Giacomo Puccini’s masterful tale of tragic love, “La Boheme” will kick off this year’s 14th annual Daegu International Opera Festival.This year’s opera festival, taking place Oct. 16 to Nov. 5 at the Daegu Opera House in North Gyeongsang Province, will feature the timeless works of Beethoven, Georges Bizet and Christoph Willibald Gluck.Highlights this year include “Fidelio,” a Korea-Germany joint production, “Orfeo ed Euridice,” “Tosca” and the finale program “Carmen,” looking to continue to exp

K-pop girl group Sistar is collaborating with Italian musician and producer Giorgio Moroder on a special project, according to the group’s management agency Starship Entertainment on Wednesday.An established name in the global music industry, the three-time Academy Award winner received his fourth Grammy Award in 2014 for his contribution to French electronic duo Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” album. In addition to working with international pop icons, Moroder wrote the official anthem for

K-pop group Secret’s member Song Ji-eun is making a return as a solo artist for the first time in two years.　The 26-year-old singer released a teaser image for her second mini album “Bobby Doll” on Secret’s official social media channels Tuesday. 　The album’s lead song -- also titled “Bobby Doll” -- is a dance track with an acoustic-based tune, according to the artist’s management agency TS Entertainment. 　 The upcoming six-track mini album features lyrics and production by in-house composer Par

In line with the 10th anniversary of its debut, K-pop global sensation Big Bang will appear on the upcoming episode of CNN’s “Talk Asia,” the group’s management company YG Entertainment said Monday.　The weekly program features in-depth conversations with prominent social, political and cultural leaders. It has interviewed individuals such as former Korean ice skater Kim Yun-a, Filipino professional boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao and Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.  In anticipation

Martin Smith, one of the top five contestant groups from the last season of Mnet’s popular music competition show “Superstar K,” has been signed by V Entertainment, according to the management agency Monday. 　“Martin Smith will be kicking off official promotional activities under the company’s management,” said V Entertainment. “The group will be unveiling its new, diverse content on both broadcast and online outlets,” it added.Founded in 2012 by Korean rock band Schizo’s lead guitarist Joo Sung

Berklee graduate singer-songwriter hopes to break out of her shell, tell rare stories in new English album ‘Gem’

Singer Se7en is one step closer to a comeback after a three-year hiatus.　“Se7en will be returning with what will most likely be a mini album,” said the performing artist’s management agency Eleven9 Entertainment on Monday. “He contributed to both songwriting and producing all of the tracks that will appear in the upcoming album.”　After a prostitution scandal in 2013 involving a visit to an adult massage parlor, the singer halted major public and broadcast appearances. He was serving his mandator

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Top-selling rock duo Daryl Hall and John Oates, known for such hits as “Out of Touch” and “Maneater,” were honored with a star on Hollywood‘s Walk of Fame on Friday.“It’s an honor to be part of the great sidewalk of fame,” Oates said during the ceremony attended by music executive Jerry Greenberg and Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart.“LA has a really special place in my memories,” he added. “We recorded three albums out here in the mid-70s. And it‘s always been a blast to com

Maestro Chung Myung-whun (Yonhap)Esteemed South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun, the former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra music director, has been appointed the honorary music director of Japan’s oldest classical orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. 　Chung officially took rein as honorary music director of the Tokyo Phil beginning Sept. 1, following a longtime relationship with the orchestra, He worked with the ensemble as a special artistic advisor from 2001 to the 2009/10 season, and

Rapper Punchnello will be making his official debut next week, the artist’s management agency HIGHGRND said Friday. 　“Punchnello has already established a name for himself in the hip-hop industry from his previous collaborations with artists like Sik-K and Penomeco,” said HIGHGRND, a sub-label managed by Epik High’s Tablo under YG Entertainment, in a statement.Recently, the musician -- along with rhythm and blues singer Crush -- was featured on Penomeco’s latest single track “For You,” which has

First generation K-pop boy band Sechs Kies unveiled the official poster for its upcoming two days of concerts.　Released via the official blog of the group’s management agency YG Entertainment on Friday, the image features five of the original six members. 　All concertgoers will be gifted yellow balloons and notebooks to align with Sechs Kies’ official color theme. 　YG Entertainment also announced that the performance will feature animation clips produced in collaboration with Lee Jae-jin, known

Pop Music“Andra Day”: American rhythm and blues artist Andra Day, who was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards, will be performing in Korea on Sept. 23 at the Yes 24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul. The singer-songwriter soul diva, with hit songs like “City Burns,” originally rose to fame with her groove-filled covers of songs by Eminem, Jessie J, Florence and the Machine and Lionel Richie. Her debut LP “Cheers to the Fall,” which contains a rich blend of doo-wop, jazz

Joanna Connor“Six String Stories”(M.C. Records)"Six String Stories" is her first studio album in 14 years, but thousands of gigs in the interim have only enriched Chicago-based Joanna Connor’s fierce guitar skills and expressive, bluesy vocals.Written mostly with longtime bandmate Marion Lance Lewis, Connor goes from blues to rock to near-gospel and back in a striking mix.The time off to raise a daughter has sharpened Connor’s songwriting while also enhancing her dynamic range -- the powerful dr

De La Soul“and the Anonymous Nobody”(A.O.I. Records)Twenty-five years after releasing the mercurial classic “De La Soul is Dead,” the Strong Island trio of Pos, Dave and Maseo return with “and the Anonymous Nobody” -- a modern treatise of anti-establishment hip-hop.For their first full-length album in 11 years, they used hundreds of hours of live music played with session musicians as a sample bank -- and you can feel the analog warmth.The musical styles are all over the place. “Lord Intended” c