I’m looking forward to this particular seminar at SOAS. Andrew Killick’s book on Hwang Byungki is published by Ashgate (September 2013). You can read LKL’s 2010 interview with Hwang Byungki here. Hwang Byungki: Traditional Music and the Contemporary Composer in the Republic of Korea Andrew Killick (University of Sheffield) Date: 17 October 2014, 5:15 – … [Read More]
Music (page 62)
The Massive reports from this week’s UKISS gig
Many of us were torn on Wednesday between the IRIS screening with Q&A at the Curzon Soho and the UKISS concert at the Forum. Those who chose to go to screening instead of the gig should see what they missed by reading the Korean Class Massive’s review of the evening. They’ve got some great photos … [Read More]
Film music concert in memory of the Sewol victims
Nicely coinciding with the KCC’s focus on film music this quarter, there is a concert of film music dedicated to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster in New Malden this Saturday. London Film Music Concert D&P Ensemble (Director Byung-Yun YU) Saturday, 27 Sep 2014 7:30PM NEW MALDEN METHODIST CHURCH 49 High St, New Malden … [Read More]
Cho Young-wuk to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra in his “Oldboy Suite”
At the time of writing, according to the KCC website there are just 3 seats left for the Oldboy screening on Thursday. But people who have booked will have received an email to remind them that if they don’t turn up promptly their seat will be given to people on the waiting list. Whatever, if … [Read More]
Jasmine Choi plays Yiruma
A pretty tune by Korean crossover composer Yiruma (이루마), arranged for flute and piano by Hugh Sung. It comes from Jasmine Choi’s album of Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Trio: The whole CD is available on iTunes | Amazon.com [Read More]
The Seoul Philharmonic – a young orchestra with “an extraordinary sense of adventure”
On 27 August, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra made its Proms debut, the first Korean orchestra to play at the famous music festival. At the Pre-Prom talk earlier that evening across the road at the Royal College of Music, Michael Fine and Hyunjin Park of the Seoul Philharmonic, and Dr Haekyung Eom of Liverpool University, talked … [Read More]
Clarice Eun-hae Ok interview: bringing a film to its completion with music
Music director Clarice Eun-hae Ok discusses her path into film scoring, close collaboration with director Oh In-chun, and the creation of Mourning Grave’s music. She explains how motifs, instrumentation, and the balance of acoustic and electronic sounds shape horror, romance, pacing, and emotional memory within a multi-genre narrative. [Read More]
UKISS at the Kentish Town Forum
So the first, and maybe the only, big live K-pop event in London this year is UKISS, at the Forum, a 2,300 capacity venue in Kentish Town, on 24 September. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. [Read More]
DJ Joonki’s K-pop mash-up
For those of you who couldn’t make it to the opening event of the Korean Artists Association residency on 12 August, here’s the DJ set from Joonki, via his YouTube channel. He was only alotted 5 minutes, but did pretty well to cover 30 years of K-pop. I’d like to hear something a bit longer … [Read More]
Leodo: Paradise Lost — Norian Maro returns to the Fringe
Here’s the official press release for Norian Maro’s 2014 Edinburgh Fringe production Leodo: Paradise Lost. The show has developed out of last year’s production, Pudasi, which LKL reviewed here. The Stage has already given this year’s upgraded version a four-star review: “The talented seven-member ensemble never flags in energy, choreographic skill or audience engagement” The … [Read More]
The Seoul Philharmonic at the BBC Proms – with a Proms Plus intro
The Seoul Philharmonic will be at the BBC Proms under their music director Myung-Whun Chung on 27 August. The programme includes work by Korean composer Unsuk Chin. The Prom is preceded by a free talk in the Royal College of Music, 5:45pm-6:30pm, hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny, focusing on the orchestra and … [Read More]
K-pop world festival 2014
I’m sure you’ve all heard about this from sources more K-pop focused than LKL, but just in case… Deadline for entries is 20 August. K-pop World Festival 2014 The chance to perform on stage to tens of thousands, shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best idols in K-Pop, could all be yours with the KBS K-Pop … [Read More]
Jasmine Choi premieres Songbird’s Journey – a flute concerto composed for her
LKL has always been a fan of Jasmine Choi (최나경) – and not just because she was our first interview with a classical musician, over 5 years ago. She had an excellent Wigmore debut, has released four solo CDs and recorded her fifth last month. She has now had a new flute concerto composed for … [Read More]
“Jazz” in the DPRK: Autumn Whispers and the forbidden fruit of Richard Clayderman
I’ve just finished reading Jang Jin-sung’s memoir, Dear Leader. It’s a real page-turner that will appeal to many types of readers, including people who like a good adventure story (the passages describing Jang’s evasion of Chinese and North Korean security forces once he has fled from the North Korean capital are genuinely exciting) and of … [Read More]
A special offer on Ensemble Sinawi for LKL readers
Enjoying Seoul in the City so far? Me too. I’m not sure we’ll get around to reviewing everything on LKL, but Matthew’s account of Sir Robert Harris’s talk on UK-Korea relations, and Colette’s review of Andersen’s Gazes, will both be posted soon. There’s plenty more to come, but I wanted to share with you a … [Read More]
Ensemble Sinawi in Artist Talk: Think in Performance
As part of the Seoul in the City strand of the City of London Festival, SOAS is hosting an evening of performance and instruction with Korean fusion band Ensemble Sinawi. The ensemble is performing at LSO St Luke’s on the previous evening, 8 July. Artist Talk: Think In Performance Beyond Borders: Re-creating Pansori in the … [Read More]