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An invitation to 'Weird and Wonderful Land' of folk songs
This July, the National Theater of Korea extends an unusual invitation: a summer journey to a “Weird Land of Folk Songs.” The 2025 edition of the annual monthlong Yeowoorak Festival (short for “Here is Our Music” in Korean) is the National Theater's signature summer series, known for dismantling genre boundaries while celebrating the rich textures of Korean traditional music. Since its debut in 2010, Yeowoorak has drawn more than 82,000 attendees. Running from Friday to July 26, this year’s fest
June 30, 2025 -
The July Festival, born in pianist’s home, expands across Korea
A house concert that began in a pianist’s living room in 2002 and grew into an annual event, now known as “The July Festival,” will expand nationwide this year. Organized by The House Concert, the July Festival will take place daily throughout July at the Artist’s House in Daehangno, Seoul, while also reaching audiences across Korea. The festival will feature 31 performances with 237 participants, including Korea’s leading musicians such as pianists Park Jae-hong and Park Jong-hae, violinists Ki
June 30, 2025 -
‘Five Vibe’ dances on overdrive with tradition, EDM and sweat-soaked power
Charged with raw physicality, 20 male dancers clad in cargo jumpsuits deliver a performance that bites with a steely, industrial edge. Choreographed by Ye Hyo-seung, the National Dance Company’s latest production, “Five Vibe” — which premiered Thursday and runs through Sunday — feels like a cyberpunk fever dream set in a desert. It fuses traditional Korean breathwork and bodily control, resulting in an exhilarating collision of past and future. This also marks a first in the company’s 63-year-hi
June 27, 2025 -
Wit, whimsy and time’s gravity: Korean National Ballet’s Kylian Project
From evocative elegy to percussive tension and powdered-wig satire, the Korean National Ballet’s Kylian Project brings three of Jiri Kylian’s seminal works to the GS Arts Center this week through Sunday. The program includes "Forgotten Land," "Falling Angels" and the wryly humorous "Sechs Tanze" ("Six Dances"), offering a compact glimpse into the world-renowned contemporary choreographer’s remarkable range. Opening the triple bill, "Forgotten Land" unfolds against a backdrop reminiscent of aged
June 27, 2025 -
Teen pianist Kim Saehyun performs at heart of Paris
Korean pianist Kim Saehyun turned 18 on March 31. One day before his birthday, he was in Paris, receiving four awards at The Long-Thibaud International Competition — the First Grand Prize, Audience Prize, Press Jury Prize and Paris Prize. According to Warner Classics CEO Alain Lanceron, the jury chose not to award a second prize, citing the clear gap between Kim and the other finalists. Shortly after his win, Kim signed an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics. His debut album, now i
June 27, 2025 -
Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra appoints its first-ever composers-in-residence
In a milestone move marking its 60th anniversary, the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra announced Thursday the appointment of three composers — Kim Hyun-seop, Lee Go-woon and Lee Hanurij — as its first-ever composers-in-residence. This is the first time the orchestra has introduced a residency program for composers. The initiative aims to foster long-term, collaborative partnerships with composers, enabling the creation of a sustainable repertoire. Among the three appointees, teenage comp
June 26, 2025 -
Jeon Min-chul to make Mariinsky Ballet debut as Solor in 'La Bayadere'
Ballet sensation Jeon Min-chul will make his official debut with the Mariinsky Ballet on July 17, performing the role of Solor in "La Bayadere" at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Jeon joins the company as an official guest artist and is expected to be formally named as a soloist following the performance, pending visa completion, according to the K-Global Ballet Institute. He will share the stage with Mariinsky Ballet's principal dancer Nadezhda Batoeva as Nikiya and second so
June 26, 2025 -
NY Phil’s return to Korea brings long-awaited reunions
The names New York Philharmonic, conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrated pianist Krystian Zimerman alone are enough to capture the attention of classical music lovers. But look more closely, and this week’s performances reveal something deeper: a series of long-awaited reunions between artists, between orchestra and soloist, and between the ensemble and its Korean audience. From Thursday to Saturday, the New York Philharmonic will take the stage before Korean audiences for the first
