South Korea has become a heaven for classical music prodigies but for sustainable growth, a '"K-classical league" would be more conducive, according to classical music experts during a forum on Friday. Hosted by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, which has been supporting talented young musicians since 2009, the forum dealt with various issues concerning fostering classical music talent. “Because now South Korea has become a heaven for prodigies, they are trying to

When pianist Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, attended the press conference for Apple Music Classical on Jan. 29, he performed three of Chopin Etudes: Op. 25, No. 1 “Aeolian Harp;” Op. 10, No. 5 “Black Keys;” and Op. 25, No. 11 "Winter Wind." For his playlist exclusively unveiled on the Apple Music Classical app, the 19-year-old pianist featured Chopin 12 Etudes by Ignaz Friedman among other artists

In December, college student Kang Min-gu was preparing for his final exams when he decided to put his cell phone in a special type of locker called the "Room of Immersion." Once items are placed in the cylinder, also called a "smartphone prison," and a timer is set, it can only be opened before the time is up by breaking it. Kang, who majors in Korean medicine, meant to set a timer for 60 minutes so he could focus on his studies. But when he realized he had accidentally s

Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, unveiled a single of Chopin’s Op.10 No.3 "Tristesse" earlier this week, offering a sneak peek at his first album on the Decca Classical label. His upcoming album, titled “Chopin: Etudes,” will be released April 19, according to Universal Music Group, Decca’s parent company. The pianist signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca in October last year. “Pianists l

Two of South Korea’s best-known pianists, Cho Jeong-jin and Lim Yun-chan are to return to Carnegie Hall next year. As part of Carnegie Hall’s Great Artists series, Cho, the first prize winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, will celebrate the 150th birthday of Ravel by performing the composer’s complete solo piano works on Feb. 5, 2025. It will mark the pianist’s fourth performance at the hall since his debut there in 2022, stepping

When musical actor Kim Ho-young was named the best supporting actor at the 8th Korean Musical Awards last month for his role as Angel in the musical “Rent,” he came to the stage for his acceptance speech with a mysterious bag. Instead of simply calling out the names of people to whom he was thankful, Kim selected two names from the bag to receive his gratitude on behalf of everyone he wished to acknowledge, transforming the moment into a vibrant celebration with his trademark wit a

Musical actor Jeong Sun-ah burst into tears as she was declared the best lead actor at the Korean Musical Awards on Jan. 15 for her performance in “If/then.” The award came after a turbulent two years for the actor, who recently became a mom, and harbored doubts over whether she could return to the stage. "Even as I get older, (and as I became a mom), I wanted to prove that with effort, it's possible to (improve),” Jeong, 39, told reporters during an interview on Jan.

From Studio Ghibli's enchanting melodies to the Polish musical spirit embodied by Chopin's compositions, a series of captivating concerts will provide the perfect soundtrack to accompany the transition from the winter chill to spring warmth. On Feb. 14, two concerts will take place -- “one like an elaborate oil painting hung on a large wall, the other one like a modest watercolor decorating a corner of a room.” It was pianist Elizabeth Bright who made this analogy of an orc

Cho Jung-eun, one of South Korea’s leading musical theater actors, said that her performance this year as Fantine in “Les Miserables” is likely to be the last time she plays the role. The 44-year-old actor has taken on the role three times since the show's Korean premier in 2013. After her second appearance in 2015, Cho is currently performing her third and final act as Fantine. “'Les Miserables' is not frequently performed, so I think this season, which is

Alleviating the financial burden of people's cultural and leisure activities, bolstering the creation of globally competitive cultural and artistic work and attracting 20 million inbound tourists are among the Culture Ministry’s policy priorities for 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday. In addition, the ministry said it will supply a total of 17.4 trillion won ($13.07 billion) in policy financing this year, up 120 percent from 2023, to boost investment

Park Hye-sang, the first Asian soprano to be signed by Deutsche Grammophon, on Friday released her second album, a project that has engaged her for more than two years. Park learned free diving for the album jacket -- she took photos underwater, symbolizing the theme of "breath." She also went on a pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain last year, walking every day for 25 days. "There wasn't a single day that I did not think about this album in the last 2 1/2 years. The album includ

Since Dec. 19, Adriana Tomeu, hailing from the US, has been taking the stage as Madame Becker in the musical “Il Tenore,” or the tenor in English. The musical about a medical student with a passion for classical singing set in 1920s Korea during the Japanese occupation had its world premiere in Seoul. "Il Tenore" marks Tomeu's return to the professional musical stage after almost a decade -- she had chosen a career in science over the musical theater career she had bee

Conductor Hong Seok-won has been appointed as the next artistic director of the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, according to the Busan city government last week. Hong, who is currently the artistic director of the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, will begin his two-year term on July 1. He succeeds Choi Soo-yeol, whose term expired in December after six years. Hong previously led the Busan City Symphony Orchestra as a guest conductor in 2020 and 2023. Hong, a graduate of Seoul National University and th

The fourth Winter Youth Olympics concluded in eastern South Korea on Thursday with a celebration of the feats accomplished by teenage athletes over the past two weeks. The closing ceremony began at 8 p.m. Thursday under the theme, "Shine Again" at the open plaza in front of Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung. A highlight video of the 14-day competition was shown on the main screen, and rapper Lee Young-ji and dancing group 1Million performed for the athletes and spectators. The two-w

Enjoy Everland’s Bao Haus For precious few chances left to make a special memory with Fu Bao, the first panda to be born in Korea, pay a visit to Bao Haus. Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -- opened Bao Haus, a Fu Bao-themed exhibition, on Jan. 20, ahead of the scheduled departure of Korea's favorite panda in April. Fu Bao is due to return to her ancestral home China. The indoor exhibition is located at the center of Everland, presenting

US ice dance duo Alex Hideo Shibutani and Maia Shibutani, siblings who secured two bronzes at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, have returned to Gangwon Province after six years to celebrate and support the first Youth Winter Olympics in Asia. They set foot in the region for the first time in six years, yet their connection with students remained steadfast through a mentoring program they initially joined in 2017 and 2018. The mentorship program was part of the “Thank You PyeongChang”

Soviet-era pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky, who passed away 1961, has been brought back to the spotlight in South Korea recently thanks to playlists compiled by top musicians. The pianist is on the playlists of two star Korean pianists -- Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan -- unveiled on Apple Music Classical last week. In addition to Lim and Cho, another celebrated pianist, Son Yeol-eum, and composer and music director June Jae-il have partnered up with the stand-alone app dedicated to classical m

The musical "School of Rock" starts with an announcement by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music for the musical, asking a key question: "Do the kids really play their rock instruments live?" The answer is an emphatic "Yes, they do!" Webber declares. The announcement is made because, without the notice, many people find it hard to believe that they are witnessing child actors with an average age of 11.5, rocking out with exceptional musical talent and energeti

South Korean composer Chin Unsuk was awarded this year's International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, a prestigious award that honors a composer, performer or musicologist who has made a distinguished contribution to the world of music, according to the Tongyeong International Music Festival, Thursday. Chin is the first Asian and fifth woman to receive the main prize since it was first given in 1974. Chin has shown new paths in contemporary music and has captivated a broad audience, annou

On Tuesday evening, the 112th performance of the third run of the musical “Les Miserables” took place at Blue Square in Seoul. During the intermission, a couple in seats in the 10th row discussed whether Eponine was biracial, while two other women in the same row, seemingly in their 50s, praised her singing. Eponine is a character from Victor Hugo's 1862 novel "Les Miserables." Despite being the daughter of the unscrupulous Thenardiers, she assists her friend Marius, w