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Curtain up on Seoul’s ballet boom
Last year, Seoul emerged as a notable stop on the global ballet circuit, welcoming a series of top-tier companies, including the Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Royal Ballet in London. Contemporary ballet also found a receptive audience with the year-old Seoul Metropolitan Ballet posting solid results, while a newly formed company drew widespread attention with viral work that incorporated the gat — traditional Korean men's headwear from the Joseon era — into classical ballet ima
Jan. 7, 2026 -
A young pianist's year in sound, words and imagery
For Kim Song-hyeon, the act of making an album is never limited to sound alone. A versatile pianist with a long-standing love for reading, writing and photography, Kim chose to bring all of these worlds together in his second album, "Timescape," a carefully constructed project that traces the emotional flow of a year, month by month. The 23-year-old pianist, the second prize winner of the Isangyun Competition in 2023, said he selected pieces not simply for contrast, but for how each could embody
Jan. 7, 2026 -
From rock dreams to operatic 'persona'
Korean baritone Kim Tae-han, winner of the 2023 Queen Elisabeth Competition, did not grow up dreaming of an operatic career. During his middle-school years, he hoped to become a rock singer. When he later told his mother that he was seriously considering life as a professional vocalist, her advice for him was "to study classical singing first." That suggestion proved decisive. During high school, while majoring in classical singing, Kim’s perspective began to shift. “While preparing for exams, I
Jan. 6, 2026 -
Strong ensembles, star power to define 2026 orchestral scene
With its leading orchestras entering a period of stability, an influx of international artists returning to Korea, and homegrown stars poised to meet -- and often surpass -- domestic expectations, 2026 promises to be another strong year for classical music. South Korea’s orchestral landscape enters 2026 with a rare sense of alignment and momentum, as the country’s three leading ensembles -- the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Korean National Symphony Orchestra and the KBS Symphony Orchestra --
Jan. 5, 2026 -
GS Arts Center to open 2026 season testing limits of art
Now in its second year, the GS Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, has announced its 2026 curated season, centered on the “Artists” series that pushes beyond traditional artistic boundaries. The series spotlights two to three multidisciplinary creators each year, offering an in-depth exploration of their work. Blurring the boundaries between music, dance, theater and media art, it introduces artists whose practices defy categorization, offering audiences a multidimensional experience. This year’
Jan. 5, 2026 -
Korea’s classical music scene opens 2026 with New Year's concerts
Korea’s classical music scene opens 2026 with new year's concerts cultural institutions, the arrival of 2026 is being marked by a wide-ranging slate of New Year concerts that blend tradition, star power and forward-looking programming
Jan. 3, 2026 -
Cultural and arts activities in Korea showed steady growth in 2024
Cultural activities grew steadily in 2024, data from Arts Council Korea showed Friday. The total number of different concerts, exhibitions, performances and other cultural endeavors registered with the council, also known as ARKO, reached 62,442, up 4.7 percent compared to the previous year. The figures count tours and show runs as one endeavor, so the 30,273 endeavors in the performing arts sector includes 145,543 performances. ARKO covers fine arts, but not pop culture such as K-pop, movies an
Jan. 2, 2026 -
A comeback rooted in responsibility: Chung Myung-whun returns to KBS Symphony Orchestra
The KBS Symphony Orchestra, South Korea’s only broadcasting ensemble, will begin a new chapter under conductor Chung Myung-whun, an appointment that comes at a pivotal moment as the orchestra celebrates its 70th anniversary next year. The 72-year-old maestro will return as the orchestra’s 10th artistic director for a three-year term starting Jan. 1. It marks a return: Chung briefly served as the ensemble’s fifth artistic director in 1998. The KBS Symphony Orchestra also holds personal significan
Dec. 26, 2025 -
Crystal Pite, Alexander Ekman and Lukasz Twarkowski head to Seoul next year
LG Arts Center has announced the lineup for its 2026 curated season, CoMPAS 26. Short for Contemporary Music & Performing Arts Season, CoMPAS is the arts center’s flagship program, guided by the motto of “introducing, in real time, the high-quality works that contemporary audiences should not miss.” Marking the program’s 27th year, the season will present nine works spanning dance, ballet, theater, jazz and classical music. The most anticipated entries in the lineup are large-scale international
Dec. 26, 2025 -
Seo Yea-ji to make theater debut as tragic soprano
Actress Seo Yea-ji will make her theater debut in January, stepping into the role of Yun Sim-deok, the ill-fated soprano whose short life and tragic romance have long occupied a central place in modern Korean cultural history. Yun, widely regarded as Korea’s first professional soprano, and her doomed love affair with the playwright Kim U-jin have inspired generations of retellings, including television dramas, films, musicals and stage productions. Set in the 1920s, "Crying for You" traces the i
Dec. 26, 2025 -
A magician onstage, a guardian of mind backstage
Onstage, he darts here, then there, casting spells that captivate wide-eyed children and adults alike. He is Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather and the enigmatic magician who gives her a Nutcracker and, with it, the key to a magical land. In “The Nutcracker,” Drosselmeyer is more than a supporting character. He is the hinge between reality and fantasy, the figure who ushers Clara and the audience out of the living room and into the Kingdom of Sweets. “He’s the one who invites Clara to dream,” said
Dec. 24, 2025 -
From Seoul to Broadway — and back: 2025 redefines musical exchange, sets records for originals
In 2025, the relationship between Korea’s musical theater scene and Broadway shifted in a way that felt less like export and more like exchange. For years, the flow had largely moved in one direction: Korean producers imported proven Broadway titles, while domestic originals focused primarily on the local market. This year, that structure began to change. “Maybe Happy Ending,” the Broadway adaptation of the Korean original whose origins go back to 2014 in a small theater in Seoul, swept the Tony
Dec. 24, 2025 -
Chung Myung-whun announced as KBS Symphony's music director
Maestro Chung Myung-whun will begin his new role as the music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra from January, the orchestra announced Tuesday. For the next three years, Chung will lead the orchestra, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year. The news came 18 months after the orchestra said it was in the final stages of discussion with Chung. In the meantime, Chung has worked as the music director of Classic Busan. A new municipal office of Busan Metropolitan City, Classic Busan i
Dec. 23, 2025 -
National Theater Company of Korea takes 2 productions overseas next year
The National Theater Company of Korea announced on Tuesday that two major productions will be performed overseas in 2026 as part of its newly released season lineup. The productions are "Hedda Gabler" and "Twelfth Night," reflecting a renewed push by the company to position itself as “Asia’s theater gateway,” a platform for Korean productions to reach global audiences. "Hedda Gabler," Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama directed by the company’s artistic director, Park Jeong-hee, has been invited to th
Dec. 23, 2025 -
Sejong Center expands production push, public access
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul’s leading cultural complex and home to seven resident performing arts companies, will step up efforts to meet the expectations of increasingly discerning audiences while expanding access for both citizens and foreign visitors. “Seoul’s citizens have high standards and a strong appetite for culture and the arts. Korean audiences are discerning, passionate and deeply engaged — and it is precisely this environment that allows original creators capabl
Dec. 23, 2025