The Nodeul Island Classic is set to bring back its signature outdoor performances this fall, with two iconic performances staged free of charge. On Oct. 12 and 13, the island will be transformed into a stage for “The Sleeping Beauty” from Ballet STP, a collective of three ballet companies: Universal Ballet, Wise Ballet and Seoul Ballet Theatre. The following weekend, the island will host the opera “Carmen,” which delves into themes of love, jealousy and fate. The opera

Park Sang-young, the founder and principal of Set Net School for North Koreans resettling in South Korea, will be stepping down after 20 years. "Set" and "net" mean numbers three and four, respectively, in Korean. The school's name signifies that it serves as a continuation for North Korean defectors who have completed the three-month educational program at the government-run Hana Dul (One, Two) School. While several organizations offer alternative education programs f

In today’s busy modern society, people often seek a retreat from the city -- a place where they can find peace and fresh air in nature. Chwihoga, meaning "Temple of the Tiger" in Korean, offers just that. Consisting of three private houses, the property was curated by a married couple who left the bustling capital of Seoul in 2020 to find a new home in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The couple encountered Pyeongchang during their travels and felt an inexplicable sense of peace th

Four esteemed concertmasters will gather to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sejong Soloists at the Seoul Arts Center on Saturday. Frank Huang, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, David Chen, concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Andrew Wan, concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Cho, concertmaster of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, all share a significant connection: they are alumni of the Sejong Soloists, an ensemble founded 30 years ago

About 11 years ago, at the age of 16, aspiring South Korean flutist Kim Yu-been moved to France to pursue his passion for the instrument. Since then, Kim's journey as a flutist has taken him from France to Germany and now to the US, winning major competitions along the way and serving as the principal flutist at two prestigious orchestras. Kim studied at prestigious French music institutions, including the Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse de Lyon and the Conservatoire Natio

On Monday, ahead of the 79th anniversary of National Liberation Day celebrated on Aug. 15, a special ceremony took place at the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, which opened in 2022 to commemorate the China-based Korean government in exile during Japanese colonization from 1910-45. A total of 27 descendants of 14 independence activists -- 14 from Russia, 11 from China, one from Kazakhstan and one from Cuba -- became Korean nationals upon receiving citizenship certifica

For emerging Korean pianist Park Jae-hong, his latest album featuring two Russian composers and the upcoming recitals showcasing it will be special, as he will bid a temporary goodbye to the music of these composers he loves this fall. On Monday, Park released his Decca debut album, featuring Alexander Scriabin’s 24 Preludes Op. 11 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor Op. 28 - the two composers’ lesser-known works. Park, winner of the 2021 Busoni Piano Compet

In the later part of the Korean musical "Hero," there is a scene where the imprisoned independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) awaits his sentencing day. In a somber atmosphere, a Japanese prison officer appears with mixed feelings. They have a conversation about Ahn’s dream for the realization of peace in East Asia, a topic he had been writing about in prison and which remained unfinished. Then the officer hands out a funeral shroud sent by Ahn's mother. The role

The Royal Opera House's 2017 production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello" will be performed at the Seoul Arts Center from Aug. 18 to Aug. 25, featuring conductor Carlo Rizzi and top opera singers Lee Yong-hoon and Teodor Ilincai as Otello. This is the first time the Seoul Arts Center is presenting "Othello" since 2002. It also marks Korean tenor Lee Yong-hoon’s first time performing in “Otello” in Korea. “I had always dreamed of making my

The Seoul Arts Center’s summer music festival is set to return under its new name of International Music Festival next week from August 6 to 11. For the fourth edition of the festival, Dan Ettinger, Israeli orchestra conductor and opera singer, will make his South Korean debut as he leads the SAC Festival Orchestra. The SAC Festival Orchestra is mainly composed of Korean musicians who have been active on stages with prestigious orchestras overseas. Ettinger, who called himself a fatalist

As the busy summer season unfolds for musical theaters, an array of high-quality productions beckon audiences. While many attendees might find their pockets not particularly deep, these Korean-language shows promise to offer unparalleled experiences that are worth every penny. Here are three standout musicals that should be on everyone’s radar before summer ends. "Hero": A timeless tribute to a national hero Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the musical "Hero" stands a

The Georg Solti Accademia, a prestigious institution dedicated to nurturing the next generation of operatic talent, has finally come to Korea, a decade after the initial concept was conceived. Korean soprano Park Hae-sang, also known as Hera, participated in the Italy-based organization’s master class at The Juilliard School 10 years ago while pursuing a master's degree there after graduating from Seoul National University. Park was later invited to attend the institute's Bel C

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture is offering a series of art and cultural events, including performances, exhibitions and film screenings, throughout the month of August on Nodeul Island for those seeking a vacation destination within Seoul. The foundation, a pivotal organization under the Seoul city government, tasked with implementing cultural policies, announced that Nodeul Island -- an entertainment hub located in the middle of the Han River featuring a concert hall, bookstore, loun

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha, a pioneer in Korean classical music, and star pianist Lim Dong-Hyek will hold a duo performance at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on Sept. 6. The recital will mark their first as a duo act. The two were previously part of a quintet performing Schubert's "Trout" Quintet in 2017. Chung chose Lim as the pianist for her fall recital tour, having recognized his talent early on and supporting him musically for many years, according to Credia, the recital&#

The London Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to perform at Lotte Concert Hall on Oct. 3 with Sir Antonio Pappano, who will begin his tenure as principal conductor starting with the 2024/25 season. The concert will be part of the first Asian tour by the London Symphony Orchestra with Pappano, as well as the conductor’s first visit to South Korea in six years. In his visit to the country in 2018 as the music director of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome, he performed with Korean pianist Ch

One of the most anticipated concerts at the annual festival Music in PyeongChang was the PyeongChang Dream Team concert. The PyeongChang Dream Team, consisting of emerging and established musicians from world-renowned orchestras, performed Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 and Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 on Thursday at the Alpensia Concert Hall and again at PyeongChang Woljeongsa Museum on Sunday as part of the festival's outreach program. In addition

With all the hype surrounding the K-pop industry, how much does it actually earn? The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute sought to answer this question with data, which revealed that the K-pop industry raked in nearly $900 million from overseas last year. In 2023, the estimated overseas sales of K-pop amounted to 1.24 trillion won ($893 million), exceeding 1 trillion won for the first time, according to the government-run organization's report on Wednesday. Compared to the previous year, K

The first-ever licensed musical from China, "The Butterfly on the Bund 1939," premiered Saturday at TOM Theater in Daehangno, marking a milestone for Chinese production companies and fulfilling the collaborative aspirations of the two countries' creators. The musical, a joint effort between Shanghai-based Focustage and Seoul-based Never Ending Play, revolves around two women living in turbulent 1939 Shanghai. “I think the script and music of ‘The Butterfly on the Bun

On the stage of the S Theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, two actors stand on a simple stage set. Their conversation in Persian may sound unfamiliar to many here but as the play evolves, the premiere of “Blind Runner,” by Iranian playwright and director Amir Reza Koohestani, captivates the audience with unconventional directing techniques, such as using a live camera feed on a screen, and actors running through the stage. Although “Blind Runner” was

The Korea National Symphony Orchestra is broadening its reach by sending young members of the Korea National Symphony Orchestra to perform in innovative spaces. KNSO's new quartet consisting of violinists Kim Jeong, Kim A-hyun, violist Yoon Jee-hyun and cellist Choi Jung-woo took the stage Saturday at Concino Concrete, a popular place for listening to vinyl music in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The quartet, still unnamed, performed Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 i