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Inside ‘One Dance’ where one mistake steals the spotlight
In a rehearsal studio ahead of their latest run, every detail is under scrutiny. The dancers adjust not only the tilt of their heads but also the direction of their gaze, aligning with each other down to the millimeter. They calibrate the angle of a prop, the slope of a shoulder, the spacing of rows and columns, as if drawing invisible straight lines across the floor. Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater’s “One Dance” (“Ilmu” in Korean) returns this weekend to the Sejong Center for the Performing Ar
Aug. 21, 2025 -
Pianist Yefim Bronfman celebrates 50th anniversary with Korean audiences
After more than two decades and his 2023 collaboration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Seoul, internationally acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman returns to Korea for a long-awaited solo recital. The 67-year-old pianist, born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union, and now a US citizen, will perform at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul on Sept. 21. This recital coincides with Bronfman's 50th anniversary as a performer. The program for Sept. 21 bridges romantic traditio
Aug. 20, 2025 -
Minho revisits his first theater role in ‘Waiting for Waiting for Godot’
A year after his stage debut was cut short, SHINee’s Choi Minho is stepping back into the role that first introduced him to theater. Choi will once again play Val in “Waiting for Waiting for Godot,” opening Sept. 16 in Seoul's Daehangno. The production is an homage to Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic “Waiting for Godot.” Written by American playwright Dave Hanson, the comedy centers on two overlooked understudies, Esther and Val, who find themselves trapped backstage, endlessly waiting for the
Aug. 20, 2025 -
'For me, performing is like breathing': pianist Paik Hae-sun
Pianist Paik Hae-sun, who has balanced her dual career as a soloist and educator, will reunite with the Belgian National Orchestra at its Korean debut next month. She last performed with the orchestra when she won fourth place at the 1991 Queen Elisabeth Competition, which is still the highest result for a South Korean pianist, matched only by Han Ji-ho in 2016. Since then, Paik, 60, has carved out a distinguished career: she became a laureate of nearly every major international competition she
Aug. 19, 2025 -
Eyes say everything in Seoul Metropolitan Ballet double bill
It was only a five-minute rehearsal. But when ballet dancer Choi Young-gyu placed one hand on his hip and stepped into the sharp, pulsing rhythm of a tango, the effect was unmistakable. His gaze carried the intensity of the dance, his chemistry with his partner was evident, and his stage presence came through even in the briefest of moments. The glimpse gave a hint of things to come at Seoul Metropolitan Ballet’s double bill, opening Friday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and runnin
Aug. 19, 2025 -
Violinists Gil Shaham, Adele Anthony to show synergy on Seoul stage
Violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony have long cherished performing side by side, sharing stages around the world as both musical partners and life companions. On Aug. 26, the couple will appear together in Korea for the first time, joining Sejong Soloists’ acclaimed "Hic et Nunc!" series in Seoul. The program will feature two double violin concertos with Sejong Soloists: Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 and Avner Dorman’s Concerto for Two Violins, "Nigun of the Birds,” wh
Aug. 18, 2025 -
Young and now: KBS Symphony brings Gen-Z energy to classical stage
Once seen as formal and old-fashioned, classical music in Korea is drawing younger fans through YouTube, social media and fresh programming. The buzzword “classic-hip” captures the shift — classical is now “today’s music.” Reflecting this, the KBS Symphony Orchestra will feature soloists born in the 1990s in four concerts in the second half of this year, pairing them with renowned conductors. In November, it will also present a concert with the newly crowned winner of the International Chopin Pi
Aug. 16, 2025 -
Kim Soo-ha returns to West End with 'Swag Age' — in hanbok and in Korean
Musical stage performer Kim Soo-ha recently achieved what many actors in the field dream of -- playing Mimi in “Rent,” Eurydice in “Hadestown,” Aida in “Aida” and Eponine in “Les Miserables,” and winning two best actress awards at the Korean Musical Awards for her role as Mimi in 2021 and Eurydice in 2024. She also won the best new female talent in 2021 for her role as Jin in "Swag Age" in 2020, which marked her Korean debut. This September, the 31-year-old will return to London’s West End -- wh
Aug. 14, 2025 -
‘Little Mermaid’ dancers trade fins for legs, learn to walk for the first time
Cho Yeon-jae, returning to the role for a second time after last year’s premiere, and Kim Byeol, making her debut after understudying, will perform the drama ballet from Wednesday to Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center.
Aug. 13, 2025 -
When light embraces classical music
A new classical festival running Aug. 8-24 at Theatre des Lumieres in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, invites audiences to immerse themselves in music and visuals alike. Led by soprano Hong Hye-ran as artistic director, Classic Weekends presents eight performances that marry live music with large-scale media art projections. The venue, located within the Walkerhill Hotel complex, is a 4,958-square-meter space with a 21-meter ceiling, equipped to project 360-degree visuals across its walls and ceilin
Aug. 11, 2025 -
Gwanghwamun to become dance stage for late summer nights
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will transform Gwanghwamun Square into a vast open-air dance floor for the 2025 Sejong Summer Festival, set to run from Aug. 28-31. This year’s lineup spans shuffle dance, Korean contemporary choreography, street dance, and swing and jazz, with each evening devoted to a distinct genre. The festivities kick off on Aug. 28 with “Funk & Shuffle Night,” pairing high-energy shuffle moves with acrobatic breakdance to live funk rhythms. Leading the charge will
Aug. 8, 2025 -
Two dancers collide in dance about 'uri' -- us and cages that confine
When dancer-choreographers Haeni and Kristian Mensa, who goes by the stage name Mr. Kriss, walked into the rehearsal studio for their interview, it was hard not to notice that both were dressed in earth-toned brown tops and baggy pants. Asked if they had coordinated for the shoot, they laughed. It was pure coincidence — and not for the first time. “Yeah, everything. We don’t need to speak, but we are connected,” the two said in near unison. The two artists first met in Seoul in early 2024, intro
Aug. 8, 2025 -
Three-way concert to explore depth of the male voice
Three internationally acclaimed Korean male vocalists — bass Youn Kwang-chul, 60, bass-baritone Samuel Youn, 54, and baritone Kim Gi-hoon, 33 — are set to share the stage for a rare joint concert later this month. Titled “Sing Low and Soft,” the performance will spotlight the richness of low male voices in a landscape often dominated by sopranos and tenors. The first half of the concert features arias by Mozart, Verdi and Wagner, with piano accompaniment. Among those pieces each singer will perf
Aug. 5, 2025 -
Enjoy summer nights with traditional music at Umyeonsan Music Festival
The National Gugak Center is bringing traditional Korean music outdoors this summer with the 2025 Umyeonsan Music Festival, held every Saturday evening Aug. 23 through Sept. 20 at its outdoor Yeonhui Madang stage. A flagship seasonal event, the festival offers a romantic escape from urban life, filling summer nights with traditional Korean music and performances that bridge past and present. On Aug. 23, the festival opens with "A Tiger from Mudeungsan Is Here?," an original folk play by the Gwan
Aug. 5, 2025 -
'Sleep No More' brings immersive ‘Macbeth’-inspired noir to Seoul
The immersive theater sensation "Sleep No More" has arrived in Seoul, launching preview performances ahead of its official premiere on Aug. 21. A hypnotic, wordless reimagining of Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" set in a 1930s noir universe, the production transforms the historic Daehan Cinema in Chungmuro into the McKithan Hotel, a sprawling, dimly lit labyrinth built exclusively for the show. The experience draws additional inspiration from classic noir films, particularly the works of Alfred Hitchcoc
Aug. 3, 2025