SEOUL Weekly: Bukchon Music Festival 2015

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village, the Bukchon Music Festival attempts to break down the boundry between traditional and modern with a program that, while centered on Korean traditional music, also features music of a wide range of genres, including world music, jazz, indie and sound performances. This year, the festival’s fourth, organizers encourage us to ponder the various meanings of love under the theme, “Love Story in Bukchon.”

Among the Bukchon venues hosting performances are the Arario Museum in Space Theater, the sunken stage of the MMCA Seoul, the Bukchon Traditional Crafts Experience Center, the Korean traditional music studio Gugak Sarang and several Bukchon hanok guesthouses.

VENUE: All over Bukchon Hanok Village
DAYS: Sept. 12-13
MORE INFO: T. 02-962-7911 or click this link.
ADMISSION: Free
GETTING THERE: Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2

Exotic Eats
Four foods you can’t get anywhere else in Korea

Wake Up and Smell the Music
Korea’s indie music scene is best enjoyed over a cup of coffee

A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler

• Korean culture – more than just K-pop.
• Korean baseball and the art of bat flipping.
• USA Today looks at Korean coffee culture.
• Small theaters where you least expect them.
• Korea is on the cusp of becoming a multicultural nation, says the Chosun Ilbo.
• A very peaceful seaside sunrise.
• Places to go – and photograph – in September.
• Idyllic valleys in Hwacheon.
• Hwasun’s Il Il Leisure Town is a great place to go in autumn.
• Another week passes at Robert Koehler’s photo blog.

Autumn Vacation’s Third Album Concert

Korean indie duo Autumn Vacation performs lakeside at Olympic Park to celebrate the release of their third album, scheduled to hit stores in September. Composed of Gyepi, formerly of Broccoli You Too and Ukulele Picnic, and Bobby Jung, formerly of Sister’s Barbershop, Autumn Vacation has won adulation from fans for their soft, emotional vocals and witty lyricism. Hear their new songs live before the album comes out at this cozy autumn performance in the park.

VENUE: Olympic Park 88 Lake Waterside Stage
DATES: Sept. 11-12
MORE INFO: T. 02-563-0595
ADMISSION: KRW 77,000
GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station (Line 5), Exit 3

What It Takes: Myths and the Reality of College Admissions in 2015

Dulwich College Seoul cordially invites all prospective and current parents to attend the latest in its Dulwich Talks series. Speaking will be Ms. Amanda Edelhart, Dulwich College Seoul’s director of university and careers counseling. RSVP: Admissions@dulwich-seoul.kr

VENUE: Dulwich College Seoul
DATE:  Sept. 15, 8:30 AM
MORE INFO: T. 02-3015-8517 or see www.dulwich-seoul.kr
GETTING THERE: See this link.

Latin American Festival

Head down to Seongbukcheon Fountain Square on Sept. 12 to experience an afternoon of Latin American culture. Try foods from all over South and Central America and the Caribbean, take in Latin American cultural performances and purchase some Latin American clothing and crafts.

VENUE: Seongbukcheon Fountain Square
DATE: Sept. 12
MORE INFO: See this link.
ADMISSION: Free
GETTING THERE: Hansung University Station (Line 4), Exit 2

Old Wicked Songs

“Old Wicked Songs” comes to Seoul after 20 years of performances in 12 cities. Nominated for a Pulitzer, Jon Marans’ two-character play explores the relationship between a young, brash American pianist suffering an artistic crisis and his new teacher, a Viennese music professor who harbors dark secrets from the past. The New York Times praised it as “deeply satisfying, remarkably assured.” Kim Ji-ho of “Agatha” directs this Korean version of the play, which stars Song Young-chang, Kim Jaebeom, Lee Chang-yong and Cho Kang-hyun.

VENUE: Daemyung Culture Factory
PERIOD: Sept. 8-Nov. 22
MORE INFO: T. 1899-3738
ADMISSION: KRW 25,000-35,000
GETTING THERE: Yeoksam Station (Line 2), Exit 1

Rice

Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theater brings “Rice” to Seoul. Inspired by Chihshang, home of the rice strain known as “Emperor’s Rice,” on the East Coast of Taiwan, the internationally renowned choreographer Lin Hwai-min created this work to honor his homeland. Against the stunning projected visuals that depict the life cycle of a rice paddy, the Cloud Gate dancers gloriously illustrate the elements of nature: Soil, Wind, Pollen, Fire, and Water.

VENUE: LG Arts Center
DATES: Sept. 11-12
MORE INFO: T. 02-2005-0114
ADMISSION: KRW 30,000-70,000
GETTING THERE: Yeoksam Station (Line 2), Exit 7

Yuhki Kuramoto in Seoul

Popular New Age pianist Yuhki Kuramoto commemorates the 30th anniversary of the release of his song “Lake Louise” with a concert for his Korean fans. “All my songs are precious, but ‘Lake Louise’ is the most significant,” says Kuramoto. “This is because the song is the first to give me a name in Japan and was globally recognized.” The largely self-taught pianist and composer with a master’s degree in applied physics from Tokyo Tech has captivated fans worldwide for his easy-listening style and his musical expression of the sounds of nature, especially water.

VENUE: Seoul Arts Center
DATE: Sept. 10
MORE INFO: T. 02-1577-5266
ADMISSION: KRW 30,000-100,000
GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429.

Credia Park Concert: Chung Myung-whun

Join maestro Chung Myung-whun, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, cellist Mischa Maisky, violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin, soprano Seo Sunyoung and others for an evening of Beethoven in the park. Marking its sixth season, the Credia Park Concert series was launched to give the general public access to world-class performances of classical music, finding inspiration in renowned festivals such as the BBC Proms in London Hyde Park and the New York Philharmonic at Central Park. On the program this evening are Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Symphony No. 9 in D minor.

VENUE: Olympic Park, 88 Grass Field
DATE: Sept. 9
MORE INFO: T. 1577-5266
ADMISSION: KRW 40,000-70,000
GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station (Line 5), Exit 3

RAS-KB Excusion: Walking Tour: Korea’s Native Faiths and Gods

Koreans have traditionally followed Buddhism and Confucianism as their two main religions. However, in addition to these two traditions, there has existed a variety of faiths and gods whom Koreans have worshiped and enshrined. The goal of this excursion is to introduce some of Korea’s unique gods and indigenous faiths in our urban surroundings.

VENUE: Several religious sites in Seoul
DATE: Sept. 13
MORE INFO: See this link.
ADMISSION: KRW 25,000 for members and KRW 30,000 for non-members
GETTING THERE: See link above.

Two lovely young women in hanbok beneath the cloisters of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Photo by Robert Koehler, editor-in-chief of SEOUL.

Seoul Selection’s Free Book Giveaway – Our free book give-away continues! Check out the list in last week’s newsletter here.

Seoul Selection Offline Bookshop Sale – One of the greatest repositories of Korea-related English-language books anywhere, Seoul Selection is offering a 10% sale on any and all books published by Seoul Selection purchased from our OFFLINE bookshop next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at atoz@seoulselection.com. Experienced translators only.

Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok.

Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at pubco@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to english@seoulselection.com.