April 2014

Out of the Office14

For the past decade, I have been for-tunate enough to work closeenough to the Seoul Arts Center(SAC) that I can go there for after-

noon breaks. Usually I just sit and take it allin. The outdoor plaza and fountain water thatdances to music. Performing arts studentspassing by in letterman jackets emblazonedwith “Piano” instead of a varsity number.Empty halls that echo with last night’s per-formances.

From Korean soprano Sumi Jo and theclassical Ahn Trio to Italian violinist / con-ductor Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante andthe 2014 Bolshoi Theater Soloists GalaConcert, the SAC boasts a powerhouse lineupfor 2014. This representative arts complex ofKorea stages about 1,500 performances andmore than 100 exhibitions a year for almost 2million visitors.

The SAC has multiple spaces. The OperaHouse is a main venue and includes the OperaTheater, Towol Theater and Jayu Theater, allof which are for a wide genre range of per-forming arts. The Opera House is affection-ately called the “Big Hat” for how the upperpart of the building was designed to resemblea gat, or a traditional Korean hat for men.Other spaces include the Music Hall, SeoulCalligraphy Art Museum, Hangaram ArtMuseum and Hangaram Design Museum.

But the SAC is just one of Korea’s manyarts centers and concert halls. After all, Koreais a cultural power that not only churns outtop artists but attracts the best from all overthe world. Here’s a rundown of four othergreat facilities where you can catch musicals,operas, art exhibitions and much more.

Chungmu Art HallLocated in the Jung-gu area of Seoul,

Chungmu Art Hall is now staging the musical“Frankenstein,” 0the play “Hero of MyHeart” and more. With five spaces — theGrand theater, Black theater, Blue theater,Chungmu Gallery and Convention Center —this venue is known for its sophisticated light-ing and sound system and presents diverse

genres of music, musicals, plays and ballet.

Sejong Center for the PerformingArtsOpened in 1978, the Sejong Center for the

Performing Arts is where you can hear, watchand enjoy renowned Korean art groupsincluding the Seoul Metropolitan TraditionalMusic Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Chorus,Seoul Metropolitan Opera and SeoulMetropolitan Theatre. From chamber musicand K-pop to photography and calligraphy,this is a venue that lets you explore art andhistory in the most inspiring of ways, in theheart of Seoul.

Daegu Opera HouseShaped like a grand piano, the Daegu

Opera House is a landmark of Daegu andwhere visitors from near and far can enjoyworld-class operas as well as classes on howto enjoy opera. The venue, located in Daegu,the capital of North Gyeongsang Province,also holds the popular Daegu Opera Festivalevery year.

Seongnam Arts CenterLocated in the city of Seongnam, this arts

center includes the Opera House, ConcertHall and Ensemble Theater. On the programfor this year are the Czech PhilharmonicOrchestra, a play by Victor Hugo called“Mille Francs de Recompense,” a perform-ance by Korean conductor/cellist Han-NaChang and much more. The center also runstwo multipurpose art halls. With top notchsound/stage facilities and even lecture roomsfor diverse genres of art, the Seongnam ArtsCenter is the ideal place to indulge the artistin you.

By Young Changyoung.chang@kotra.or.kr

On Stage Korea offers a wide range of performance venues for art

lovers of all genres

• The locations above are just a fewof Korea’s many arts centers. Formore information, please visit theMinistry of Culture, Sports andTourism’s website atwww.mct.go.kr.

:: FYI ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::