Choi Ha-young and Song-ha: sisters with undisputed musical talent

Professional cellist and violinist siblings set to make April duo debut in Seoul What are the odds of three siblings all becoming professional musicians? The Choi sisters — Ha-im, Ha-young and Song-ha, born two years apart — not only pursued careers as professional musicians but also achieved international recognition. Among the three sisters, the two younger ones — Ha-young, 27, and Song-ha, 25 — will perform as a duo in South Korea for the first time in April. Ha-young, this year's Lotte Conce

March 12, 2025

Tchaikovsky competition winners present opera 'Rusalka'

Interview: Soprano Seo Sung-young, bass Park Jong-min and tenor Son Ji-hoon to perform Korea's second-ever production of Dvorak’s 1901 opera Antonin Dvorak’s ninth opera, "Rusalka" (1901), is his most successful and most frequently performed opera around the world. Yet, an upcoming production in Seoul will be only the second time it has been staged in South Korea, almost 10 years after its local premiere in 2016. For this one-time performance Thursday at the Seoul Arts Center, three first-prize

March 11, 2025

Pianist Paik Kun-woo completes Mozart triliogy

78-year-old musician to perform Mozart in 22 Asian cities through November Pianist Paik Kun-woo has embarked on a nationwide tour to mark the completion of his Mozart Piano Works trilogy. “Kun-Woo Paik: Mozart Piano Works 3” was released by Universal Music Wednesday. This album follows the first and second volumes, which were released in May and November 2024, respectively, completing the pianist’s long-awaited Mozart recording project. For the third album, Paik curated a repertoire centered aro

March 10, 2025

From training to the podium: Seoul Philharmonic fosters future maestros

A special concert took place Feb. 28 at Lotte Concert Hall with not one, but three conductors leading the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. On the podium were Park Keun-tae, Song Min-gyu and Harris Han Andersen, the three conductors selected by orchestra members from the eight participants of the inaugural SPO Conducting Fellowship, which also included Kim Ri-ra, Kim Jun-young, Kim Hyo-eun, Shin Ju-ya and Choi Jae-hyuck. The eight conductors participating in the five-day fellowship program were chos

March 10, 2025

Culture Ministry unveils long-term plan aimed to meet societal changes

Cultural initiatives to address regional imbalance, shrinking population, diversity The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday unveiled a long-term plan called "Culture Korea 2035" that lays out guidelines for policies going forward. The comprehensive plan with 30 key initiatives is aimed at responding to the rapidly changing environment, a shrinking and aging population and growing non-Korean demographics, the ministry said. Additionally, the ministry seeks ways to leverage Korean

March 6, 2025

Hasty move with hidden agenda or push for less bureaucracy, regional balance?

As opposition grows against Culture Ministry's plan to consolidate state arts organizations, Minister Yu In-chon hints at possible halt A group of artists, civic activists, academics and lawmakers held a press conference at the National Assembly Wednesday morning, denouncing the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's plan to establish an integrated secretariat to oversee five national arts organizations, calling it a hasty and bureaucratic decision. During a National Assembly session, the cul

March 5, 2025

Sharp violinist and warm pianist join forces for 'A New Chapter'

Violinist Lim Dongmin and pianist Choi Hyunglok explore Janacek, Poulenc, Bartok and Saariaho in duo recital Tuesday evening Violinist Lim Dongmin, described by pianist Choi Hyunlok as precise and sharp, exuding an air of cool intensity, contrasts with Choi’s own playing, which exudes warmth and fluidity. The duo, however, has found their contrasting styles create a synergy since first meeting each other last September through the KBS Young Musicians album project. “At first, I was concerned abo

March 4, 2025

Opposition grows against ministry’s plan to integrate national arts organizations

Following the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s announcement of its plan to establish an integrated secretariat to manage five national arts organizations, opposition is growing among cultural civil organizations and national arts institutions. On Friday, Cultural Action, a civic organization dedicated to culture, called for an immediate withdrawal of the plan, stating that it is being unilaterally pushed forward without discussions or public discourse within the arts community, raising

March 3, 2025

Warm, moving and fresh musicals to enjoy

There's a good chance they'll bring you to tears Don't wait for spring to bring warmth. In the lingering chill, let these three musicals warm your heart instead. These productions may be recent, but they have made their mark. "A Thousand Blues" and "The Longest Nights" are making a swift return after their successful debuts last year. Meanwhile, "Chunja in Wonderland" made its debut this month but decided to extend its run for two more months. 'A Thousand Blues' In this musical by Seoul Performi

March 1, 2025

Questions that drive Nobel laureate Han Kang in her own words

In her highly anticipated Nobel Prize lecture on Saturday, this year’s Nobel Laureate in Literature, Han Kang, shared the profound questions that have shaped her writing and reflected on the connections among her works and their readers. Delivering her lecture "Light and Thread" in Korean over 25 minutes, Han delved into the questions that compelled her to immerse herself in the creative process, often at the expense of her personal life. Writing a novel, which has taken her a

Dec. 8, 2024