Etoile Park Sae-eun says childbirth was turning point

Ballerina Park Sae-eun, the first Asian etoile (or principal dancer) of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet, returns to the Korean stage for "Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala 2024” performance alongside French colleagues. This performance, taking place Saturday to Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seoul, will be her first time meeting Korean audiences since giving birth. When Paris Opera Ballet performed "Giselle" in Korea in March last year, Park was u

July 18, 2024

National Theater Company’s new director outlines vision for global and domestic expansion

National Theater Company of Korea’s newly appointed director and artistic director Park Jeong-hee has an ambitious vision to create a Korean repertoire for performances overseas. Park began her three-year term in April. She held her first press conference Tuesday at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul, where she talked about her vision and blueprint for the state theater company. “While foreign directors have often worked with NTCK, our company has rarely showcased its own productions ab

July 17, 2024

Nile Rodgers to hold first Seoul concert

Legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers will be performing his first solo concert in Korea this September. Concert organizer Live Nation Korea announced that Nile Rodgers & CHIC will hold a concert on Sept. 24 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul. CHIC, formed by Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, is an iconic 1970s funk and disco band. The band has released numerous hits including "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Everybody Dance" and "I Want Your

July 17, 2024

Jannabi to hold concerts in Seoul, Busan

Jannabi, known for its emotional, lyrical songs, will be back on stage with standalone concerts. Jannabi announced through its official social media that it will hold four performances of “Fantastic Old Fashioned 2024: Movie Star Rising” at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul Aug. 31, Sept. 1, Sept. 7 and Sept. 8. The band will then travel to Busan where it will perform at the Bexco Auditorium on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. This is Jannabi’s first concert series since its nationwide

July 17, 2024

[Herald Review] Infinite hints at new album at fan meeting

Veteran boy band Infinite held emotionally charged fan meetings Saturday and Sunday, the first in seven years. "Infinite Rally 4," two standalone fan meetings, took place over the weekend at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. Fan meetings are similar to regular concerts but include more interaction between the artists and the audience. The meetings were the first in which all six members of the group took part in seven years. Across two days, about 20,000 seats were sold out. The perf

July 16, 2024

Soprano Sumi Jo's singing competition debuts in France

Renowned soprano Sumi Jo has successfully launched her first international vocal competition in France, drawing hundreds of aspiring singers from across the globe. The inaugural Sumi Jo Vocal Competition took place over seven days, beginning last Sunday at the historic Chateau de la Ferte-Imbault in France's Loire Valley. "I pinched myself to see if this competition, which I'd been dreaming of and preparing for, was really happening," the soprano said Friday. "It'

July 13, 2024

[Herald Review] In play 'Trigger,' weary rifle retells Korea's turbulent history

An old film prop warehouse in Paju unfolds an array of items of seemingly everything. A wooden case, in particular, stands out, atop a weathered piano and beside a Segovia guitar case. The wooden case houses a Type 99 Arisaka rifle from 1945 -- one of the last legacies left behind by the Japanese Army as the war came to a close. The rifle, affectionately named Bbangya, becomes the unlikely protagonist in “Trigger” by award-winning playwright Kim Eun-sung. The play premiered in 2023

July 12, 2024

Seoul Metropolitan Ballet to debut with contemporary spin on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will debut “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from Aug. 23-25. Choreographer and director Joo Jae-man will explore the Shakespeare comedy from the perspective of the fairy Puck. The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will be the first in the world to reinterpret the piece as a contemporary ballet, according to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The US-based Joo -- who previously worked with American ballet companies like Complexions Contemporary Ballet and

July 12, 2024

Kim Hong-park reflects on three decades with horn in debut album

After nearly 30 years as a horn player in South Korea and abroad, Kim Hong-park released his first album, "Schumann & Brahms," last Friday. The 42-year-old musician, who is also a professor at Seoul National University, discussed his inspiration to produce an album highlighting the instrument, which is pivotal in an orchestra due to its versatile contributions to melody, harmony, dynamic range, rhythmic support, color, texture and signaling cues. “Despite its significance a

July 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] From busker to Coachella star, The Rose blooms

Last April, the four-member band The Rose from Korea took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the largest music festival in the United States, becoming the first Korean indie band to perform at Coachella. Park Dojoon, the guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist of The Rose, sat down for an interview with The Korea Herald on June 20, sharing the dynamic story of the band from its busking days to its rise to internationally traveling band. The Rose – consisting of Park Do

