. In a performance video of the single shared on YouTube, Ambiguous Dance Company dancers appear as hologram dancers, dressed in eccentric co

The National Gugak Center has released some 2,800 sound sources of traditional Korean music sung by celebrated master singers online for free. Over the past year, the state-funded center dedicated to traditional Korean music has been working on developing sound sources of traditional Korean music on its Musical Instrument Digital Interface platform, also known as MIDI. In September, the NGC released 407 sound sources of notes performed on traditional Korean instruments, along with 2,226 soun

A local production of the musical “Midnight Sun” will be screened live at cinemas in five Asian countries, including Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. According to the production company Shinswave on Friday, it is the first time a local musical will be screened live in cinemas abroad. On Friday, the performance will be screened at 29 CGV branches in Korea, 15 cinemas in Indonesia, three in Hong Kong, four in Taiwan and two in Singapore. On Sunday, 20 cinemas in

While the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection has been creating a buzz across the art scene and more, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is looking to make the most of the donation. “This is a record-breaking donation, unlikely to happen twice in my lifetime,” Youn Bum-mo, the director of the MMCA, said at a press event held at the museum’s Seoul branch in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, Friday. “The collection is very broad,

Rosy spring at Everland Amusement park Everland will open its Rose Garden on May 14 for about a month, featuring some 3 million roses of 720 varieties. The flower garden will momentarily transport visitors to France, with decorations like the Saint-Germain-des-Pres district in Paris and an installation of a structure inspired by the gate at the Palace of Versailles. The amusement park will host various events at the garden, including a painting competition, gardening activities and more.&nb

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has suspended Kim Jong-whee, president of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture -- a Seoul City-funded nonprofit -- after he was embroiled in allegations of abuse of power. According to the SMG, Kim was suspended Tuesday, following an investigation of allegations that he had abused his authority and drank during work hours. The SMG began its investigation as reports concerning Kim were filed in December on multiple occasions. An audit committee will also

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Though better known for its beaches and forests, Jeju Island also boasts a wide range of art galleries, some of them offering more than just a display of art works. Big name architects such as Tadao Ando and Jun Itami have designed art galleries on Jeju Island, under the architectural principle of harmonizing the structure with the surrounding environment. One example is the Yumin Art Nouveau Collection. Located on the tip of Seopjikoji, a cape on eastern Jeju Islan

The following is the second article in a three-part series that explores art galleries on Jeju Island. -- Ed. JEJU CITY -- Contemporary art master Kim Tschang-yeul died in January at the age of 91, but his waterdrop paintings continue to send a message at Kim Tschang-yeul Art Museum Jeju. Located in the Hallim area on the western part of Jeju Island, a 50-minute drive from Jeju International Airport, the museum dedicated to the “waterdrop master” stands on serene grassland. The

The following is the first article in a three-part series that explores art galleries on Jeju Island. -- Ed. JEJU CITY, Jeju Island -- An old neighborhood near Jeju International Airport has come into the limelight, attracting young hipsters looking for an artsy experience on an island best known as a holiday destination. Tapdong, situated near the airport -- the main gateway to the island -- was once a bustling area. Tapdong Plaza, a outdoor entertainment hub for young people, opened in 1