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The Royal Ballet brings its 'best' to Seoul with snapshot of classics, heritage, world premiere
The Royal Ballet of Britain is making its long-awaited return to Korea this weekend at the LG Arts Center with the world-renowned company’s first official gala in Seoul since 2005. “We’re delighted to share the Royal Ballet of today with you,” said Kevin O’Hare, artistic director of the company since 2012, during a press conference Wednesday. “The program is full of excerpts from some of our greatest works that are all linked to our repertoire. It’s a snapshot of the Royal Ballet today.” Titled
July 2, 2025 -
Meet writer Bernard Werber on classical music stage
French science fiction writer Bernard Werber is no stranger to Korean readers, having sold more than 12.5 million copies of his works in Korea since the publication of the Korean-language edition of “Empire of the Ants” in 1993. Next month, however, his encounter with Korean audiences will take place on stage at a classical music concert when Werber takes part in the world premiere of Korean composer Kim Texu’s “Chimeric Suite.” In fact, Kim wrote the piece based on Werber’s 2023 novel “Le Temps
July 2, 2025 -
Soundtracks take center stage in monthlong festival with 27 orchestral concerts
A festival dedicated to the soundtracks of beloved films, animation, musicals and games will offer a diverse range of performances for audiences of all ages. From July 19 to Aug. 14, the Lotte OST Festival will present 27 performances, featuring both popular repertoire and programs new to the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. For the first time, young fans of "Catch Teenieping," the popular South Korean magical-girl animated franchise that includes the series "Shooting Star Catch!
July 1, 2025 -
Three murders in one room - how 'Capone Trilogy' found greater success in Seoul
Room 661 of Chicago’s Lexington Hotel bears witness to three murders -- each a decade apart. In 1923, 1933 and 1943, blood is spilled behind the same closed door. These crimes unfold in "The Capone Trilogy," a trio of interconnected noir plays -- “Loki,” “Lucifer” and “Vindici” -- that together form a chilling omnibus. Though the infamous mob boss Al Capone never steps onstage, his shadow lingers over the blood-soaked carpet and in every corner, as heavy, oppressive air hangs over the room. Brit
July 1, 2025 -
Lee Hee-moon's glam journey through folk songs -- in heels and hanbok
Clad in sparkling high heels, short tights and a shock of brightly colored wigs, Lee Hee-moon stepped onto the stage in full glam and earned such nicknames as “The Gugak Rebel” or “The Joseon Hedwig.” But to focus on his flamboyant costuming alone is to miss the larger picture. Onstage, Lee moves with the magnetism of a pop star and the ritualistic presence of a folk priest. Collaborating across genres, from jazz and hip-hop to techno, disco and trot, he bends and reshapes Korean folk music into
June 30, 2025 -
An invitation to 'Weird and Wonderful Land' of folk songs
This July, the National Theater of Korea extends an unusual invitation: a summer journey to a “Weird Land of Folk Songs.” The 2025 edition of the annual monthlong Yeowoorak Festival (short for “Here is Our Music” in Korean) is the National Theater's signature summer series, known for dismantling genre boundaries while celebrating the rich textures of Korean traditional music. Since its debut in 2010, Yeowoorak has drawn more than 82,000 attendees. Running from Friday to July 26, this year’s fest
June 30, 2025 -
The July Festival, born in pianist’s home, expands across Korea
A house concert that began in a pianist’s living room in 2002 and grew into an annual event, now known as “The July Festival,” will expand nationwide this year. Organized by The House Concert, the July Festival will take place daily throughout July at the Artist’s House in Daehangno, Seoul, while also reaching audiences across Korea. The festival will feature 31 performances with 237 participants, including Korea’s leading musicians such as pianists Park Jae-hong and Park Jong-hae, violinists Ki
June 30, 2025 -
‘Five Vibe’ dances on overdrive with tradition, EDM and sweat-soaked power
