The day will soon come when Korean audiences can enjoy opera arias and lieder without resorting to subtitles, bass-baritone Samuel Youn said Wednesday during an interview. This will not be due to any technological advancement, but because Youn and many other artists aspire to create pieces that can be sung in Korean, allowing Korean audiences to feel them deeply without the need for translation or subtitles. Although Youn says there aren't enough Korean art songs, also known by the german

Culture Nov. 7, 2024

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism demanded Tuesday that the Korean Football Association take strong action following the discovery of irregularities in the process of appointing Hong Myung-bo as coach of the national soccer team. The ministry’s demand included a suspension or harsher disciplinary action against high-level officials, including Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who has been at the helm of the football governing body since 2013. Amid concerns that the KFA might not act dec

Culture Nov. 5, 2024

After a decade at the helm of one of the world’s most celebrated classical music festivals, David Pickard, the artistic director of the BBC Proms, is marking his final year with a milestone: the BBC Proms’ debut in Korea, a country he first visited in 1986 with the Royal Opera Company. Introducing the Proms to Korea is part of the festival’s mission to reach audiences far beyond its London roots, according to the director. "The Proms still lives by the motto of its founder

Culture Nov. 5, 2024

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director Jaap van Zweden, will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year under the theme “Collaboration.” Building on the 2024 season’s focus on "Exploration" and strengthening its core repertoire during the conductor's inaugural year, the SPO’s 2025 season will broaden its scope across genres through first-time collaborations with renowned global artists and institutions. Among the 2025 season’s highlight

Culture Nov. 4, 2024

Composer Frank Wildhorn, who has compiled a long list of hits in South Korea, becoming one of the most beloved composers here in the process, will make another connection with the country, with his first-ever small stage work. The 65-year-old composer is participating in “Van Gogh in Love,” produced by renowned stage designer Oh Pil-young. The show will premiere in Korea before being introduced in Spain, Germany and more. Wildhorn, who was in Korea preparing for the staging of &ldquo

Culture Nov. 3, 2024

Culture Nov. 2, 2024

Culture Nov. 2, 2024

Culture Nov. 2, 2024

South Korean piano sensation Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, has been named artist in residence for next year’s Tongyeong International Music Festival, one of South Korea's most celebrated music festivals which is held annually in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. The 20-year-old pianist, recently honored with the Gramophone Classical Music Awards prize in the piano category and named its young artist of the year, will join anot

Culture Oct. 31, 2024

The year 2024 has been a whirlwind of a year for Yoon Han-kyeol, winner of the 2023 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. The rising conductor led the Hankyung Arte Philharmonic in all-Brahms symphony concerts in May and many other performances in Europe. Earlier this month, he debuted with the Munich Philharmonic, an unexpected opportunity that he enjoyed immensely. Then, there was his debut with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna in August at the Salzburg Festival. Returning to the

Culture Oct. 30, 2024

Located on opposite ends of the country, the Demilitarized Zone and the southeastern city of Pohang are emblematic of two contrasting features of the Korean Peninsula: the tension of a frozen conflict and the prosperity of South Korea as an industrial powerhouse. The DMZ stands as a stark reminder of the Korean War, while Pohang is a bustling coastal city of about 500,000 people, whose identity is deeply intertwined with heavy industry, particularly steelmaker Posco, which was founded there in 1

Culture Oct. 29, 2024

When “Kinky Boots” returned in July 2022 for its fifth run, the lively musical gave audience members a much-needed chance to release their pent-up desires with cheers and shouting -- perhaps for the first time since the pandemic. In comparison, the sixth run -- which also marks the show’s 10th anniversary -- is best described as “record-breaking.” It is a record-breaking in many aspects: from audience numbers and the volume of their cheers to the number of participa

Culture Oct. 29, 2024

Author Yi Mun-yeol, 76, and theater director Kim Jeong-ok, 92, received the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the nation's highest honor is given to artists, on Friday. The two legendary cultural icons were honored for their contributions to literature and performing arts, respectively. Since his debut in 1979, Yi contributed to the popularization and advancement of Korean literature by crafting over 90 works spanning various themes and subjects that have garnered wide public acclaim. His w

Culture Oct. 26, 2024

The Salzburg Festival is more than a festival celebrating Mozart, although the connection between Mozart and the festival held in the city of the composer's birth continues to be strong. “I believe that Mozart plays a crucial role in the festival, but what truly sets the Salzburg Festival apart is its dedication to showcasing a diverse array of programs,” Kristina Hammer, the president of Salzburg Festival, told reporters in Seoul on Wednesday. Hammer, president of the festi

Culture Oct. 24, 2024

On the evening of Oct. 30, rising Korean cellist Han Jae-min, who is Lotte Concert Hall's in-house artist this year, will take the stage with promising Korean pianist Park Jae-hong, and renowned Hungarian violinist Kristof Barati. The three will perform at the Han Jae-min Trio Recital at Lotte Concert Hall, featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Trio No. 1 “Elegy,” along with Dvorak’s Piano Trio No. 4 “Dumky,” and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor “

Culture Oct. 22, 2024