Paul McCartney: Hyundai Card Super Concert 20 A musical legend comes to Korea for the first time
In 2013, Paul McCartney embarked on his his “Out There†tour, which started in Brazil and journeyed through 23 cities across South America, Europe, North America and Japan. On McCartney’s official blog, a photograph was posted of a busker in London playing a piano, with a sign propped up in front of him that read, “Sir Paul McCartney! Please have a concert in Republic of Korea!! There are millions of fans waiting for you.†It seems the busker’s efforts were not in vain, as McCartney announced on April 2 that he was planning to get “back out there,†according to his official tour blog, by playing in Korea for the first time. His playlist for Seoul will feature songs that span McCartney’s entire career, stretching from his days as a Beatle to his solo days, and even his time as member of Wings, a band he formed in 1971 with his first wife, Linda McCartney. He will also feature songs from his most recent studio album “New,†released last year. Paul McCartney is one of the highest-selling musicians of all time. He has 60 gold discs and boasts album sales of over 100 million. His song “Yesterday†is one of the most famous titles in the world, with over 2,200 covers, the most of any copyrighted song in history.
Dermatologists insist that losing around 100 hairs a day is normal; however since coming to Korea, my naturally thick, strong Asian hair has taken a hit. Not just lose, but full-on breakage and split ends, damage that is slow and unapologetic. Something is in the water I tell you.
Dongguk University Seon Center: ‘Korea’s Best Stone Buddhas: Seokguram and Borisa’
In this Dharma Talk, Prof. David Mason will explain the architecture, spiritual significance and artistic motifs of the Seokguram Grotto Shrine and the Borisa Seated Sakyamuni Statue, regarded as the best ancient stone Buddha statues in Korea. Their identity as Hwaeom School artworks will be discussed, and plenty of photos will be shown.
VENUE: Dongguk University International Zen Center DATE: May 17, 2PM MORE INFO: T. 2260-3891 / ysoo@dgu.edu GETTING THERE: Location: 3 minute walk from Exit 6, Dongguk Univ. Station, Subway Line 3
Dulwich College Seoul
Dulwich College Seoul (DCSL) was the first British independent school to be established in Korea when it opened its Banpo campus in September 2010. With direct links to the 400-year-old Dulwich College in London, the College now provides an enhanced English National Curriculum to well over 500 students from 40 different nationalities across the Toddler to Year 10 age groups (2–15 years old). The Dulwich family also extends to other international schools in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou and, as of August 2014, Singapore. This network of Colleges has proven to be very popular with parents transferring within the region at a time when it is increasingly difficult to find available spaces at top-quality international schools.
Learn more about Dulwich College Seoul here and here.
Seoul Jazz Festival 2014
The Seoul Jazz Festival has been a hit since its first appearance in 2007, with more artists and bigger names being featured every year. The two-day party will feature artists from all over the globe as well as a good mix of local talent. It’s the perfect chance for jazz fans who live in Seoul to get away from the usual K-pop frenzy and club scene. This year’s festival has some huge names on the lineup, including Jamie Cullum and Damien Rice. Also featured will be the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band, Joshua Redman Quartet and many more. Local names include Kiha and the Faces, Lee Dong-woo, Salon de Oh, Eric Nam and others. Those who want more can attend the Special Opening Night on Friday, May 16, a special pre-festival performance featuring Chris Botti and Michael Camilo and Tomatillo.
VENUE: Olympic Park DATES: May 17 & 18 MORE INFO: T. 02-563-0595, www.seouljazz.co.kr ADMISSION: KRW 170,500–244,500 GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station 올림픽공ì›ì— (Line 5), Exit 3
Explosions in the Sky in Seoul
Explosions in the Sky is a Texan post-rock band that focuses almost entirely on instrumentals. They’re known for elaborate guitar work that seems to formulate musical narratives, what they refer to as “cathartic mini-symphonies.†In response to the lyric-heavy pop anthems of mainstream music, where the chorus is often repeated gratuitously with limited melodies, Explosions in the Sky offers a refreshing alternative: music based on actual melodies that develop their complexity throughout the song; music based on what music was originally based on before mass-produced pop came along: sound. Each song is its own story, filled with the progressions and climaxes that people usually associate with classical music. The group is also notorious for its live performances, highly energetic frenzies of musical consumption. They will be performing in Seoul for the first time as part of their Asian tour.
VENUE: UNIQLO AX-HALL DATE: May 10, 19:00 MORE INFO: T. 02-457-5114, www.lasrevinu.org ADMISSION: KRW 70,000–78,000 GETTING THERE: Gwangnaru Station ê´‘ë‚˜ë£¨ì— (Line 5), Exit 2. Cross the road, turn left and walk 5 minutes. The hall is located behind the youth center.
Maxim Vengerov & the Polish Chamber Orchestra
Born in 1974 under Soviet Russia, Maxim Vengerov is a Jewish violinist, violist and conductor who started playing music at only five years old. He has since gained a reputation as one of the world’s foremost and dynamic violinists, a true virtuoso and prodigy. He has earned accolades such as a Grammy Award, a victory at the International Carl Flesch Competition in London, an Artist of the Year Award from “Gramophone†magazine and much more. In addition to his remarkable technique, he is also known for being able to fluidly transition between a variety of musical styles. After a crippling shoulder injury, however, he was forced to take three years off from playing, a hidden opportunity he used to acquaint himself with conducting. That is how he met the Polish Chamber Orchestra, with whom he embarked on a nine-city European tour in 2013 as both a conductor and soloist. Vengerov and the Polish Chamber and Orchestra will continue their musical tour around the world by performing in Seoul this May. The program will feature Mozart’s third and fifth violin concertos and Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade Melancolique.”
VENUE: Concert Hall, Seoul Art Center DATE: May 20, 20:00 MORE INFO: T. 02-1577-5266, www.sac.or.kr ADMISSION: KRW 50,000–180,000 GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미ë„ì— (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429.
Italy in SongEun : We Have Never Been Modern
SongEun ArtSpace and the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul will be hosting “Italy in SongEun: We Have Never Been Modern.” SongEun ArtSpace selects one country each year with the aim to present not only a group exhibition of promising young contemporary artists showing for the first time in Korea but also a program related to visual creativeness. This year’s exhibit features work by Italian artists Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Meris Angioletti, Francesco Arena, Elisabetta Benassi, Rossella Biscotti, Tomaso De Luca, Ettore Favini, Chiara Fumai, Piero Golia, Francesca Grilli, Adelita Husni-Bey, Margherita Moscardini, Valerio Rocco Orlando, Adrian Paci, Giulia Piscitelli, Paola Pivi, Moira Ricci, Marinella Senatore, Alberto Tadiello, Diego Tonus, Luca Trevisani and Nico Vascellari.
VENUE: SongEun ArtSpace PERIOD: May 8–Aug 9 MORE INFO: See link here. GETTING THERE: See this link.
The Suffering Grasses
Amnesty International Korea will screen Korean Brazilian film director’s documentary “The Suffering Grasses” at Cafe On Air in Mapo.
Filmed in early 2012, The Suffering Grasses captures the competing impulses among opponents of the Assad regime at the onset of the Syrian revolution. While conditions in the country are continually changing and evolving, the film serves as an early, intimate view of Syria’s refugee crisis, and it highlights important strategic debates that are still playing out among groups resisting the regime.
VENUE: Cafe On Air DATE: May 10, 2PM MORE INFO: See this link. GETTING THERE: Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station, Line 2 or 6. Walk seven minutes in the opposite direction of the exit. The cafe is in the basement of the Well Being Center.
Art Events at Jankura
Budding artists should check out the wide range of Fine Art lessons and drawing sessions at Itaewon’s Jankura Artspace. are conducted in English, giving students a chance to gain, practice or improve art skills with an American style curriculum. Classes are open to both Korean students who can understand a small bit of English and to Native English speakers who want to practice/ gain art skills in a fun environment.
SIWA Coffee Morning: Dana R. Kapelian
SIWA’s guest for May is Dana R. Kapelian. She is a Jewish-French artistic photographer who has lived in Korea the past 5 years. During this time, she has come to love many aspects of Korean life, though her passion is clearly for the people of Korea. She was intrigued to learn how Korean women have found a way to coexist with patriarchal yet modern values. Dana recently released a beautiful photo book with a compilation of her interviews of nearly 60 women called “My Korean Womenâ€.
VENUE: Conrad Hotel DATE: May 14, 9:30–11:30 ADMISSION: KRW 20,000 (member), KRW 25,000 (non-member) MORE INFO: See here.