June 25, 2025 -
Interview: Vampire classic ‘Let the Right One In’ casts haunting, melancholic magic on stage
Some stories never grow old. Neither does Eli, the eternally young vampire at the heart of "Let the Right One In," the 2004 Swedish novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist that has spawned numerous adaptations -- film, television and stage. This July, the haunting tale returns to Seoul as a chilling, yet tender coming-of-age love story, just in time for the summer heat. Running from July 3 to Aug. 16 at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Theater, the Korean-language stage production makes its long-
June 25, 2025 -
Park Chun-hue on Tony win: 'Maybe Happy Ending' wasn’t supposed to succeed -- until it did
“Maybe Happy Ending,” the Broadway adaptation of the Korean musical, emerged as the season's breakout success, earning six Tony Awards, including best musical, on June 8. The creative duo behind the show are Korean lyricist and book writer Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, and American writer and composer Will Aronson. In a press conference with Korean media Tuesday in Seoul, Park reflected on the historic achievement of becoming the first Korean to receive a Tony. He spoke candidly about h
June 24, 2025 -
Arko launches Sum Festa to bring performing arts festivals together
Arts Council Korea (Arko) seeks to foster collaboration across genres and regions with the launch of its new umbrella brand, “Sum Festa,” bringing together 17 of the 45 performing arts festivals it supports nationwide. The initiative aims to connect theater, dance, music and traditional arts festivals under one banner, while preserving each event’s distinct character and local roots. This summer’s lineup includes events such as the Arts in Tank Dance Festival (July 1-27), the ChangMu Internation
June 23, 2025 -
Busan Concert Hall opens with finest talent, advanced infrastructure
BUSAN — After Maestro Chung Myung-whun concluded Sunday evening’s concert at the new Busan Concert Hall, he traced a circle in the air with his finger before gently tapping his heart — a gesture that seemed to acknowledge not only the musicians on stage but also the audience, who responded with a standing ovation. It was a moment of gratitude and recognition, shared by all present at a historic milestone in Busan’s classical music journey. The city’s long-awaited concert hall finally opened its
June 23, 2025 -
Park Chan-wook wants to film 'Human Acts' by Nobel laureate Han Kang if given the chance
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook would like to adapt “Human Acts” by Nobel laureate Han Kang into a film if given the chance. “Just reading the first chapter, I thought, ‘Wow, this is just masterfully written.’ It struck me as a masterpiece from the start,” he said. The comment came during a session titled “Park Chan-wook’s Literary Anchors” with literary critic Shin Hyoung-cheol, held Friday at the Seoul International Book Fair at Coex. When asked whether there are any Korean novels he dreams of adapti
June 23, 2025 -
La Scala's Ortombina on maestro Chung Myung-whun, Verdi and opera's future
BUSAN -- During the opening weekend of Busan’s much-anticipated new concert hall, conductor Chung Myung-whun -- artistic director of Classic Busan, the municipal office overseeing the Busan Concert Hall and the upcoming Busan Opera House -- led a series of inaugural concerts that signaled a new chapter in the city’s cultural ambitions. Among those in attendance was Fortunato Ortombina, artistic director of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, one of the world’s most storied opera houses. Ortombina, who ha
June 22, 2025 -
Hungarian musical 'Nikola Tesla' opens 19th Daegu International Musical Festival
DAEGU — The 19th edition of the Daegu International Musical Festival, Korea’s premier celebration of musical theater, opened Friday with the Hungarian production “Nikola Tesla: Infinite Energy.” At a press conference held before the musical’s first of ten performances at the Daegu Opera House, running through June 28, communication required double translation: from Hungarian to English, and then from English to Korean. It was a symbolic moment, highlighting the rarity and significance of such cr
June 20, 2025