I’d be interested to hear if any Seoulites who happen to visit this site went to hear the King’s College Choir at the Seoul Arts Centre on Saturday. Not cheap, at up to 120,000 won per ticket. Part of the magic of King’s is the acoustic of the chapel itself and the very English sound … [Read More]
Category: Western classical music (page 27)
Selected publications
- Min Kym: Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung, Viking 2017
- Nicholas Harkness: Songs of Seoul: An Ethnography of Voice and Voicing in Christian South Korea, University of California Press 2013
- Kim Choon-mee: Harmonia Koreana: A Short History of 20th century Korean Music, Hollym 2011
Sumi Jo and Dong Suk Kang at Cadogan Hall
While Western classical music is outside my self-imposed remit, I thought I’d pass on news of an upcoming recital at the Cadogan Hall (5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ) on 14 December featuring soprano mega-star Jo Sumi with violinist Kang Dong-suk and two pianists, Pascal Devoyon and Vincenzo Scalera. Details on the Cadogan Hall website. … [Read More]
Think Korea 2006 – the Jae-Eun Park Ensemble
Details of an unusual event as part of Think Korea 2006: Jae-Eun Park Ensemble with City of London Sinfonia Date : 27 – 29 October 2006 Venue : SOAS & St Giles Cripplegate Programme October 27, 7:30 pm The Harmony within East & West City of London Sinfonia Dominic Wheeler, Conductor Transformation for Orchestra by … [Read More]
Sunwook Kim triumphs at Leeds piano competition
Thanks to Aidan Foster-Carter for the following: It was a notable night for Korea at the finals of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition 2006. Held triennially, this is one of the world’s leading prizes. Past winners include Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Dmitri Alexeev, and Artur Pizarro. To those illustrious names, add Sunwook Kim (above): at … [Read More]
London Korean Ensemble plays St Margaret’s Westminster
I just happened to spot this browsing Time Out yesterday. A drive-time concert of Mozart, Bizet and Piazzola at St Margaret’s Westminster today. I’m not sure what mix of instruments they are (presumably they include an accordionist given the Piazzola?). Go along and find out, at 6pm. Tickets £7 (concessions £5) from 020 7121 6604 … [Read More]
Think Korea: Sarah Chang at the Barbican
A classical concert as part of Think Korea 2006, featuring one of Korea’s best-known violinists: Sarah Chang plays Bruch 19:30, 2 July 2006 Barbican Centre | Silk Street | London EC2Y 8DS Programme Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor Bartok Concerto for Orchestra Sarah Chang – Violin London Symphony Orchestra Mikko Frank Conductor … [Read More]
Danoje: an enjoyable but slightly baffling event from Think Korea
If you had read the blurb on the Bloomsbury Theatre website you might have been expecting two seperate pieces to be on the programme at the NewRa Dance Company’s performance: a performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring; and a performance of a Korean springtime ritual. Here’s the material from the Bloomsbury site, which was repeated … [Read More]
Photos of Danoje: springtime rites at the Bloomsbury
After my lacklustre snaps of Lee Soo Young at the Fairfield Hall on May 1st, I thought it was time I entered the 21st century, and persuaded Louise that we needed a pocket digital camera for my birthday. Last night was its first outing in the service of this site. In case anyone’s interested, they … [Read More]
Think Korea: Rites of Spring, at the Bloomsbury Theatre
A fusion of Western and Korean dance, and Western and Korean music in an imaginative reconstruction of the Korean Springtime rites of Danoje: The Rites of Spring 7:30 pm, 13-15 June 2006 The Bloomsbury Theatre |15 Gordon Street | London WC1H 0AH | www.thebloomsbury.com In 2005, Gangneung Danoje was registered by UNESCO as Masterpieces of … [Read More]
Review: RPO Korea Fantasy, 1 May 2006
This year we celebrate the 250th birthday of Mozart, the 100th of Shostakovich, and less known, the 100th of Ahn Eak-tae (right, picture from the Chosun Ilbo), Korea’s best-known 20th century composer in the Western classical tradition. Probably his most famous work is the Korea Fantasy, a 25-30 minute work for chorus and orchestra, from … [Read More]
Coming Soon
It’s going to take me a while to digest yesterday’s concert in the Fairfield Hall, but it’s going to get a thumbs up. In the meanwhile, I share with you a snapshot (apologies for the poor quality – it was taken, Korean-style, with a mobile phone) of Lee Soo-young, Kim Young-im and Joo Hyung-ki leading … [Read More]
Frustration at more examples of poor Korean organisation
Thanks to Hyun-ho Khang for letting me know about a Korean performance by the Royal Philharmonic at the Fairfield Halls on the Mayday bank holiday. And absolutely no marks to the organisers of Think Korea 2006 and the Fairfield Halls for not publishing the programme. The RPO’s website doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of the … [Read More]
A Scent of Eastern wind: music at St James’s Piccadilly
At very short notice I head of a Korean classical music fusion concert entitled “Scent of Eastern Wind” at St James’s Piccadilly on 6 April 2006. I approached the concert with some trepidation, being nervous about the blending of eastern and western instruments, particularly in playing western music. I was partly right. The least successful … [Read More]
Elevator music leads to defection
To many it’s the sort of music one would endure all sorts of hardship to get away from — but to a talented North Korean pianist it was a revelation which led him to defect to the South. Yes, it’s the easy-listening grooves of Richard Clayderman which inspired the conversion. It says something about the … [Read More]
Lim Hyung-joo, popera sensation
An article from the Korea Times which I’m posting in full as it seems to have disappeared off their website. Popera Star Lim Sings Colors of Korea in New Album ‘Lotus’ by Han Eun-jung Korea Times, 11 October 2005 Little was known of the boy who walked on stage to deliver the national anthem at … [Read More]
Favourite Classics, at St Giles in the Fields
A classical concert as part of the London Korean Festival: Favourite Classics Wednesday 11 May 2005, 7:30pm St. Giles in the Fields We proudly present our Classical music evening performed by emerging Korean musicians based in the UK. sponsored by Felixtowe International College Programme Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.5 in G minor Dvorak – Last … [Read More]