RASKB Excursion: Sajik Park and Inwangsan Shamanic Shrines Walking Tour
This is an interesting guided visit to unusual but fascinating sites very close to busy and modern downtown, including the Sajik Joseon-Dynasty Altars to the Earth and Harvest, the tall statues of a great Neo-Confucian philosopher and his mother, the large shrine for King Dan-gun (mythical founder of Korea, grandson of the Lord of Heaven) just up behind the park, great views by the old Seoul City Wall.
VENUE: Seoul DATE: May 18 COST: KRW 20,000 (members), KRW 25,000 (non-members) MORE INFO: Click here.
EVERYDAY KOREANS
The green tea plantations of Boseong County. Photo by Arnab Sen.
NOTIFICATIONS
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We Buy & Sell Used Books – Seoul Selection buys and sells used books in English. Unlike our regular selection of publications that specialize in Korea-related topics, our Used Book section carries books on all subjects. It’s all part of our effort to make life easier for the English-speaking community.
In 2013, Paul McCartney embarked on his his “Out There†tour, which started in Brazil and journeyed through 23 cities across South America, Europe, North America and Japan. On McCartney’s official blog, a photograph was posted of a busker in London playing a piano, with a sign propped up in front of him that read, “Sir Paul McCartney! Please have a concert in Republic of Korea!! There are millions of fans waiting for you.†It seems the busker’s efforts were not in vain, as McCartney announced on April 2 that he was planning to get “back out there,†according to his official tour blog, by playing in Korea for the first time. His playlist for Seoul will feature songs that span McCartney’s entire career, stretching from his days as a Beatle to his solo days, and even his time as member of Wings, a band he formed in 1971 with his first wife, Linda McCartney. He will also feature songs from his most recent studio album “New,†released last year. Paul McCartney is one of the highest-selling musicians of all time. He has 60 gold discs and boasts album sales of over 100 million. His song “Yesterday†is one of the most famous titles in the world, with over 2,200 covers, the most of any copyrighted song in history.
Explosions in the Sky is a Texan post-rock band that focuses almost entirely on instrumentals. They’re known for elaborate guitar work that seems to formulate musical narratives, what they refer to as “cathartic mini-symphonies.†In response to the lyric-heavy pop anthems of mainstream music, where the chorus is often repeated gratuitously with limited melodies, Explosions in the Sky offers a refreshing alternative: music based on actual melodies that develop their complexity throughout the song; music based on what music was originally based on before mass-produced pop came along: sound. Each song is its own story, filled with the progressions and climaxes that people usually associate with classical music. The group is also notorious for its live performances, highly energetic frenzies of musical consumption. They will be performing in Seoul for the first time as part of their Asian tour.
Born in 1974 under Soviet Russia, Maxim Vengerov is a Jewish violinist, violist and conductor who started playing music at only five years old. He has since gained a reputation as one of the world’s foremost and dynamic violinists, a true virtuoso and prodigy. He has earned accolades such as a Grammy Award, a victory at the International Carl Flesch Competition in London, an Artist of the Year Award from “Gramophone†magazine and much more. In addition to his remarkable technique, he is also known for being able to fluidly transition between a variety of musical styles. After a crippling shoulder injury, however, he was forced to take three years off from playing, a hidden opportunity he used to acquaint himself with conducting. That is how he met the Polish Chamber Orchestra, with whom he embarked on a nine-city European tour in 2013 as both a conductor and soloist. Vengerov and the Polish Chamber and Orchestra will continue their musical tour around the world by performing in Seoul this May. The program will feature Mozart’s third and fifth violin concertos and Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade Melancolique.”
SongEun ArtSpace and the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul will be hosting “Italy in SongEun: We Have Never Been Modern.” SongEun ArtSpace selects one country each year with the aim to present not only a group exhibition of promising young contemporary artists showing for the first time in Korea but also a program related to visual creativeness. This year’s exhibit features work by Italian artists Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Meris Angioletti, Francesco Arena, Elisabetta Benassi, Rossella Biscotti, Tomaso De Luca, Ettore Favini, Chiara Fumai, Piero Golia, Francesca Grilli, Adelita Husni-Bey, Margherita Moscardini, Valerio Rocco Orlando, Adrian Paci, Giulia Piscitelli, Paola Pivi, Moira Ricci, Marinella Senatore, Alberto Tadiello, Diego Tonus, Luca Trevisani and Nico Vascellari.
Boseong Green Tea