Annual event sells high-priced tickets to promote donation, opens 1,300-seat Music TentGreat Mountains International Music Festival & School, a classical music event held in the summer in Pyeongchang of Gangwon Province, will focus on the inseparable relationship between music and dance, artistic directors of the festival said on Tuesday.“Legendary composers have woven dance themes into some of their most significant pieces for orchestra and chamber music. Dance and music are two inseparable ar

A man who appeared on the cover of rock band Placebo’s debut album as a child is planning a lawsuit against the band for allegedly “ruining his life”, according to British news reports.The 28-year-old unemployed chef David Fox claims that he was severely bullied at school after the band used picture of him as a 12-year-old on the hit album “Placebo.” Fox said he never consented to the photo being used, which was virtually laid out everywhere due to the album’s enormous success.After his image wa

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― Faced with stubbornly feeble economies back home, more Western music acts are being lured to play in Asia to boost their profiles in a region where disposable incomes are growing, say experts. Festival organizers say a rising number of North American and European acts are accepting cuts in their performance fees for the chance to build a fan base in Asia, an comparatively economically vibrant region hosting most of the world’s seven billion population.“Some artistes do take low

Dongbu Robot said Monday it plans to launch robots that impersonate K-pop stars such as Girls’ Generation and Super Junior, by yearend.The South Korean robot maker will form consortium with other robot makers Intelligent & Recreational Robot and Ocean Bridge E&T to develop the high-tech entertainment robots. According to Dongbu, the robot “will be able to fully reenact movements and dances of stars” using more than 20 artificial motor “joints” installed all over its body. In addition, users can

Justin Bieber’s new album impressesJustin Bieber“Believe” (Island Def Jam)Because Justin Bieber is Justin Bieber -- a Canadian teen singer heartthrob -- it’s hard to take his music seriously. Everything about him screams Tiger Beat, from the endless screeching girls to his relationship with fellow teen sensation Selena Gomez.And then there’s the song that has defined him most -- “Baby,” perhaps the most saccharine, bubble-gum song recorded in quite some time.It’s not surprising that few have tak

Image from the Official site of singer Ayumi(Iconiq)South Korean singer Ayumi is rumored to be in a romantic relationship with Gackt, one of Japan’s top rock stars, Japanese papers reported Friday.Tabloid magazine “Friday” published a photo of the 27-year-old singer dining at a French restaurant with singer and actor Gackt. One of the photos showed the two holding hands and gazing at each other.Ay

When YG Entertainment, one of Korea’s dominant entertainment companies, calculated its 2011 profits, its business strategy was confirmed a success ― domestic and overseas concert revenue accounted for 22.3 percent of its total revenue, a jump of 46 percent over the course of one year. With continued piracy issues and low margins of the local digital music market, the Korean music industry is shifting its focus to live concerts. According to industry experts, the Korean concert market was around

An anticipated project that aimed to have both South and North Korean musicians perform together is not likely to happen this summer, maestro Chung Myung-whun, a South Korean conductor, said in Seoul on Thursday.“We had hoped North Korean musicians would take part in the annual performance by the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra this summer. But until now we haven’t heard a word from them,” Chung told reporters at UNICEF Korea’s head office.Instead, he will hold a charity concert at the Amphitheater

R&B diva releases ‘Parallax,’ her first album  in three years, plans three-month-long tourIt was exactly a year ago that Lena Park stunned millions of viewers of “I am a Singer.” The 36-year-old singer, who is also known as Park Jung-hyun, mesmerized the audience with the powerful but touching voice that emanated from her small frame. Her popularity soared and so did people’s interest in her background ― being a Korean-American and an Ivy League graduate.After receiving much unexpected attention

A prominent Pakistani female singer, Ghazala Javed, was shot to death Monday by two unidentified gunmen, according to local news reports. Initial police investigation indicated that the 24-year-old singer’s ex-husband Jehangir Khan may be behind the attack. Last year, Javed asked him for a divorce, which is considered a dishonor in the highly conservative male-dominated society.However some are speculating that the singer’s abrupt death is a remainder of the dark history of “artist prosecution”

LONDON (AFP) ― His ballad “Yesterday” is one of the most covered songs in history ― but as he turned 70 on Monday, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney showed no signs of settling back to reflect on his extraordinary past.Fresh from wowing huge crowds at Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee concert and with another headline gig ― the London Olympics opening ceremony ― booked for next month, retirement looks a way off for the British legend.“If I’m really enjoying this, why retire?” the most prolific, most c

Composer of Girls’ Generation songs offers musical cure for broken heartsThis is part of a series featuring new hallyu stars. ― Ed.K-pop from the ’90s is back. Songs with sentimental lyrics and melodies are enjoying a quiet revival in Korea’s music scene. My Afternoon, a duo of star composer Hwang Hyun and singer Agnes, is one of several outfits trying to deliver a different aspect of K-pop and present an alternative to music fans tired of strong beats and flashy performances by idol groups.“Pro