As long as there's music, there's always something to celebrate. January 2009 marks both the beginning of the solar year (Jan. 1) and the lunar year (Jan. 26), so there are ample reasons for celebration. To help you enjoy the lunar New Year period, here are some of the hottest music festivals and shows on from late-January to February.

Daegu: New Year Dance Festival

The Daegu Culture and Arts Center presents the New Year Festival at the Daegu Opera House over four days from Jan. 19 to 22.

Titled “Tradition & Its Changes” the stage will come alive with 25 dancers, including several who are designated intangible cultural properties in Korea, accompanied by live gugak (Korean traditional orchestra). The first day will showcase the performances of great dancers born in Daegu, staging a handkerchief dance, a kind of shaman dance and flower dances.

The second and third days will feature the best contemporary dancers of Korea as acts alter from traditional to western performances, from a solo Buddhist dance, a circle dance wearing a hat with a long ribbon for twirling, a love duet from the Korean traditional love story Chunhyang and several more.

The highlight of the last day will be a showcase of the finest of Korean traditional dancing, performed by this country's official dance masters. The performances will include the Miryang drum dance, Nalmoe drum dance, a small drum dance, an exorcism dance, Buddhist ritual music and a kind of shamanic dance. 

Each day's performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last for 100 minutes. The price of a ticket is 20,000 won for the total four-day festival or 10,000 won for a single day. For more details click (Korean language only).

For more information, call: 053-606-6133 (Korean language only).
Ticket Reservation: Ticket Link http://www.ticketlink.co.kr (1588-7890)
Transportation: Daegu Opera House (click)

Gimcheon: world musical instruments display

Gimcheon Culture and Art Center in Gimcheon city, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province) is currently displaying some 250 musical instruments from various parts of the world, including Europe and Africa.

The instruments will be arranged in an order showing the development of music instruments throughout history. Visitors are welcome to touch or play some 20 instruments. A free guide will be provided every day 10 a.m., 12 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Korean language only)

For an extra fee, there's an hour-long program in which visitors can see a live musical performance featuring haegeum (a fiddle-like Korean traditional musical instrument), gayageum (Korean traditional 12-string zither), electronic violin, keyboard and others by experienced musicians. The pieces that will be performed include “La Comparisita (tango), “Winter” from Vivaldi's “Four Seasons”, Elgar's “Salut D' Amour,” and many more, including Korea's own “Arirang.” This program starts at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily. (The repertoire may change according to musicians' schedule).

It costs 2,000 won to enter, and a further 5,000 won for the concert. For more details click  or call: 054-420-7823 or 010-2212-7446 (both Korean language only). The exhibition will go on until January 28.

Seoul: Naantali Music Festival

A world-class chamber music festival is coming to Seoul this February. The Korean Chamber Orchestra (leader Kim Min) is to lead the Naantali Music Festival from Jan 29 to Feb. 7. The Finnish festival, founded in 1980 by distinguished cellist Arto Noras in Naantali, Finland, celebrates its 30th anniversary next year.

The Korean Chamber Orchestra previously participated in the festival in 2005 and 2007. Arto Noras himself will come to Korea to perform with Hyun Min-ja as musical director.

The chamber music performances “30 Years of Naantali Music Festival" and “Spirit of the Greatest Chamber Music" are scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursdays Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, respectively, in Kumho Art Hall (Korean language only). A clarinet quartet, piano quintet and other arrangements mixed with piano, violin, clarinet and other instruments will perform. The Art Hall is located on the third floor of Kumho Asian Cultural Foundation (Korean language only), in Sinmun-ro, Jongno-gu in Seoul. By subway, come out if exit 7 of Gwanghwamun Station (line 5), then walk 200m straight. It's the building right between the Saemoonan Presbyterian Church and Salvation Army Building. The ticket will cost 30,000 won for VIP seats, 20,000 won for normal seating and 8,000 won for minors. For more details and reservations call (02) 6306-7700.

Two concerto performances will be given on the same day at Seoul Arts Center on Sunday Feb. 1 at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The program will be divided into “Concerto Night with Korean Chamber Orchestra” and “World Virtuosos I and II.” Various concertos by great composers -- Haydn, Mendelssohn, Rossini Mozart, Beethoven etc., -- will be performed. The ticket prices are 10,000 won, 30,000 won, 60,000 won and 90,000 won. For more details and reservations, contact (02)592-5727/5728. For transportation click.

The Master Class Performance will take place on Feb. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th at the Korean Chamber Orchestra's Baroque Art Hall, (Korean language only) in Seocho-gu, Seoul. This is where music masters from overseas will perform and interact with each other. It will be a rare chance for music lovers and learners to meet with world-class musicians. Tickets are 300,000 won and include a fee for interpreting. By subway, come out of exit 6 of Seocho Station (line 2), then take local bus no. 13 from the gas station, and get off at Hyosong Villa. It's the third floor of the nearby Beomsan Building in Banpo-4 dong. For more information contact: (02) 593-5999

Busan Music Festival

The 5th annual Busan Music Festival is scheduled to run from Feb. 12 to 22 at the Busan Cultural Center and Busan Paradise Hotel. It is the only chamber music festival of international scale in Busan that operates together with a music academy for young music learners.

This year's 2000 Busan Music Festival Concert Series will highlight both local and overseas musicians. The newest star of the festival will be Tak Young-a on piano. 

There will be a performance of the Complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas (Feb. 16), a festival concert for chamber music (Feb. 18), a performance by the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra with festival artists (Feb. 20) a Get Together Concert for Students and Professors (Feb. 21) and much more. Most of the performances will take place in either the main or the medium hall of the Busan Cultural Center. The gala opening concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

For more information visit the Webpage (English language)
Transportation: (1) Busan Cultural Center (2) Busan Paradise Hotel

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer