2019.12.4 Ticket
KUN-WOO PAIK AND NOCTURNESeoul Arts Center, Concert Hall
Dec. 7
Piano virtuoso Paik Kun-woo, 73, will be playing Fryderyk Chopin’s nocturnes live for one night only.
The pianist recorded all 21 of Chopin’s nocturnes and released it as an album earlier this year through classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.
In order to mark the release of the album, Paik held a press conference in March and told local press that Chopin’s nocturnes contain “a lot of worries and pain” of the musician in them, therefore nocturnes provide an in-depth understanding of Chopin for classical music aficionados.
Having debuted at the age of 10, Paik has been pursuing a career in classical music for more than six decades.
Based in Paris, the pianist was made “Chevalier de l´ordre des arts et des lettres” by the French government in 2000 for his achievement in art.
The show starts at 5 p.m.
Tickets range from 30,000 won ($25.30) to 100,000 won.
Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3, exit 5.
THE NUTCRACKER
* Korean National Ballet: Seoul Arts Center, Opera Theater
Dec. 14-25
Local ballet companies are presenting their versions of “The Nutcracker” as the holiday season is nearing.
Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and first staged in1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the ballet has become a holiday tradition that has been performed around the world for the past 127 years.
The Korean National Ballet is staging “The Nutcracker” choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich, who is known as a living legend in the ballet world. The Russian dancer and choreographer worked as the art director for Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater from 1964 to 1995.
What helps the Korean National Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” stand out among the rest is that a child will play the role of the nutcracker.
The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends.
There will be no performances on Mondays.
The performance on Christmas Day will be broadcast live on KBS1. Tickets for that show are not available to the public.
Ticket prices range from 5,000 won to 90,000 won.
Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3, exit 5.
* Universal Ballet: Universal Arts Center
Dec. 21-31
The Universal Ballet is presenting “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by Vasili Vainonen from Mariinsky Theatre.
The ballet company premiered the Christmas classic back in 1986 on home soil and has been staging the show every year since then.
Since “The Nutcracker” by Universal Ballet features budding ballet performers, it is a good chance for audiences to learn more about young ballet dancers.
The performance starts at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends and Christmas Day.
There are no performances on Dec. 23 and 26.
Ticket prices range from 10,000 won to 100,000 won.
Achasan Station, line No. 5, exit 4.
Lotte Concert Hall
Dec. 25
Maestro Gum Nanse will present a one-day Christmas concert for families. The conductor will play a list of classical pieces including Bizet’s Symphony in C Major first and second movements and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, third and fourth movements.
New World Philharmonic Orchestra led by Gum and up-and-coming violinist Danny Koo will accompany the concert.
The concerts start at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Tickets range from 40,000 won to 80,000 won.
Jamsil Station, Line No. 2, exit 1 or 2.
The popular rock ’n’ roll musical “Grease” returns to the stage with a brand-new look. OD Company, the show’s production company, says that it has added more drama and modified much of the dialogue so that audiences can focus more on the drama and not only on musical numbers. [OD COMPANY]
Kyung Hee University, Grand Peace Palace
Dec. 27, 28
Singer and TV star Kim Jong-kook will go on a concert tour across the nation starting this month. As part of the tour, the 43-year-old singer will hold two concerts in Seoul.
Having debuted in the music scene in 1995 as part of now defunct male-duo Turbo, Kim has had a successful singing career ever since. He is also one of a few singers who can sing both upbeat dance tracks and emotional ballads.
Apart from pursuing a singing career, Kim appears on many hit TV shows including “Running Man,” “My Little Old Boy,” “Five Cranky Brothers” and “Rewind.”
Thanks to “Running Man,” on which he has appeared over the past nine years, Kim has a huge fan base throughout Asia.
The concert tour will begin in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 14, followed by a show in Busan on Dec. 24. The tour will then continue on to other cities, including Daegu and Gwangju, next year.
The concert starts at 8 p.m. on Dec. 27 and 6 p.m. on Dec. 28.
Ticket prices range from 99,000 won to 143,000 won.
Hoegi Station, Line No. 1, exit 1.
SARAH CHANG
Seoul Arts Center, Concert Hall
Dec. 29
International violinist Sarah Chang will visit Seoul for a solo recital.
The award-winning violinist visited Korea last year and showed up for a performance, but as part of an ensemble with other musicians.
This is the first solo recital of Chang in seven years since the last one in 2012.
Having debuted at the age of 8 in 1990 by collaborating with New York Philharmonic led by conductor Zubin Mehta, Chang has been staying on the top over the past decades.
The solo recital will be accompanied by pianist Julio Elizalde and will include repertoires including Bartok Romanian Folk Dances Sz.56, Cesar Franck Violin Sonata in A major M.8 and Salut D’Amour Op.12.
The concert starts at 5 p.m. Ticket prices range from 50,000 won to 160,000 won.
Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3, exit 5.
GREASE
D-Cube Arts Center
Through Feb. 2
The musical “Grease” is back with a brand-new look.
According to OD Company, the organizer of the popular rock ‘n’ roll musical, this production has edited out some unnecessary scenes and it modified some of the dialogue so that audiences can focus more on the drama and not only on the show’s musical numbers.
The musical was already retouched in April to reflect modern times with rearranged numbers as well as new sets and props.
The musical is based on the 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
It centers upon American high schoolers in the 1950s and 60s. The title “Grease” comes from a youth subculture known as “greasers” that was prevalent among working-class teenagers at the time.
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays; at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. There are no shows on Mondays.
Tickets range from 60,000 won to 140,000 won.
Sindorim Station, lines No. 1 and 2, exit 1 or 5.
*Most tickets are available at ticket.interpark.com/global or by calling 1544-1555.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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