After 10 years at its helm, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s maestro Chung Myung-whun has decided to lay down his baton. Citing the ongoing public disputes plaguing the controversy-filled SPO and the continued legal battles regarding the alleged mistreatment of employees by its former CEO Park Hyun-jung, conductor Chung officially resigned as the music director of the country’s most prestigious orchestra.  In a letter sent to the SPO members on Tuesday, the conductor -- who has arguably establishe

Balladeer Kim Bum-soo will hold a two-day concert in March to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his debut.　The program will feature the hits of the popular vocalist, including “Promise,” “I Miss You,” “Last Love” and “It Will Pass” in addition to a number of new songs, according to a statement released by the concert's planning agency Delight Company Inc. on Tuesday.Kim Bum-soo (Polaris Entertainment)　Kim, 36, known for his smooth vocals and flawless technique, has come to occupy a key position

International girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early next year, has collaborated on a special New Year’s release with boy band UNIQ, the girl group’s agency announced Tuesday. 　The two groups have released a track titled “Happy New Year” and its music video in China, marking Cosmic Girls' first video debut. From left: Xuan Yi, Eunseo and Yeoreum from 12-member girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early 2016 (Starship Entertainment)　“The video is filled with warm colors and a fun, quirky st

Upheaval at the controversy-plagued Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra continued as its board of directors decided to postpone its decision on renewing maestro Chung Myung-whun’s contract as the city orchestra’s music director.Members of the orchestra’s board of directors met Monday morning to discuss whether to keep Chung, who has promised to fulfill next season’s conducting commitments with the SPO regardless of his contract status.  Conductor Chung Myung-whun (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)Earlier i

Psy performs at his "All Night Stand" concert at the Seoul Olympic Park's Gymnastics Arena. (Yonhap)“Music, action! Lights, action! Your screams, action!”The first night of Psy‘s annual year-end concert “All Night Stand” began with a cue for the audience, and it was clear throughout the night that the fans would be an integral part to bringing the show together.Psy, who kicked off the show with the dance track “Right Now,” walked around the specially extended stage urging people to scream louder

Kim Bong-mee conducts the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, which is slated to hold its year-end concert on Dec. 27 at the Inje Cultural Foundation’s Grand Concert Hall in Inje, Gangwon Province. (Korea Herald file photo)Continuing its forging of orchestral-based, genre-hodgepodge reinterpretations of widely recognized repertoires, the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra will present its final concert of the year on Sunday. Under the baton of Kim Bong-mee, the Herald Phil’s year-end performance will be h

Korea’s award-winning Gracias Choir held its last winter concert Wednesday in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, ending its monthlong national Christmas concert tour. The 15th annual “Christmas Cantata” concert tour, helmed by Russian conductor Boris Abalyan of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, presented a nativity musical and classical yuletide tunes to audiences in 19 cities in Korea, including Seoul, Goyang and Ansan. The first act showcased an opera on the birth of Christ, while the second act

Boy group BTS will hold its second official meetup with fans at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium, Seoul, on Jan. 24.  (Big Hit Entertainment)Big Hit Entertainment revealed the fan-meeting poster, notifying that the event will held in two rounds at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.The septet, who dropped its fourth EP “The Beautiful Moments in Life, Part 2” last month, is gearing up diverse segments to present for fans. Meanwhile, BTS recently also made headlines for their charity donation of 7 tons of rice.

Singer Se7en on Wednesday officially launched his own label, “Eleven9.” The agency is situated in the Hongik University area of Seoul. Se7en officially announced in July that he would establish his own agency. The newly built label aims to cover a wide range of segments including music and acting, while also fostering rookies to become a comprehensive entertainment agency.  (OSEN)“Se7en was involved in many details throughout the construction process. Since the label officially kicked off, he wi

Singer-producer says her method is to "design" her own voice

The once hugely popular 1990s electropop duo Turbo has made its much-awaited return to the spotlight after 15 years -- only this time around, Turbo has returned as a trio.Kim Jung-nam and Kim Jong-kook, reuniting with past member Kim Jung-nam, have joined the ranks of g.o.d and Seo Taiji as ’90s music icons making a comeback to today’s K-pop scene, with the Turbo members dropping the 19-track comeback album “Again” on Monday. Members of the ’90s band Turbo pose during a press conference at the R

iKON (YG Entertainment)YG Entertainment’s latest boy band iKON is preparing its first studio album release, which will feature a track cowritten and composed by fellow labelmate artist G-Dragon, one of the biggest figures in K-pop. The boy band’s upcoming track “I Miss You So Bad” was written in collaboration with G-Dragon and iKON rappers B.I and Bobby, and composed by G-Dragon and Dee.P.The track marks the first time that K-pop veteran G-Dragon has written and composed a song for an artist out

Lee Na-young (left) and Won Bin. (Eden 9)Seven months after tying the knot at their quiet Gangwon Province wedding, celebrity couple Won Bin and Lee Na-young have welcomed their first child. Their baby boy was reportedly born Saturday at a hospital in Gangnam, Seoul. “Lee Na-young has given birth to a son, and the mother and child are both very healthy,” said a representative from Lee’s managing agency. Won and Lee married on May 30 in a low-key wedding, which many in the public eye referred to

Joo Young (Starship Entertainment)Representatives at K-pop management agency Starship Entertainment announced Saturday that its solo singer-songwriter Joo Young had enlisted in the military last month. “Joo Young enlisted on Nov. 26. After going through four weeks of basic training, he will be fulfilling his services as a public welfare solider for two years,” the agency said in a statement.  Joo Young, 24, first made his debut as a R&B soloist in 2010 with his EP “Same as You.” Although still r

KBS, the state-run terrestrial broadcasting company, confirmed Friday that TV personality Lee Hwi-jae, EXID’s Hani and 2PM’s Taecyeon will host the upcoming year-end KBS’ Song Festival.Lee and Taecyeon also hosted the event last year, while Hani is taking to the stage for the first time.  (OSEN)Lee has shot to stardom with the image of a friendly yet thoughtful father for his lovable twin sons in KBS’ child-rearing show “Superman Is Back.” His peculiar wit and banter are expected to enrich the f