Gheorghiu stands her ground over 'Tosca’ tantrums

The ongoing controversy between renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu and the organizers of Puccini's opera Tosca intensified this week after the soprano's management issued a statement claiming that an agreement had been made for no encores, a claim later denied by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. On Wednesday, Gheorghiu’s management, Intermusica, released a statement saying, “Ms. Gheorghiu deeply regrets the circumstances that led to the incident at the Sejong Arts Center on

Sept. 13, 2024

[Well-curated] American burger, simple salt bread and open air market

True American-style hamburger in Seoul Craving an authentic American-style hamburger in Seoul? Brooklyn the Burger Joint is your go-to spot. First opened in 2010 in Seorae Maeul, Seoul's French village in Seocho-gu, this American diner-style restaurant now has nine additional locations across Seoul and two in Bundang-gu, Gyeonggi Province. Brooklyn the Burger Joint stays true to the classic, authentic taste of American-style hamburgers, focusing on high-quality ingredients. The restaurant u

Sept. 13, 2024

Explicit, provocative shows breathe new life into staid National Theater of Korea

If you attend one of the two productions currently running at the National Theater of Korea, you might be surprised by the level of sexual explicitness in the performances. At the Daloreum Theater, the National Theater’s mid-sized theater with about 500 seats, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s adult-only production “Madam Ong” runs through Sunday. The changgeuk, or traditional Korean opera, has long been associated with themes of lust and obscenity. At the Han

Sept. 12, 2024

SPO brings back outdoor concert featuring Jung Jae-il, Kyuhyun

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director Jaap van Zweden, is set to bring back its outdoor SPO Park Concert series next week. Taking place at Seoul Forest Park, the concerts will offer a repertoire beyond classical music, featuring music from megahit drama series “Squid Game” and K-pop songs, as well as a medley of children’s songs. The concert will open with the overture to Bernstein's operetta “Candide,” a lively and exhilarating piece that set

Sept. 11, 2024

Old Korean Legation building named US historic place

The US listed the Old Korean Legation in Washington as a historic place eligible for federal tax breaks for preservation Monday, the first time a Korean government-owned building has received such recognition for historical significance. In a statement Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service, the agency that filed a request for the designation in March, said the National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government’s list of buildings, site

Sept. 11, 2024

2024 BICOF to kick off focused on international exchanges in comics

The Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of the largest comics events in the nation, is slated to commence its four-day run from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6, with this year's festival placing a special emphasis on fostering international exchanges in comics. The 2024 BICOF will kick off with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m., Oct, 3, at Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony will include the Bucheon Comics Awards, an event which annually honors popular Korean comics. Accordi

Sept. 10, 2024

Cho Seong-jin, Lim Yunchan to play with world-renowned orchestras this winter in Korea

Before the year's end, world-renowned orchestras will come to South Korea and collaborate with two of the country’s most sought-after pianists: Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yunchan. Cho will take the stage with the Vienna Philharmonic from Austria in October and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany in November. The Vienna Philharmonic is to visit the country for a fourth consecutive year, this time under the baton of Andris Nelsons. The orchestra will hold concerts at the Seo

Sept. 10, 2024

So many epic performances, so few places to hold them

While K-pop continues its phenomenal growth and more people attend live performances than ever before, one issue remains unchanged from a decade ago -- the chronic shortage of concert venues. "Finding a venue is like finding a needle in a haystack," said an official from a music festival organizing agency. The official added that many performances that were originally scheduled for December to target the year-end are being pushed to January due to the shortage of venues. Another indust

Sept. 9, 2024

Chin Unsuk, Lim Yunchan recordings shortlisted for Gramophone Awards

The recordings of South Korean composer Chin Unsuk and pianist Lim Yunchan have been shortlisted for the 2024 Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Their albums were among a total of 33 recordings in the 11 categories -- three per category -- shortlisted for the award. In the piano category, Lim’s two albums have made the shortlist: "Liszt: Transcendental Etudes" and his debut album "Chopin: Etudes." "The Liszt Transcendental Etudes" contains Lim’s semifi

Sept. 9, 2024

Diva Gheorghiu's encore interruption diminishes the magic of 'Tosca'

A well-executed production featuring top opera singers ended on a sour note. On Sunday, the audience at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul erupted in applause and cheers after tenor Kim Jae-hyung's powerful rendition of the iconic aria "E lucevan le stelle" (When the stars were brightly shining) in Puccini's "Tosca," produced by the Seoul Opera Company. Kim, also known as Alfred Kim, was onstage for his second performance as Cavaradossi, Tosca's

