'Captain Rock Day' to take place online for three days in February
Korean rock musician Han Kyung-rock, a bassist in the legendary punk rock band Crying Nut, will celebrate his birthday with a three-day online concert next month. The musician will be hosting "2022 Captain Rock Day," featuring 100 artists. The event will kick off on Feb. 9, but the exact time has yet to be set. "Captain Rock Day" is an annual event that gathers big-name artists who represent th...
Chung Myung-whun appointed KBS orchestra's first honorary conductor
The KBS Symphony Orchestra appointed renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun as its first-ever conductor laureate, according to the orchestra on Thursdsay. Chung's tenure began this month. Conductor laureate is an honorary position given to a conductor who has international repuation or contributed to the development of the orchestra. This is the first the KBS Symphony Orchestra, found...
K-pop album sales surge 37% on-year in 2021 despite pandemic
Based on S.M. Entertainment's independent count, its K-pop artists sold a total of 17.62 million copies, nearly doubling the previous year's record. Its boy group NCT-related album sales accounted for about 62 percent of sales. "When bringing back live in-person concerts, the soaring physical album sales may experience a slow down for a while, but the upward movement is likely to continue in the...
Korean drama soundtracks booming as major medium of 'Hallyu'
Lim Young-woong, the singer who shot to stardom after winning TV Chosun's smash hit audition show, "Mr. Trot" in 2020, released "Love Always Run Away" on Oct. 11 for the soundtrack of KBS 2TV's weekend drama "Young Lady and Gentleman." The song has topped local music streaming charts for several weeks, including the top 100 on Melon charts. Seoul-based pop music critic Lim Jin-mo told The Korea ...
[Herald Review] Musicians from S. Korea, ASEAN harmonize through 'Round in Korea'
Six-hour online festival allows artists, fans to unite through passion for music
BTS, IU win top prizes at 36th Golden Disc Awards
"Last year was a very meaningful one for me. Closing out my 20s, I worked hard to promote music as I thought it was the best way to express my sincere gratitude to the fans who have been with me for the last 10 years. It feels like I've ended my 20s well with people listening to my music, loving me for so long and giving me such a big award like this," she said. Girl groups Aespa and StayC took ...
Chung Myung-whun to be named honorary music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra
Renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun will reportedly be appointed as honorary music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, according to media reports on Wednesday. The news came days after Chung saved the orchestra's Christmas Eve concert by leading the concert on behalf of Pietari Inkinen, the orchestra's music director who was unable to enter the country because of toughened self-...
Violinist Kim Dong-hyun to kick off Kumho Art Hall's 2022 season
Kumho Art Hall's artist-in-residence violinist Kim Dong-hyun will kick off the new season at the concert hall Jan. 13 with the first of the Beautiful Thursday Concerts series. At the upcoming recital themed "22 degrees: Refreshing," Kim will play Morzart's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454, Ysaye's Sonata for Solo Violin No. 6 in E Major, Op. 27/6 and Hubay's "Carmen -- ...
Rapper-songwriter B.I to be first Asian artist on Grammys' 'Global Spin'
Rapper-songwriter B.I will be performing in the Grammys' digital performance series titled "Global Spin," according to the artist's agency IOK Co. He will be the first Asian artist to perform on the music show. "Global Spin" highlights the diversity of noteworthy music from around the world. Each episode of the biweekly performance series features performances by artists and groups and celebrate...
Top 10 singers from 'Tomorrow's National Singer' say their music sets them apart
For the top 10 contestants of TV Chosun's K-pop audition program, "Tomorrow's National Singer," their range of music is what differentiates them from other outstanding singers from other audition programs. "From a folk singer to vocalist in a rock band and from a K-pop boy band to actor in a musical stage, all the members have unique charms to make an appeal to the public," Park Jang-hyun said i...
World class pianists gear up for concerts in Korea next year
Mast Media unveils performer lineup for the coming year
K-pop artists ring in Christmas with splendid performances at SBS Music Awards
K-pop singers have gathered at local broadcaster SBS' year-end music show, making Christmas even more special for both music fans and viewers on Saturday. Under the theme of "Welcome," this year's SBS Music Awards took place at the Namdong Gymnasium, in Incheon. The show was broadcast live on its main channel at 6 p.m., while a live audience was invited to the venue. SHINee's Key, ITZY's Yuna an...
Tongyeong music fest marks 20th edition with diversity
The Tongyeong International Music Festival, an annual classical music gala, will take place March 25 to April 3, under the theme of "Vision in Diversity." Marking its 20th anniversary, the annual music festival aims to contemplate diversity. The festival held in the southern coastal city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, will be directed by composer Chin Un-suk and feature classical to co...
Looking ahead to Korea's 2022 classical music season
Meanwhile, Julia Fischer, a German classical violinist and pianist, is scheduled to perform the entire cycle of Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin at Lotte Concert Hall on Dec. 7-8. By Lee Si-jin ( sj_lee@heraldcorp.com )
Violinist Park Sueye's 'Journey Through a Century' chosen as Gramophone's Recordings of the Year
"This is sensational! In welcoming Korean violist Park Sueye's BIS album of the complete Paganini Caprices back in January 2018, I suggested that this excellent player countered the cliche of 'Paganini as devil' with an alternative image of Paganini as a seducer. Remarkable as that program is, 'Journey Through a Century' -- the 20th century, that is -- is finer still, and not only because Park is...