The Korea Herald

NY Philharmonic names new executive director

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Philharmonic has named a new executive director to tackle huge financial shortfalls at the nation‘s oldest orchestra.Orchestra officials announced Wednesday that Matthew VanBesien will succeed Zarin Mehta.The 42-year-old VanBesien is currently the managing director of Australia’s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. VanBesien started his music career playing French horn for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.Mehta, brother of conductor Zubin Mehta, will retire at the end

Culture Jan. 5, 2012

Carter’s latest book offers lessons in faith

ATLANTA (AP) ― Jimmy Carter may never have been president if he didn’t go square dancing.The Georgia Democrat credits a rural square dance club he joined in 1953 with helping him win a state Senate seat by a scant 66 votes.“If I hadn’t received support from our square-dancing friends, I would have lost and never become a state senator,’’ he wrote in his latest book, “Through the Years with Jimmy Carter.’’ “And if that had occurred, I never would have run for office again.’’Carter has penned 26 d

Culture Jan. 5, 2012

Cast named for play based on Jayson Blair scandal

NEW YORK (AP) -- Producers of a new play inspired by the Jayson Blair plagiarism scandal at The New York Times have found the actor who will play the disgraced ex-journalist.The Atlantic Theater Company said Wednesday that Kobi Libii will play a Blair-like Times reporter in the world premiere of Gabe McKinley‘s play ``CQ/CX.’‘Libii, a Yale graduate and alumnus of Second City in Chicago, was in ``Perfect Harmony’‘ at the Acorn Theatre and ``The Tempest’‘ at the Porpentine Theater.The rest of the

Culture Jan. 5, 2012

Bonnie and Clyde guns to be auctioned in Missouri

Missouri (AP) ― Eighty years after their Depression-era robbery and murder spree captivated the country, Bonnie and Clyde continue to fascinate crime and history buffs.At least that’s the hope of a Missouri family selling a pair of rare weapons believed to have been seized from the outlaw couple’s Joplin hideout in 1933. The weapons are owned by the great-grandchildren of a Tulsa, Oklahoma, police detective who was given them by a police officer involved in the April 13, 1933 raid. The 45-calibe

Culture Jan. 5, 2012

Bonnie and Clyde guns to be auctioned in Missouri

Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’ musical earns new record

NEW YORK (AP) ― Look who’s got a big smile behind his mask on Broadway ― none other than the once-mocked Spider-Man.The Broadway League reported Tuesday that “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’’ took in a whopping $2,941,790 over nine performances last week, which is the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history.The Spider-Man show shatters the old record held by “Wicked,’’ which last January recorded the then-highest one-week take on Broadway with a $2,228,235 haul, though over eigh

Performance Jan. 4, 2012

Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’ musical earns new record

2012 ‘Korea Grand Sale’ begins

Shopping festival for foreign visitors from Jan. 9While K-pop and TV dramas may be the first two things that pop into one’s head at the word “Korea,” a real fan of the country knows that Korea is also a top shopping destination.From Jan. 9 through Feb. 29, Korea is offering a massive shopping festival for overseas visitors looking for a chance to open up their wallets on reasonably priced products, nice food and memorable events. Organized by the Visit Korea Committee, the “2012 Korea Grand Sale

Culture Jan. 4, 2012

Netflix original program puts New York mobster in Norway

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― Online film and television show titan Netflix will make its original programming debut in February with “Lilyhammer,” a “fish-out-of-water story” about a New York mobster starting anew in Norway.Steven Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s famed E Street Band, stars as Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano, who enters a federal witness protection to be given a new identity after providing authorities, according to Netflix.“I am very careful with my choices and this project was

Television Jan. 4, 2012

Japanese investor to restore ancient Roman pyramid

ROME (AFP) ― A Japanese businessman has agreed to invest around one million euros ($1.3 million) to restore a 2,000-year-old Roman pyramid in the Italian capital, La Repubblica daily reported this week. Yuzo Yagi, a fashion business owner from Osaka, is due to sign the agreement later this month and work on the pyramid, which was built in 18-12 B.C. as a tomb for a wealthy Roman, Gaius Cestius, is set to start in April, officials said.“His dream is to leave a mark in our country,” Rita Paris, wh