Sept. 9, 2024

Family of late K-pop star Jonghyun launches counseling program for young artists

The family of the late SHINee member Jonghyun has launched a psychological counseling project aimed at supporting young artists through the foundation established in his memory. On Saturday, the Shiny Foundation introduced its latest initiative, Youth Meetup, to promote the mental well-being of young artists. The announcement was made via the foundation’s official social media accounts. In a video accompanying the launch, Jonghyun’s older sister Kim So-dam, who also serves as a direc

Sept. 8, 2024

Seongsu-dong to host first-ever World Webtoon Festival

South Korea is set to host its first-ever global webtoon festival and awards ceremony, highlighting the country's leading role in the growing global popularity of webtoons, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Sunday. The 2024 World Webtoon Festival will run from Sept. 26 to 29 at various venues across Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The festival will kick off with the 2024 World Webtoon Awards on the opening day at S-Factory in Seongsu-dong, a retail, event and cultu

Sept. 8, 2024

[What to attend] 'The Golden Chaos Club,' 'Hadestown,' 'Yujin and Yujin'

Though many want to spend more time outdoors as the summer heat subsides this month, be sure not to miss these musical productions that are closing soon. "The Golden Chaos Club" offers a fun and entertaining experience, while "Hadestown" captivates audiences of all ages with its powerful music. "Yujin and Yujin" explores the healing process and offers hope for those facing trauma. The Golden Chaos Club: A fun show on forbidden things "The Golden Chaos Club

Sept. 7, 2024

Leading summer festival BBC Proms to arrive in Korea this winter

The Korean edition of BBC Proms, a leading summer festival that takes place in London, is set to launch in Korea this winter. From Dec. 2 to 8, BBC Proms Korea, organized by Lotte Foundation for Arts, will offer a total of eight programs, featuring top domestic and overseas artists. The festival will kick off with a concert by BBC Scotland Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) under the baton of conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, a British composer, conductor and pianist, and a collaboration with cellist Han J

Sept. 6, 2024

[Well-curated] Create custom cases, attend an art salon and play 'the floor is lava'

Customize smartphone cases at Casetify Buying new accessories for and decorating your smartphone might be some of the easiest ways to refresh your look nowadays. Though there are many unmanned stores and pop-up shops featuring smartphone-themed merchandise, pay a visit to Casetify to customize your phone covers with the inspiration-filled designs. Located at the second basement floor of The Hyundai Seoul -- the biggest department store in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, Casetify displays a wide

Sept. 6, 2024

[Eye interview] 'Imagining the possibilities gets me excited'

    What if you were given carte blanche to do anything that you desire? While that may be a dream come true for most, architect Cho Min-suk said, “I refuse to do that project.” A leading Korean architect and winner of several awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014, Cho was offered just such an opportunity 10 years ago. “Someone with means said, ‘You just make a pure, beautiful place,’” recalled Cho during an int

Sept. 5, 2024

[Exclusive] Old Korean Legation building could get historic listing Monday

The decision on whether to designate the Old Korean Legation building in Washington, DC a US historic place worthy of preservation will be made Monday, and it would be “very uncommon” to see the US National Park Service reject the proposed designation, sources confirmed to The Korea Herald. “Action will be taken on this nomination on Sept. 9,” a National Park Service official with direct knowledge of the matter said, referring to the application filed by the DC Historic P

Sept. 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] Classic Revolution with flair

For the upcoming Classic Revolution musical festival, five conductors will showcase the distinctive strengths and styles of their orchestras, including the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Incheon Philharmonic, Suwon Philharmonic and Gyeonggi Philharmonic. The festival, organized by the Lotte Foundation for Arts, has shifted its schedule from mid-summer to take place from Saturday to Wednesday this year. In line with this change, the festival's focus has shifted from individual composers to high

Sept. 4, 2024

Hansae Yes24 Foundation kicks off music initiative with baritone Benjamin Appl

After focusing on Southeast Asia’s literature and arts as well as supporting students for 10 years, the Hansae Yes24 Foundation announced it is expanding its scope to classical music, the German lied in particular. For the inaugural concert, "Winterreise in Summer," the foundation presents German baritone Benjamin Appl, who will perform Schubert’s "Winterreise" D. 911, a song cycle set to 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Muller. The 42-year-old vocalist said that

Sept. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Abel Quartet to thrill with complete cycle of Mendelssohn string quartets

The Abel Quartet, like many musicians around the world, faced a pivotal moment at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The members, who were based in Vienna, Austria, returned to their home country, South Korea, for a performance, only to find themselves unable to go back to Vienna due to the lockdown there. The quartet found itself in a unique position: the small ensemble was just the right size to take to the stage at a time when many orchestral performances were canceled and many quartets had

Sept. 2, 2024