’90s a cappella singer comes back to share his love for pop music

Korea’s Gracias Choir won the top prize at the 14th International Chamber Competition Marktoberdorf, one of the world’s most prestigious chamber choir competitions, last Tuesday. Helmed by choir leader Park Eun-sook and conductor Boris Abalyan, Gracias Choir competed with 10 other teams in the competition’s mixed choirs category and won first place for its performances, which included “Blessed Art Thou” by Rachmaninoff and Korean folk song “Gakseoli Taryeong.” The choir was additionally awarded

A young Korean violinist with no overseas training has won top honors at a prestigious music competition in Belgium, largely regarded as a launchpad for an international career. Lim Ji-young, 20, took home the grand prize of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, which comes with a cash prize of 25,000 euros ($27,300) and a four-year loan of the “Huggins” Stradivarius violin, made in 1708 by the master craftsman Antonio Stradivari, the organizers said Saturday. A student at the Korea Nation

Young clarinetist seeks to help heal, communicate through music

Whitesnake delves deep into Purple past on new albumWhitesnake“The Purple Album”(Frontiers)Who says you can‘t go home?David Coverdale delves deep into his Deep Purple background on the new Whitesnake album, which redoes songs from his tenure fronting the legendary classic rock outfit.“The Purple Album” begins with a more bottom-heavy version of the classic rock anthem “Burn,” on which Coverdale previously shared lead vocals with Glenn Hughes on the original track. And while the remake misses Hug

Rhythmical orchestral tunes reverberated throughout the Seoul Arts Center concert hall Wednesday evening as the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra delivered a dynamic performance ― featuring everything from Russian opera, staple Korean folk songs and classical string symphonies to a jazz-infused New York rhapsody ― in celebration of May, the month of family.Filled with cheerful melodies, theatrical entertainment and informative narrations in between pieces, the concert provided a night of lighthearte

Singer Jung Joon-young, known for his rise to widespread fame through the audition program “Superstar K” and his more recent work as an MC and actor, is returning to the stage as the frontman for the new quartet Jung Joon-young Band.“When I first signed with my company, it was agreed that I would eventually work with a band,” Jung said at a media showcase held at the MUV Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. “Since I started music with a band, it was actually hard for me to bring out my true style

In a world where the international mainstream hip-hop beats of Flo Rida meet the old-fashioned sounds of “janggu,” a Korean traditional drum, local fusion pop band SOREA is striving to take its amalgamation of traditional Korean instrumentation and modern music to new heights. Founded on a musical base of “gugak” (Korean traditional music), SOREA takes traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum (a zither-like string instrument) and the daegeum (bamboo flute) and mashes them together wit

German tenor Jonas Kaufmann set to dazzle local fans at first solo recital in Seoul

At a press showcase for KARA’s seventh EP “In Love” at Blue Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, the phrase repeated most by the members was “KARA-style music.” The group, which celebrates its eighth anniversary this year, has had its ups and downs ― including significant member changes ― but has always maintained a particular image and style of music. According to the members, their goal with “In Love” was to show the evolution of the definition of being “KARA-style.”“When our fans think of

K-pop group Big Bang’s new song to be released in June will be titled “Bang Bang Bang,” YG Entertainment announced Wednesday. The onomatopoeically christened song is to be included in “A,” the second single of Big Bang’s four-part “MADE” series, which will be released on the first day of June. The five-member K-pop act, returning from a hiatus of nearly three years, has announced that it will unveil a single on the first day of the every month until August. The group’s May 1 release, “M,” contai

After years of training and endless evaluations in a pre-debut system that was broadcast to the public, Pledis Entertainment’s new thirteen-member multinational boy group Seventeen finally made its official debut Tuesday in an hourlong live TV performance. “We’ve performed a lot of songs by other artists through the pre-debut system, but we’re very nervous because this is our first time performing our own tracks,” said member Woozi at a press conference at the MBC Dream Center in Ilsan, Tuesday.

One of singer Lee Seung-chul’s greatest strengths is his ability to amplify emotion without straining his voice, and make a melody dynamic without using conspicuous technique.Those strengths are out in full force in his 12th album “Time Flies Like an Arrow,” timed to match the 30th anniversary of his debut. The album opens with “Ordeal,” a song about overcoming the hardships of life and growing stronger. The melody has a contemporary Christian music-style majesty to it, with a swelling instrumen

Jang Yi-jeong shines alone on History’s 4th EPBy Won Ho-jung History“Beyond the HISTORY”LOEN EntertainmentBoy band History continues the dark, melodramatic mood of their previous song “Psycho” on their 4th EP, “Beyond the HISTORY,” but the only standout voice is that of member Jang Yi-jeong.The album opens with loose vocals over a strong bass line in “Mind Game,” a groovy, medium-tempo song. The intensity shoots up with the title track “Might Just Die,” which wastes no time in bringing in the dr