Sumi Jo Among Famous Korean Singers At 2014 Asian Games

South Korean soprano Sumi Jo performs
 a solo during the opening ceremony
 of the 2014 Asian Games at the Asiad
 Main Stadium in Incheon, South Korea.

"Pop sensation Psy was the star attraction as a dazzling opening ceremony, showcasing the glorious past and modern-day South Korea in a grand spectacle, launched the 17th Asian Games on Friday. The world's second-biggest multi-sports spectacle after the Olympic Games, that will see over 13000 competitors from 45 countries and regions vying for glory, was kick-started with singing, dancing, besides the expected fanfare and fireworks. The Games were declared open by South Korean President Park Geun-Hye with the words 'I declare open the 17th Asian Games," before celebrated actress Lee Young-ae lit up the flame resembling a fountain of cascading water. As Lee lighted the cauldron, dazzling fireworks lit up the evening sky. The second part of the opening ceremony consisted of two themed songs - 'New Asia, a Song of Hope' and 'Incheon'. 'New Asia, a song of hope' began with poet Ko Un reading 'Song for the Asiad', composed by Kim Young-dong, which was followed by Soprano Sumi Jo brilliantly singing the solo song which was followed by a 10-vocalist choir joining her with a large screen showing Incheon citizens reading the latter part of the poem. The song changed into Arirang, a very popular Korean folksong often sung as an unofficial national anthem. Then 'Incheon, a place for one Asia' expressed the Games hosting city as a bridge to unite Asia as one family and open the future of the continent." [Source]

Hei-Kyung Hong Wins $300,000 Ho-Am Prize From Samsung Group

The soprano in the MET Opera gallery.

"Samsung Group yesterday honored the five winners of the annual Ho-Am Prize, who were announced last month. Lee Sang-yup, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist), operatic soprano Hong Hei-kyung and three others received the prestigious award along with 300 million won ($294,319) each at the Ho-Am Art Hall in central Seoul. The other winners are Nam Hong-gil, a professor at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in Daegu, Seung K. Kim, a professor at Stanford University, and the Rev. Kim Ha-jong. 'The brilliant achievements of the recipients are proud assets for Korea and these people are models to emulate in our era,' said Kwun Sook-il, head of the National Academy of Sciences, during a congratulatory speech at the award ceremony yesterday. 'The winners of Ho-Am awards are the hope and future for our society.' About 550 leaders of Korean politics, business, academia, media, culture and sports, as well as foreign emissaries based in Korea, were in attendance, according to the Ho-Am Foundation. The Ho-Am Prize is given to Korean citizens who make the biggest contributions each year in science, engineering, medicine, the arts and philanthropy. The foundation said the winners are chosen through a four-month review process with seven expert panels screening candidates in each area." [Source]

Busan Opera House Architecture Directly Inspired by Music

"We've seen plenty of music houses sculpted around the concept of music--warm wood-paneled theaters that evoke the insides of instruments; symphony halls where a massive pipe organ becomes part of the architecture. But it's not often that the form of the building itself is driven by music. Anisotropia is a concept by Orproject for an opera house in South Korea where the music -- a composition for piano, to be exact -- shapes the building's form. The competition sponsored by the Busan Opera House hoped to bring ideas to light that could add another cultural destination to the port city. The basis for the opera house's design is a piece called Klavierstück I or Piano Piece No.1. Orproject's Christoph Klemmt composed the piece (he writes music on the side, but was trained as an architect). Like a piece of sheet music with its notes connected, a swooping web of lines dance up and down to make the "strips" in the building's facade and interior. 'In the composition we have the simple twelve tone row, and in the building the simple strips,' Klemmt tells Co.Design. 'Both of them are getting deformed and modulated to form the composition and the building.'" [Source]