July 11, 2024

Long-lost royal 'Sajik Jeryeak' returns to stage after more than a century

During the Joseon era (1392-1910), the two most important ceremonies personally overseen by the king were Jongmyo Jerye, a royal ancestral memorial rite held to pay respect to the late kings and queens; and Sajik Daeje, a national rite to gods of lands and crops. This was when Jongmyo and Sajik were considered the very essence of the nation. Thus the Jongmyo Shrine housing the tablets of deceased royal ancestors is located to the left of Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon royal palace, while the Saj

July 11, 2024

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang hopes to offer 'healing power' of music during September recital tour

Clara-jumi Kang, a violin virtuoso, will embark on a nationwide recital tour in September with a new instrument and a program that holds a significant meaning to her. Kang is set to blend technical mastery with lyrical expression with a program consisting Tartini's "The Devil's Trill," Prokofiev's Violin Sonata No. 1, Chausson's "Poeme," and Franck's “Violin Sonata.” Regarding the program, Kang said, “I've chosen pieces that I p

July 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] 15 years on, Uangel Voice still finds way to sing anew

An all-male six-member choir walks up to the stage and takes a deep breath, as guests are all ears for a tune that will animate a ceremony marked by many handshakes and applauses. “That’s the thrill, an adrenaline rush -- the feeling of undivided attention on the stage,” said Son Ye-bin, a baritone at Uangel Voice, a choir that has been performing since April 2009. Most of their performances since then have involved charity work, either raising funds for the marginalized or rai

July 10, 2024

Jay Park to hold fan meeting

Jay Park, also known as Park Jae-beom, is to hold his first solo fan meetings in 11 years. According to his agency More Vision, Jay Park will host "Jay Park Season 3: Dedicated 2 U" at the Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 10 and 11. The event marks the first solo fan meetings for the singer since "Jay Effect" in 2013. It is the third of the season projects that the singer kicked off in April with a video trailer promising fans that he would focus on music

July 9, 2024

Ballerino Jeon Min-chul to join Mariinsky Ballet as soloist

South Korean ballet dancer Jeon Min-chul, 20, is set to join the world-renowned Mariinsky Ballet in Russia. Jeon is the second Korean dancer to become part of the prestigious company, following its principal dancer Kim Ki-min, 32. According to media reports, Jeon recently passed an audition in Russia and is scheduled to join the Mariinsky Ballet as a soloist in February next year. Jeon who graduated from Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Sunhwa Arts High School, is currently a third-year student at

July 9, 2024

Theater treats for children from around world arrive in time for vacation season

As a long-awaited summer break approaches, families and children can look forward to a rich array of performances designed for all ages in the months of July and August. From children's theater, dance dramas and puppet shows to interactive plays where the audience becomes part of the show, a diverse selection of international guest performances and Korean productions are available. Kids and family festival at Seoul Arts Center The Seoul Arts Center is set to host a summer festival for chi

July 8, 2024

Waterbomb festival to thrill 9 cities

Waterbomb, a summer festival that combines music and water activities, has returned to cool down the summer. The festival, however, also faces criticism for water waste and environmental issues. At Waterbomb, participants can enjoy performances and water activities at the same time. Since its inception in 2015, the festival has been held every year except 2020 and 2021, when the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an event where alcohol is allowed and therefore restricted to adul

July 6, 2024

'Love in Saturn': Melodic jazz concert with drama starring Anupam Tripathi

Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, known for his role in the global phenomenon "Squid Game," is set to perform onstage at the Sejong Arts Center's Sejong S Theater on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. Tripathi will be starring in KimOki Saturnballad's "Love in Saturn," a jazz concert incorporated with short drama scenes. The concert is the opening program of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' summer festival series, "Sync Next," which aims

July 5, 2024

Korea, South East Asia musicians to hold concerts in Busan

Artists from Korea and Southeast Asia will gather in Busan for two nights of special concerts to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Korea-ASEAN ties. The “Round in Korea” music festival, co-hosted by KBS and the ASEAN Culture House under the Korea Foundation, will be held on Saturday and Sunday at KBS Busan Hall. BamBam of GOT7 will host the event, and the lineup includes singer Kim Yoon-ah from Jaurim, and bands Nell, Touched and Nerd Connection. K-pop group H1-KEY will join them

July 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] As pianist and now actor, Yoo Sun Hee bridges cultures

Acclaimed Italian director Nanni Moretti’s latest film, “A Brighter Tomorrow,” which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, features a Korean-Italian interpreter. The character is not just an interpreter of languages, but also a link across cultures, introducing for instance how to drink soju. Though it’s a small role, for pianist Yoo Sun Hee, who is expanding her artistic horizons by venturing into acting with this role, it signifies what she

July 3, 2024