Royal Opera House's 'Otello' to come to Seoul Arts Center

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

Aug. 5, 2024

[Herald Review] Infinite leader Kim Sung-kyu mesmerizes fans with top-notch live performance with band

Kim Sung-kyu, the leader of veteran boy band Infinite, thrilled fans with a stand-alone concert last weekend, his first in 18 months. The singer's “LV3: Let's Vacay” concert took place over the weekend at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul. Following 2022's "LV1 : Light & Voice" and last year's "LV2: Like Your Vibes," the third iteration of the singer's branded concerts embraced the theme of summer vacation in steaming heat, subtitled &

Aug. 5, 2024

Solo debut rush of K-pop artists

In the latter half of this year, the K-pop scene will witness several high-profile solo debuts of K-pop artists. Yoon San-ha of Astro releases his debut solo mini-album "Dusk" on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in his eight-year career. The album features six tracks, each designed to signify the stages of dusk, from the setting sun to the deep night. San-ha, who debuted as the youngest member of Astro in 2016, has been steadily building his solo musicality, contributing to the

Aug. 3, 2024

SM reveals first British K-pop group 'Dear Alice'

K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment introduced their first British K-pop boy band “Dear Alice” on Thursday at the Soho Hotel in London, the agency said Friday. The group is a collaborative effort between SM Entertainment, the North American corporation of Kakao Entertainment, and the British entertainment company Moon & Back. The British company handled casting in the UK, while SM Entertainment provided K-pop expertise in music, vocals and choreography. "Training at SM has bee

Aug. 2, 2024

FT Island to launch Asia tour

FT Island is gearing up for a tour of Asia, FNC Entertainment announced Friday. The tour, under the banner of "Pulse in Asia," kicks off in the Philippines' capital Manila on Sept. 14, followed by performances in Hong Kong on Sept. 28, Kaohsiung in Taiwan on Oct. 26 and Macao on Nov. 10. As implied by the tour's name, FT Island plans to deliver live performances filled with intense musical energy, reminiscent of a beating heart. The band recently held a concert in Seoul, also

Aug. 2, 2024

Korean ballet dancers from prestigious companies to perform in homecoming gala

Korean ballet dancers working abroad in prestigious international companies are set to grace their home stage, bringing a curated selection of rarely seen pieces in the country at the Korea World Dance Stars Festival this weekend. This year's festival highlights six Korean dancers, including Kang Min-ju, a first artist with the English National Ballet, making her first performance in Korea in 12 years. Joining her are An So-young from the Martha Graham Dance Company, returning after a decad

Aug. 2, 2024

TXT premieres VR concert

K-pop boy group TXT has announced its first virtual reality concert. From July 31 to Aug. 27, TXT is presenting its first VR concert, “Hyperfocus: Tomorrow X Together VR Concert,” at Megabox Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This VR concert will feature prefilmed performances of hit songs such as “Sugar Rush Ride” and “Deja Vu,” and run for approximately 60 minutes. For the virtual concert experience, the audience will wear VR headsets, immersing themselves in perfor

July 31, 2024

Veteran DJ Kim Chang-wan returns to radio

Singer-actor Kim Chang-wan, also a legendary radio DJ known for his warm, comforting messages, has returned to radio four months after stepping down from a show he had hosted for 23 years. Kim and SBS radio program producer Jung Han-sung held a press conference at the SBS headquarters to celebrate the launch of their new radio program, "6 O’clock Evening Breeze, Kim Chang-wan Ibnida" on July 22. After an emotional farewell shared during the last broadcast of his long-running morn

July 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Tiny Desk Korea,' a small production with big goals

A small office filled with albums, books and LPs, a singer performing in a modest setup without any special effects or lighting — these are the images that come to mind when thinking of "Tiny Desk Concerts." "Tiny Desk Concerts," adapted from a popular National Public Radio segment in the United States that began in 2008, strives to capture the essence of music across genres and generations. Kang So-yeon and Kim Hee-won, project managers at South Korea's telecommun

July 29, 2024

Music festival Boiler Room Seoul halted due to overcrowding

The music festival "Boiler Room Seoul 2024," where DJ Peggy Gou was scheduled to perform, was abruptly halted due to excessive crowding. The festival was held at the Sfactory, a multipurpose cultural venue in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, but was stopped three hours earlier than scheduled for safety reasons as the venue became overcrowded. It was set to run from 9 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, but the festival was forced to end around 1 a.m., just before Peggy Gou's performance. Festival

