Korean hip-hop trio Epik High was confirmed Tuesday to perform at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, making them the first K-pop act to be invited to the festival.Epik High will perform April 17 and April 24.  Epik High (YG Entertainment)The annual two-weekend Coachella Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, drawing fans to Indio, California, to enjoy music by top artists of all genres.This year’s Coachella is particularly notable because it will

British tenor Paul Potts is making his way back to Korea, performing an exclusive concert in front of exactly 99 select fans on Jan. 14 at the Stradeum concert hall in Seoul. In keeping with the concert theme of “99,” based on the idea that 99 fans plus Potts equals 100, tickets to the tenor’s upcoming performance will be sold in an auction. The bidding war for the concert tickets opened at m.allwin.co.kr Wednesday morning, with prices capped at 199,000 won ($166).According to concert promoter A

One of Korea’s best known rockers, Yoon Do-hyun of YB band, is holding his first solo acoustic concert in New Zealand with lead guitarist Heo Joon.At the concert Yoon will play old favorites from his career days and relay his story and passion for music, according to a news release put out by G T Entertainment, the concert organizer. Yoon Do-hyun (Official Website)YB toured in New Zealand back in 2004, and the upcoming concert is about the promise to return that he made to the fans there, Yoon s

Vienna Boys Choir (Lukas Beck)The Vienna Boys Choir is holding auditions in Korea in search of local talents wishing to join the prestigious and historical ensemble, according to Credia, the choir’s local concert promoter.The announcement comes just a few weeks before the choir’s upcoming concert recitals in Korea, which are slated to be held later this month. Starting Wednesday, the Vienna Boys Choir will be accepting the first round of applications for boys aged 9 and older. Successful applica

Top names stir excitement with hints about upcoming tracks

U.S. music magazine Billboard released its list of the “10 Best K-pop Albums of 2015” last Wednesday, giving the top spot to “Reboot,” from the Wonder Girls.The top 10 list showed a mixed bag of established idol groups, including Wonder Girls, 2PM and TVXQ, and newcomers such as Red Velvet, BTS and Seventeen.The chart only included full-length albums, rarities in the current Korean music market that is flooded with singles and EPs, and gave credit to artists who crafted records in 2015 based on

Two SM Entertainment artists, Victoria of f(x) and EXO’s Lay, were named among the top 10 artists on Chinese social media network Weibo in 2015. They were the only artists based in Korea to make the top 10.According to Weibo, Lay came in at No. 5 with 90.5 million followers while Victoria came in at No. 10 with over 75 million. Victoria was also the only female star in the top 10.Lay and Victoria are currently supported in their promotions in China by SM Entertainment through a local “workshop”

To some, a night of musical theater could conjure up thoughts of kitsch song and dance numbers and enchanting fairy-tale love stories. Composer Tom Kitt and author Brian Yorkey’s “Next to Normal” has none of that.Brought to life by leading ladies Kolleen Park and Jung Young-ju, who alternately play the role of the struggling mother Diana, “Next to Normal” stretches the scope of musical boundaries by addressing often socially taboo topics such as suicide, substance abuse and questionable moral di

JYJ Junsu(left) and EXID Hani (Yonhap)Kim Jun-su, a member of the popular boy band JYJ, has been dating a member of the South Korean girl group EXID since last summer, their agencies said Friday.   The 28-year-old beloved singer and the 23-year-old Hani began interacting with music and have been in a relationship to date, they said.    JYJ, a K-pop boy band, was formed in 2010 with three members -- Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu.   Hani is a lead vocal of the five-member girl group. (Yonhap)

Maestro Chung Myung-whun was met with howling cheers, applause and standing ovations from his local audience in the conductor’s final concert with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Wednesday night. The concert comes just one day after Chung submitted his official resignation as music director, citing the orchestra’s ongoing legal dispute regarding human rights violations by its former head as the reason for his departure after a decade at its helm.   Maestro Chung Myung-whunPrior to the concer

As 2015 comes to an end, the local music stage is gearing up for its next season of classics, from the highly anticipated performances of Cho Seong-jin and his fellow International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition competitors to the taste of international prestige with the Chicago and San Francisco Symphonies.  　Below are some highlighted performances of 2016. 　Steve Barakatt　 Canadian pianist Steve Barakatt (Rainbow Bridge Story)　Canadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt and the Herald Phil

EXO member Chen will be joining composer and pianist Steve Barakatt on stage during his upcoming Seoul concert with the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, according to UNICEF, Chen’s agency SM Entertainment and concert promoter Rainbow Bridge Story on Sunday.Chen will be performing John Lennon‘s song “Imagine” to the accompaniment of Barakatt, showing his support for UNICEF‘s work providing aid to vulnerable children around the world. Steve Barakatt is currently serving as a UNICEF Ambassador.Steve