Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder is finally bringing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas to South Korea, marking his 60th cycle since he embarked on the journey in the 1970s. Starting from Wednesday, he takes the stage seven times at Seoul Arts Center through July 9. Several hours before his first performance of the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle, for which he will perform Nos. 1, 4, 10, 13 and 14, the famed "Moonlight Sonata," he met with reporters and delved into his dedication t

Korean violinist Park Sueye and her parents decided to move to Germany when she was 9 years old to pursue Park's music education. She had been offered a chance to study with Ulf Wallin after attending his masterclass in Seoul. Fast forward to 2023, and the 23-year-old has been increasingly active in her motherland. She has been steadily making a name for herself without having to win a major competition -- one of the fastest ways to gain broader recognition. She has created an impressive tr

HJ Culture, a South Korean musical theater production company, embarked on its musical journey with an enchanting production of "Vincent van Gogh" in 2014. This inaugural musical set the stage for the company's commitment to introducing historical figures through musicals, bringing to life the stories of legendary artists and other luminaries in musicals "Rachmaninoff," "Farinelli," "Paganini," "Egon Schiele," "Modigliani" and &q

Musical "Mozart!" has returned for its seventh run in South Korea since its premiere in 2010. The musical follows the struggles of the genius composer and pianist until his death. EXO member Suho, musical actor Lee Hae-jun, N.Flying member Yoo Hwe-seung and singer Kim Hee-jae, who makes his musical theater debut, will take turns in the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. All four actors portraying Mozart are making their debut in the role. "The director and I expected a lot of work

Kammerorchester Wien-Berlin, a chamber orchestra consisting of members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, will make its debut in Korea later this month. The first encounter that led to the formation of the ensemble in 2008, was made possible by maestro Simon Rattle in 2005. It is led by Rainer Honeck as the music director and concert master. The string section of Kammerorchester Wien-Berlin is solely entrusted to members of the Vienna Philharmonic, who ad

For those unfamiliar with Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and the genre of Changgeuk, the combination of the two might not sound so appealing. After watching such an attempt, "The Merchants of Venice" by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, one might change their mind. Changgeuk is akin to a Korean version of opera. It derives from pansori, Korea's traditional narrative singing form that is registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Chang&r

American violinist Randall Goosby had a profound revelation at the age of 14: Composers could be Black. That was seven years after he had started playing the violin. Goosby, the son of an African American father and a mother who is a third-generation Korean who grew up in Japan, was troubled by the realization, which only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was a lot of attention on the divide between races in America and I think in classical music that divide is as clear as i

South Korean teen pianist Hong Seok-young became the winner of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival that ended Saturday in Dallas, Texas. For the final round that took place on Saturday, the 15-year-old performed Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43.” Hong also took home the Audience Award. The third edition of the junior competition designed for pianists age 13 to 17 took place from June 8 to Saturday, with 37 pianists out of 248

South Korean tenor Kim Sung-ho became the Song Prize winner at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition held at St David's Hall, Cardiff, on Thursday. Kim, 32, took home the prize for his rendition of “Let Beauty Awake” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Mit Myrten und Rosen” by Schumann, “Do not sing, my beauty” by Rachmaninoff, “Morgen!” by Strauss and “Dongsimcho” by Kim Seong-tae. The winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the Wor

In South Korea, the term "fringe" is increasingly being used at various festivals, such as the DIMF Fringe of the Daegu International Musical Festival, the Kocaca Fringe Festival alongside the Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival, the Dynamic Street Fringe of the Busan International Performing Arts Festival, the Seoul Fringe Festival and many more. The term "fringe" has typically referred to the border or outer edges, and now represents the inclusive and experimental nature of perfo

Standing behind the annual Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival is Kocaca, the new branding for the Korea Culture and Arts Centers Association. The rebrand was introduced in 2020 by Lee Seung-joung, who was voted as the president of the organization in October 2019. The association was founded in 1996 to promote balanced development and networks among regional culture and arts centers. It became a legal entity related to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports in 2012. After taking on the positio

JEJU ISLAND - The 16th Jeju Haevichi Festival, which aims to connect South Korean cultural and arts institutions with performing arts productions, kicked off Monday at the Haevichi Hotel & Resort on Jeju Island, with an opening forum themed “Pioneer.” The annual event is co-organized by the Korea Culture and Arts Centers Association and Jeju Island government. Four speakers -- Choung Byoung-gug, chairman of the state-run Arts Council Korea, William Burdett-Coutts, founder and d

On March 15, fans clad in purple crowded Sejong Center for the Performing Arts near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Some wore purple clothes, while others wore purple hats, scarves, brooches -- anything purple representing their beloved singer. The color, enthusiasm and dedication of these fans immediately brought to mind BTS' fan community, Army. However, what set these particular fans apart was something truly remarkable -- their age. According to the 2022 BTS Army Census, a survey of BTS Army mem

It is true that the name "Bomsori" holds the beautiful meaning of "spring sound" in Korean and is quite rare to come across, but it is not the sole reason why violinist Kim Bomsori stands out. A recent email interview with Kim reveals what truly makes the 32-year-old violinist special. She fell in love with the string instrument at the age of five when she was mesmerized by the sound of Korean violinist Chung Kyung-wha’s performance, even though it didn’t take l

On June 19, 2016, Lahav Shani made his debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as conductor of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathetique." Two months later, he was appointed as the chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra to lead it as its youngest conductor from September 2018. On the same date this year, Shani will lead the orchestra to perform the Symphony “Pathetique” for a Korean audience -- the symphony with which he made his first encounte

Music in PyeongChang, an annual music festival held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, will return to the theme of nature to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. In 2004, the festival was inaugurated under the theme of “nature’s inspiration.” From July 26 to Aug. 5, the festival will showcase 20 concerts and eight outreach concerts with pieces such as Schumann's "Forest Scenes," Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," and Schubert's "Trout Quin

Recently staged musicals "Red Book" and "9 to 5" share a common underlying theme: Women finding their own voice through hardship. Despite their different origins and settings, both musicals highlight the journey of women overcoming obstacles and asserting their strength. "Red Book" centers around Anna, a female writer born during the Victorian era. She bravely confesses her first sexual experience to her fiance only to be abandoned. Seeking solace, Anna moves to the

A special exhibition commemorating the transformation of the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, into a cultural complex commenced on Thursday. Titled "The Stories of Our Presidents," the exhibition seeks to illuminate the lesser-known, humane facets of the individuals who once wielded the country's highest political power. Artifacts used by 12 former presidents at Cheong Wa Dae -- where the country’s history was recorded for 74 years until May 9 last year -- are on d

Unique scent-themed cocktail bar There are various perspectives on what defines a good drink, but before captivating one's palate, a beverage initially captures the eyes and the nose with its visual and olfactory appeal. Bar Geranium, situated in the posh Rodeo Street neighborhood of Apgujeong, is an exceptional cocktail bar that draws inspiration from the world of perfumes. Opened in late 2021, this unique bar skillfully incorporates a wide array of flowers and perfume elements to craft it