July 28, 2024

National Theater Company's 'Hamlet' delves into political drama

Three distinct interpretations of the Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet" are coming to Korea's stages in the coming months, showing that a timeless classic can still be made new. Prince Hamlet is Princess Hamlet in the production by the National Theater Company of Korea, whereas Seensee's production directed by Sohn Jin-chaek and currently running at the Hongik Art Center turns to contemporary mise-en-scene for new inspiration. October will see yet another "Hamlet," dir

July 26, 2024

Liberation Day eve concert with Song Ga-in at Gwanghwamun

A concert titled "8.15 Seoul My Soul" will be held at Gwanghwamun Square at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, to celebrate Liberation Day, with "queen of trot" Song Ga-in performing the finale. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is organizing the event to commemorate the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day. The concert will begin with a performance by male percussion group Tago. Also performing will be Seodo Band, who describe

July 26, 2024

Yoo Seung-ho to make stage debut as drag queen in 190-minute 'Angels in America'

Actor Yoo Seung-ho hopes to make a bold transformation on stage with his role in the Korean production of the play "Angels in America." Yoo has been cast as Prior Walter, a gay character and drag queen, who becomes a victim of social prejudice and self-hate after being diagnosed with AIDS and is abandoned by his lover. This is a stage debut for the actor who started as a child actor in 2000 and has appeared on television dramas and films. "There wasn't a specific reason. I ju

July 25, 2024

Seoul Metropolitan Ballet debuts with reimagined 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The debut performance of Korea's first public contemporary ballet company, Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, is set to break new ground in Korea's dance scene in August. Choreographer Joo Jae-man behind the inaugural production "A Midsummer Night's Dream," expressed his excitement at a press conference held Monday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. "In Korea, dance has been divided distinctly into ballet, traditional Korean dance and contemporary dance. I am so

July 23, 2024

Quad Summer Festa to beat the heat with electronic music

The Quad Summer Festa, featuring its signature 360-degree stage, is set to take place from August 22 to 25 at the Quad Theater in Daehagno, a public venue operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. This year, the four-day festival will showcase four distinct electronic music artists, each performing on a different day. The festival kicks off with Kirara, who combines powerful beats with delicate melodies. She has released four studio albums: “Rcts,” “Moves,” &

July 23, 2024

Ye concert ticket sales schedule unveiled

Channel Candy, a music media brand operated by Nextix, has announced that schedule for tickets to go on sale to see rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Ty Dolla $ign concert in Korea. Tickets will be available exclusively through domestic ticket sales platform Melon Ticket, with both general and presale options. Presales will be available from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, while general ticket sales begin at 8 p.m. on July 30. Presales will be available only to those also attending th

July 22, 2024

Iconic Daehangno venue reopens, with focus on children's theater

Hakchon Theater, an iconic venue for Korean performing arts in Seoul's Daehangno theater district and a lasting legacy of Kim Min-gi, who died Sunday, has begun a new chapter in its storied history. Four months after its closure in March, the theater resumed its operations Thursday, rebranded as the Arko Kkumbat Theater, which translates to Arko Dream Field Theater, dedicated to performances for children and youth. “Arko Kkumbat Theater aims to inherit the historical and cultural lega

July 22, 2024

'Morning Dew' singer Kim Min-gi, founder of iconic Hakchon, dies at 73

Singer-songwriter Kim Min-gi, founder of the iconic small theater Hakchon in Daehangno, died on Sunday at the age of 73. Kim had been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stomach cancer last fall. Kim began his music career in 1970 while studying art at Seoul National University, forming the folk duo Dobidu with his friend Kim Young-se. In 1971, he released his debut solo album featuring the popular song "Morning Dew." This song, better known through singer Yang Hee-eun&#

July 22, 2024

National Theater of Korea new season a mix of old and new

The National Theater of Korea unveiled its 2024-25 season programs which will “emphasize its identity as producing theaters.” The new season, which runs from Aug. 28 to June 29, 2025, will feature 61 titles, including 23 new works, 8 productions from repertoires, 14 regular performances and 16 co-hosted works. “We have prepared works that focus on two trajectories: Contemporary creative productions based on tradition and encore performances from our repertoires that audiences h

July 21, 2024

Swae Lee, Offset to hold concert in Seoul

American hip-hop artists Swae Lee and Offset will be performing in Korea next month. The two artists will take the stage on Aug. 15 at the Korea University Tiger Dome. The concert is to last approximately three hours and is restricted to adults only. Offset is a member of the trio Migos – along with Quavo and Takeoff – which have been influential in the rise of the trap genre in the American hip-hop scene. Offset is known for his distinctive rap style and unique fashion. As part of M

July 19, 2024