Tongyeong International Music Festival opens Friday at brand-new concert hall

Jazz fusion duo returning to stage with ‘Nonstop Jazz Fever’

‘La Roi Soleil,’ ‘Marie Antoinette,’ ‘Priscilla,’ ‘Once’ highlight the year’s calendar

CJ promotes Korean productions abroad with universal appeal

Violist O’Neill ready to pace himself after a decade of platinum albums, sold-out performances and meteoric rise to fame

4minute returns with new EP, ‘4minute World’4minute“4minute World”(Universal Music)K-pop girl group 4minute returned to the local music scene with its fifth EP “4minute World” on Monday, premiering the music video of the title track “Whatcha Doin’ Today?” in which the five girls party in wild and odd settings.Though 4minute definitely establishes its own style throughout the album, some parts of the album are disappointing, lacking in originality and depth. The slower, melodic tracks better reve

After playing on the streets of Hongdae for spare change as a struggling troubadour looking to help his single mother and himself make ends meet, former Superstar K4 contestant Hong Dae-kwang is rapidly putting his tough past behind him and looking toward a bright future as a singer.Hong released the second half of his “Silver Lining” album, “The Silver Lining ― Part 2,” on Friday. The new EP features the lead track “Thank You My Love,” and despite being relatively slow-paced, it has the most up

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― K-pop made fresh inroads Thursday when Lady Gaga revealed that South Korean girl group Crayon Pop will open her upcoming summer concerts in Canada and the United States.“I’m excited to announce June 26 through July 22 of Lady Gaga’s artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball will be opened by CRAYON POP!” the “Mother Monster” announced on her @ladygaga Twitter feed.The candy-colored quintet topped the K-pop charts last year when their danceable ditty “Bar Bar Bar” ― featuring their signature h

The nation’s largest entertainment agency, SM Entertainment, is currently under investigation for allegedly evading tens of billions of won in taxes, The National Tax Service announced Thursday. According to news reports, the agency is suspected of having established “paper companies” in Hong Kong using famous artists’ names in order to avoid reporting the profits earned from performances overseas. The Seoul tax authorities have now launched a formal investigation into the agency’s finances and

NEW YORK (AP) ― Sheldon Harnick has done some extensive spring cleaning and come up with a two-CD box set of very rare tunes. Harbinger Records said Wednesday it will release “Sheldon Harnick: Hidden Treasures, 1949-2013” on May 1 in conjunction with the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning lyricist and writer’s 90th birthday. The set will include some 53 demos and songs cut from 17 shows featuring such singers as Audra McDonald, Brian d’Arcy James, Hugh Martin, Charlotte Rae and Sheldon’s wife, actre

Girl group leader to spend five years in Caribbean nation volunteering with husband

ASUNCION (AFP) ― Parents all over the world often complain about their children’s music being garbage. For one group of poor kids in Paraguay, however, who have found international fame by forming an orchestra which uses instruments built from trash, it is quite literally true. The Orchestra of Recycled Instruments of Cateura will mark another notable chapter in their history this week when they will be the opening act for U.S. heavy metal band Metallica on a six-nation South American tour. “It

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ― Rapper ScHoolboy Q had a great time at his first South By Southwest a few years ago, but found himself getting angry this year as he played a series of shows at the annual music conference and festival. Everywhere he turned, his fans were standing outside venues festooned with corporate branding, unable to enter because they didn’t have a formal invite. “It’s stupid. They changed it all up. It’s corporate,” he said as he prepared for a show Saturday. “I don’t ever want to co