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Rewriting Shim Cheong as requiem for sacrificed daughters
In Korean folklore, Shim Cheong is the very embodiment of filial devotion — so much so that she is often called “hyonyeo (filial daughter) Sim Cheong.” In the tale, she sells herself to sailors as a human sacrifice to calm the sea, the payment in rice to be offered to Buddha so that her blind father might see again. The story takes a miraculous turn: Moved by her filial piety, the Dragon King of the Sea saves her, sending her back to the surface in a lotus blossom. She is discovered by a king wh
Sept. 2, 2025 -
Arete Quartet wins second prize at Banff International String Quartet Competition
The Arete Quartet became the first Korean string quartet ever to reach the finals and win a prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition. The group claimed second place on Sunday at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada. From the nine ensembles selected for the competition's 15th edition, Arete Quartet advanced through four rounds to earn a place among the top three finalists. In the final, they performed Britten’s "Three Divertimenti for String Quartet," the
Sept. 1, 2025 -
Monthlong date with Hong Kong's arts in Seoul
This fall, some of Hong Kong’s leading performing arts companies will be in Seoul for “Hong Kong Week 2025 @Seoul,” a monthlong festival of dance, music and visual culture. The festival will take place Sept. 26-Oct. 25 at major venues across the capital, including the Seoul Arts Center and the National Theater of Korea. Dance will anchor the program, with five productions highlighting Hong Kong’s distinct identity and its place in contemporary choreography. The festival opens with the Hong Kong
Aug. 31, 2025 -
Daegu’s longstanding opera tradition continues with 22nd festival
Daegu, designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music, will host the 22nd Daegu International Opera Festival next month under the theme “Per Sempre” — Italian for “forever.” The theme reflects the enduring beauty and immortality of art, underscoring opera’s timeless ability to inspire and move audiences, according to the Daegu Opera House on Friday. At the heart of this year’s festival are four full-scale opera productions that embody the festival’s message of immortality and resonance. The curtain
Aug. 29, 2025 -
In the wake of falling petals, KNB ballet master contemplates life, seasons, poetry of movement
On a small circular dance floor, cherry blossom petals are painted to resemble a lake carpeted with drifting blooms. A female dancer moves daintily, like a single petal falling, her arms and dress fluttering with the grace of the wind. Two male dancers circle her like playful breezes, sometimes hovering like birds or like spirits guiding the petals’ flight. Set to the sweet, delicate strains of the gayageum, or traditional Korean zither, each note is plucked with deliberate care as the scene fro
Aug. 28, 2025 -
Philippe Herreweghe 'always discovers something new in Bach'
Philippe Herreweghe, renowned conductor and pioneer of early music, has conducted Bach’s Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, nearly 200 times over his career. Regardless, he always finds something new in Bach's monumental work, which he and Collegium Vocale Gent are set to present in Korea in September, marking their first time presenting the piece here in 19 years. "I and the outstanding Collegium Vocale Gent have performed and also recorded probably most of Bach's works, but Mass in B Minor is one of it
Aug. 27, 2025 -
Back to Bach: September promises a rich Baroque revival
This September, Korea’s concert halls will echo with Baroque music performed as it was three centuries ago. The month offers an exceptional number of historically informed performances, with period instruments and authentic styles recreating the sound world of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and more. The Baroque era of the 17th and 18th centuries was a transformative period in Western music. Tonal harmony took shape, new instrumental forms such as the concerto, suite and sonata flourished, and opera esta
Aug. 27, 2025 -
Baek Yoonhak, the conductor with logic in mind, music in motion
For much of his youth — from his years at a magnet science high school to engineering studies at Seoul National University — one plus one was simply two. What changed conductor Baek Yoonhak’s path, however, was something unmathematical. When he joined his university choir, singing and conducting felt like more than an addition; it was the creation of something new. "It’s hard to explain," he said, "but it felt like being the main character in a movie (when conducting in front of the choir). I ju
Aug. 26, 2025 -
'Sleep No More' invites boldest to uncover hidden tales
In a dimly lit bedroom, you become witness to the most secretive moments of the characters before you. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth whirl in a frenzied dance, consumed by vaulting ambition, right before your eyes. Swayed by her seduction, he storms out of the room to carry out murder, while she remains behind, alone with her madness. Some masked audience members slip after Macbeth, tracing his descent into bloody deeds. Others stay with Lady Macbeth, captivated by her unhinged solitude. Still others
Aug. 26, 2025 -
Traditional music theater festival celebrates timeless heritage of Korea, China, Japan
A festival bringing together heritage-based musical theater from Korea, China and Japan will open next month in Seoul when the National Theater of Korea inaugurates the World Traditional Opera Festival, running Sept. 3-28. The festival will center on changgeuk, a relatively young performing arts genre in Korea often described as a counterpart of opera. It developed out of pansori -- a traditional form of narrative singing recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The word
Aug. 25, 2025 -
Conductor David Reiland leads Korean National Symphony Orchestra for the final time
The Korean National Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Artistic Director David Reiland, will present a concert featuring Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Taking place Sept. 5 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall, the concert will mark Reiland’s farewell stage after three transformative years with the orchestra. The evening opens with Brahms’ monumental Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Taking the stage will be Viktoria Mullova, winn
Aug. 25, 2025 -
Bach meets Shostakovich in Classic Revolution
Classic Revolution, the annual classical music festival organized by Lotte Concert Hall, will trace the evolution of music across generations by bringing together two towering figures -- Johann Sebastian Bach and Dmitri Shostakovich -- composers separated by more than two centuries but now united under one festival. From Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, the festival will present nine concerts, balancing orchestral and chamber music programs. This year’s edition is led by Greek violinist and conductor Leonida
Aug. 24, 2025 -
Korean original musicals with global potential
From resistance against censorship to the life of a dictator’s double and a friendship born in tragedy, the following productions — each distinct in style and subject matter — showcase the bold creativity of Korea’s musical theater with the potential to resonate on stages far beyond Korea. Few musicals capture the vibrancy of Korea’s emerging theatrical identity as vividly as “Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!” First created in 2017 as a student project at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, “Swag Age”
Aug. 23, 2025 -
Street theater returns to Myeong-dong with weekly noon performances
Every Wednesday at noon, the outdoor plaza of the National Theater Company of Korea’s Myeongdong Theater becomes a stage, bringing performances out of the theater and into the bustling heart of Seoul. With some 70,000 to 80,000 people passing through the shopping hub of Myeong-dong daily, the National Theater Company is making use of the location’s unique setting to revive street theater, a genre that has largely faded in Korea since the 1990s. Its new program, Midday Theater in Myeong-dong, wil
Aug. 22, 2025 -
Ancient folklore of nine-tailed fox comes to life in new ballet work
The M Ballet Company, which has steadily developed original works rooted in Korean themes, will premiere its new production, “Gumiho,” on Saturday at Sowol Art Hall in Seongdong District, Seoul. The premiere marks the company’s first new ballet in five years. In 2020, it introduced “May Wind,” inspired by the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, and in 2015 staged the full-length ballet “An Jung-geun: A Dance in Heaven,” based on the life of the Korean independence activist. This time, the company
Aug. 22, 2025