Culture Jan. 4, 2012

‘Help,’ ‘Bridesmaids’ earn nods for producer award

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― The historical epic “War Horse,’’ the Deep South drama “The Help,’’ the silent film “The Artist’’ and the wedding comedy “Bridesmaids’’ are in the running for top honors from the Producers Guild of America.Also nominated Tuesday for the guild’s big film prize are two George Clooney tales: the family drama “The Descendants’’ and the political saga “The Ides of March.’’ Two Paris stories made the cut, the family adventure “Hugo’’ and the romantic fantasy “Midnight in Paris.’’Rou

Film Jan. 4, 2012

Bonnie Raitt prepares first album in 7 years

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― Bonnie Raitt is releasing a new album in 2012, her first in seven years.“Slipstream,’’ out April 10, follows a long break from studio work for the Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member. She lost her parents, her brother and her best friend.“I hadn’t stopped moving in a very long time, so I really wanted to take a total break and not concentrate on making a new record or what I was going to do next,’’ Raitt said. “So that was really valuable because I waited

Performance Jan. 4, 2012

Bonnie Raitt prepares first album in 7 years

Korea’s ‘My Way’ going to Berlin fest

Korean war epic “My Way” by director Kang Je-kyu will be featured as one of Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama sidebars this year, the film’s distributor said Wednesday. Arguably Korea’s largest-ever movie with a budget of $30 million, and featuring an Asian all-star cast including Jang Dong-gun and Odagiri Joe, it spans the battlefield action of WWII from Japan to the Battle of Normandy. “My Way” is the third Korean movie to be invited to the Berlin fest’s Panorama section ― featurin

Film Jan. 4, 2012

Headphones back in vogue as ear buds falter

NEW YORK (AP) ― When iPods hit the scene 10 years ago, the small, white ear buds that came with the devices became the symbol for listening to music on the go.Today, that’s changing.More and more people are expressing themselves with pricey headphones, with some fashion-forward music lovers rocking updated versions of the oversized headsets popular in earlier eras.Bose has been known for its larger headphones in recent years, and now celebrities have taken note and aided in the resurgence of the

Culture Jan. 4, 2012

Headphones back in vogue as ear buds falter

U.K. artists feud over use of assistants

LONDON (AP) ― Two of Britain’s art superstars are squabbling about whether it’s acceptable to use assistants to create works of art.The argument pits painter David Hockney, just awarded Britain’s prestigious Order of Merit, against conceptual artist Damien Hirst.Hockney uses the poster for his upcoming Royal Academy show to state that all the works on exhibit were “made by the artist himself.’’Radio Times magazine reported Tuesday that Hockney said in an interview that the comment was directed a

Culture Jan. 4, 2012

Louvre cements reputation as world’s most-visited museum

PARIS (AFP) ― The Louvre cemented its position as the world’s most-visited museum with a record 8.8 million visitors last year to the Paris home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and other masterpieces.The Louvre saw a five percent increase in visitors in 2011, after three years in a row in which about 8.5 million people had visited the museum, it said in a statement.The museum said it enjoyed “a strong return of American visits and a more and more marked presence of visitors from emerging countr

Culture Jan. 3, 2012

Louvre cements reputation as world’s most-visited museum

Artist Hockney jokes about appointment to Order of Merit

LONDON (AFP) ― British artist David Hockney has responded to his appointment to the Order of Merit with typical humor, saying he was glad his controversial campaign for smokers’ rights had not worked against him.Hockney, who came to prominence during the British pop art movement in the 1960s, was named as a member of the exclusive order on Sunday by Queen Elizabeth II.Accepting the royal honor is a turnaround for the 74-year-old who famously turned down a knighthood in 1990, has refused to paint

Culture Jan. 3, 2012

Articles by Shin Hae-in