Charged with raw physicality, 20 male dancers clad in cargo jumpsuits deliver a performance that bites with a steely, industrial edge. Choreographed by Ye Hyo-seung, the National Dance Company’s latest production, “Five Vibe” — which premiered Thursday and runs through Sunday — feels like a cyberpunk fever dream set in a desert. It fuses traditional Korean breathwork and bodily control, resulting in an exhilarating collision of past and future. This also marks a first in the company’s 63-year-hi
June 27, 2025 -
Wit, whimsy and time’s gravity: Korean National Ballet’s Kylian Project
From evocative elegy to percussive tension and powdered-wig satire, the Korean National Ballet’s Kylian Project brings three of Jiri Kylian’s seminal works to the GS Arts Center this week through Sunday. The program includes "Forgotten Land," "Falling Angels" and the wryly humorous "Sechs Tanze" ("Six Dances"), offering a compact glimpse into the world-renowned contemporary choreographer’s remarkable range. Opening the triple bill, "Forgotten Land" unfolds against a backdrop reminiscent of aged
June 27, 2025 -
Teen pianist Kim Saehyun performs at heart of Paris
Korean pianist Kim Saehyun turned 18 on March 31. One day before his birthday, he was in Paris, receiving four awards at The Long-Thibaud International Competition — the First Grand Prize, Audience Prize, Press Jury Prize and Paris Prize. According to Warner Classics CEO Alain Lanceron, the jury chose not to award a second prize, citing the clear gap between Kim and the other finalists. Shortly after his win, Kim signed an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics. His debut album, now i
June 27, 2025 -
Teen composer Lee Hanurij reimagines Korean rhythm
Eighteen-year-old composer Lee Hanurij is set to unveil his most ambitious work yet: a 40-minute composition, more than twice the length of his previous longest piece, which ran 16 minutes. But it is not just the duration that marks new territory. This time, Lee, winner of the 2024 Bartok World Composition Competition, steps into the unfamiliar terrain of writing for a Korean traditional orchestra. “I started wanting to try writing for a Korean traditional orchestra after hearing works by school
June 26, 2025 -
Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra appoints its first-ever composers-in-residence
In a milestone move marking its 60th anniversary, the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra announced Thursday the appointment of three composers — Kim Hyun-seop, Lee Go-woon and Lee Hanurij — as its first-ever composers-in-residence. This is the first time the orchestra has introduced a residency program for composers. The initiative aims to foster long-term, collaborative partnerships with composers, enabling the creation of a sustainable repertoire. Among the three appointees, teenage comp
June 26, 2025 -
Jeon Min-chul to make Mariinsky Ballet debut as Solor in 'La Bayadere'
Ballet sensation Jeon Min-chul will make his official debut with the Mariinsky Ballet on July 17, performing the role of Solor in "La Bayadere" at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Jeon joins the company as an official guest artist and is expected to be formally named as a soloist following the performance, pending visa completion, according to the K-Global Ballet Institute. He will share the stage with Mariinsky Ballet's principal dancer Nadezhda Batoeva as Nikiya and second so
June 26, 2025 -
NY Phil’s return to Korea brings long-awaited reunions
The names New York Philharmonic, conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrated pianist Krystian Zimerman alone are enough to capture the attention of classical music lovers. But look more closely, and this week’s performances reveal something deeper: a series of long-awaited reunions between artists, between orchestra and soloist, and between the ensemble and its Korean audience. From Thursday to Saturday, the New York Philharmonic will take the stage before Korean audiences for the first
June 25, 2025 -
Vampire classic ‘Let the Right One In’ casts haunting, melancholic magic on stage
Some stories never grow old. Neither does Eli, the eternally young vampire in "Let the Right One In," the 2004 Swedish novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist that has spawned numerous adaptations -- film, television and stage. This July, the haunting tale returns to Seoul as a chilling, yet tender coming-of-age love story, just in time for the summer heat. Running from July 3 to Aug. 16 at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Theater, the Korean-language stage production makes its long-awaited retur
June 25, 2025