Progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven's compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, scientists said on Tuesday. This is an undated auction house photo of Beethoven's manuscript of the Ninth Symphony, prepared for the printer and us

Although most feel the urge to offer a helping hand to the poor and the homeless at this time of year, fewer people have been able to open their wallets due to the lingering impact of the economic downturn, unemployment and inflation over the past few years. None of this seemed to matter, however, to a gray-haired couple who made a repeat visit to the Salvation Army building in central Seoul this week to donate 200 million won (about $180,000). The couple in their 90s, who refused to disclose th

Local, global producers increasingly take part in the search for new talentWith the world-wide popularity of Korean pop music, local auditions to find new singers are becoming bigger, serving as a golden ticket for producers and musician aspirants alike. Audition programs became big in Korea following the success of “Superstar K: Season 1,” which was aired on cable channel M.net beginning July 2009. The program’s success led major broadcasters MBC and SBS to start their own programs “Star Auditi

Actress Kim Hye-ja will receive the first artist award established by the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation for her work on screen as well as charity activities, the foundation said Tuesday. Kim, the heroine of director Bong Joon-ho’s crime film “Mother,” will be the first winner of the “Beautiful Artist Award” established by the foundation this year. The Shin Young-kyun foundation was set up in October last year, based on a donation made by the veteran actor and former legislator Shin

The Korean Culture and Information Service published “K-Classics: A New Presence on the World’s Musical Stage” on Monday, as the last publication in its English-language book series for foreigners to better understand Korean culture. The fourth book highlights the growing influence of young Korean classical musicians who have been bagging top prizes at international competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth International Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The full-color

The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games Organizing Committee has been selected the winner of the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award for enhancing South Korea’s image overseas, the Corea Image Communication Institute announced Monday.Cho Yang-ho, chairman of the bid committee, will receive the prize during a ceremony on Jan. 17 at Grand Intercontinental Hotel’s Grand Ballroom in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. Willy Bogner, former chairman of the 2018 Munich Winter Olympics Bid Committee, will send a vide

Over the past four decades, the Korea Culture and Information Service has grown into an organization with 24 overseas offices, promoting the nation’s culture and image all over the world.The state-run organization held a festival on Monday to celebrate its 40th anniversary, entertaining some 400 guests from in and out of the country with photographs of Korea’s past and present, performances by K-pop stars and Korean modern dancers, and a fashion show of Korea’s traditional hanbok. The Monday’s f

Actress Lee Yoon-mi speaks on joys of sharingOf the 24 children she has all over the world, Lee Yoon-mi gave birth to only one. But to this actress, who says she has experienced the miracle of sharing many times, all 24 children are equally precious.Lee, currently the leading character in the musical “The Golden Days,” has been sponsoring the children via Compassion Korea, where she has been especially active in helping newborns to 3-year-olds. “It’s no longer an issue of me helping them. I’m th

Consumers search for natural, organic cosmetics and some make their ownFed up with factory-made cosmetics that seemed to cause skin problems, housewife Lee Yu-mi signed up for classes at a natural cosmetics workshop two months ago. “I have been free of skin troubles ever since I started using the products I made myself,” said Lee at Jullie’s Aroma, a natural cosmetics workshop in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. She and another student were busy making lavender toner and avocado emulsion at the worksh

Theater“Guess How Much I Love You”: Korean adaptation of “Guess How Much I Love You,” a musical based on children’s book of the same title by British writer Sam McBratney, is being staged once again in Seoul. The show premiered in Korea in January at Wonderspace Triangle Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, and was staged in more than eight venues nationwide, including KBS Ulsan Hall and MBC Art Hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. A story of two hares telling how much they love each other, the

‘Audition prince’ releases first albumShayne “The Gift” (Sony Music) The 19-year-old singer’s angelic voice and imperfect pronunciation might satisfy females who can’t resist younger men with a cute voice, but general music fans may be in for some disappointment with Shayne Orok’s first album. The third prize winner of MBC’s “Star Audition: Season 1” has unveiled five songs that include one composed by Yoo Hae-joon, widely known for his participation in the original soundtracks of popular TV dra

University of Hawaii professor Sohn receives 3rd Korea Foundation award As a scholar who has spent the past four decades studying his mother-tongue and language in general, professor Sohn Ho-min should know what he’s talking about when he says Korean is the world’s most superior language. “When we say Korean is superior, we are basing this on scientific examination. The Korean language’s method of making sound through a combination of vowels and consonants is very scientific and economical, even

Despite more than 100,000 Facebook fans and nearly 20 million plays on MySpace, British singer-songwriter Joe Brooks is humble enough to say he has “yet to reach the top” and is “still on his way up” at the age of 24. But when it comes to writing songs, the young musician makes it clear that he is pretty sure of what he’s doing. “It inspires me to dig below the surface and look honestly at myself,” Brooks said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. “The core of what I do is a burning need