Tonight’s Storm and Stress evening at Goldsmiths: if I’d been playing Beethoven in a bin bag on such a hot and sweaty evening, I’d have been a bit stressed too http://bit.ly/jyQ9i #. But it was different, and unexpected. [Read More]
Music (page 89)
Learn Samulnori with Dulsori
Don’t miss a rare chance to learn and experience the fun you can have playing samulnori percussion. Over the past few years Korean percussion group Dulsori have had a regular slot in the SOAS music summer school teaching percussion for a week. This year they’ve gone independent, and will be giving weekly classes over an … [Read More]
Ku Hyeyoung’s black-clad performances
At the opening of the Crossfields exhibition last week at the KCC Ku Hyeyoung treated us to a preview of a performance she is doing with Kora Terao next week at Goldsmiths. Dressed in a dramatic black creation she stood under a muslin-covered chandelier like an animated statue, declaiming, miming, performing to the music of … [Read More]
Konglish in K-pop
Does Epik High have the same language coach as the Wonder Girls? “-t you” ≠ “choo” #(Epik High: No reason to live withow choo / Wonder Girls: I want nobody nobody bah choo) [Read More]
The LKL Korea Trip 2009 pt 7: Korea House
Tuesday 21 July 2009 A slowish start to the day. Too much alcohol and food (and salt?) the previous evening, plus the heat and humidity of the Busan weather, meant that sleep did not come easily. A brief tube ride to Busan Station to the KTX for Seoul. On the Busan subway, a whim makes … [Read More]
Qi Masters in Broadgate Circle and the Scoop
Details of two upcoming outdoor events in the City, sponsored by the Innersound Foundation Sunday 19th July 2009 – 1:00pm-2:00pm at “The Scoop” Riverside – Near Tower Bridge Monday 20th July 2009 – 12:30pm & 5.45pm at The Broadgate Circle – Nearest Tube: Liverpool St AN ANCIENT ENERGY DANCE Qi Masters from South Korea are … [Read More]
Park Jae-eun’s Arirang: UK Premiere
An unexpected event at the Cadogan Hall tomorrow night, Friday 10 July. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Korean conductor Lee Young-chil, will perform Park Jae-eun’s Arirang – “a lovers’ song of separation and longing”. The main items in the programme are Tchaikovsky’s fiddle concerto and fifth symphony. Unfortunately the Cadogan Hall website … [Read More]
Meehyun Ahn at the Wigmore
Notice of a sparkling piano recital by Korean pianist Meehyun Ahn, this Sunday 12 July at the Wigmore Hall at 7:30pm. Meehyun Ahn (안미현) has been described as one of the leading pianists of her generation “with skilled and artistic excellence” who has been influenced by the traditional Russian school of pianism. Her solid and … [Read More]
Yoon Bok-hee: a Korean Kitten in Kingston
“Aigoo!” grumbled veteran pop diva Yoon Bok-hee as she bent down to untangle a kink in the microphone cable. Her back didn’t seem to be giving her any problems though. She told us twice, to much applause, that she is now 63 years old, and very sprightly she is too. This was all part of … [Read More]
Yoon Bok-hee comes to Kingston
Koreans seem to keep some of their favourite stars well hidden from the West. Google singer Yoon Bok-hee in English, and you don’t find much. The Kpopwiki is able to provide a discography but no biography, while the occasional article in the Korea Times mention her only in passing: recently for performing the role of … [Read More]
Concert notes: a Chunghyang operatic evening at the KCC
Sol Opera Company has just been on a European tour, and before it goes back to Korea it came to the Korean Cultural Centre to present some arias. Sol O pera Company is based in Busan, and was introduced to the audience by the ROK ambassador, himself a Busanite. Sol has been going for seven … [Read More]
Tomi Kita – In Dreamz
Review by Saharial Tomi Kita: In Dreamz Pony Canyon Records, 2008 Having seen them perform at ‘The Peel’ and the Dano festival last year I succumbed to the temptation of buying the one album available at Yesasia.com. ‘In Dreamz’, released in February 2008, is Tomi Kita’s third album and consists of 14 tracks all composed … [Read More]
Korea’s got talent
While Britons were focused on their own domestic talent competition last week, Korea was demonstrating the depth of its classical music talent at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. The venue was the Palais des Beaux Arts, where earlier this year the Smile of Buddha exhibition was held. The Queen Elisabeth competition traces … [Read More]
Excerpts from Chunhyang: the Opera, at the KCC
Many of you will be familiar with the tale of Chunhyang as a pansori performance, and maybe you were introduced to it by Im Kwon-taek’s famous film of the same name. The story has been interpreted in dance by Ahn Eun-me, and Hyun Je-myeong has created a western-style opera out of it. Excerpts from this … [Read More]
Map the Soul – a revolution for the music industry
Saharial shows her appreciation for the way in which hip-hop group Epik High’s new album is marketed: international fans are included, and even welcomed. On 21 March 2009, a website went live and promptly crashed under the weight of 300,000 hits. It was unexpected, but the kind of unexpected that you almost hope for in … [Read More]
Min-jin Kym at the Wigmore
News of Min-jin Kym’s violin recital at the Wigmore tomorrow evening, 23 May. Min-Jin Kym violin Ian Brown piano Stravinsky Suite italienne arr. from Pulcinella for violin & piano Beethoven Violin Sonata in A Op. 30 No. 1 Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Op. 78 Bartók Rhapsody No. 1 The distinguished duo, Min-Jin … [Read More]