Reopened Yongsan Art Hall to Host Two-Day "K-Popera Festival"

November 13-14... Chairman Lim Hyeong-ju to serve as artistic director general

A two-day popera festival will be held at Yongsan Art Hall in Seoul, which reopened this month after renovations.

Yongsan Cultural Foundation, under the Seoul district of Yongsan-gu, headed by district chief Kim Gyeong-dae, announced on October 21 that it will hold the “K-Popera Festival in Yongsan with Lim Hyeong-ju” at Yongsan Art Hall on November 13 and 14. The foundation said this is the first time in Korea that a two-day event has been held under the name “Popera Festival.”

Provided by Yongsan-gu.

Popera singer and foundation chairman Lim Hyeong-ju will serve as artistic director general. Kim Hyun-su of Forte di Quattro, the winning team from Season 1 of JTBC’s “Phantom Singer,” will serve as artistic director. According to the foundation, Chairman Lim will receive neither compensation for his director-general duties nor a performance fee.

At 7:30 p.m. on November 13, the first day, “Popera Class with John Noh (Ravidence)” will be held at Garam Small Theater. Before John Noh, who is also a professor at Kangnam University, gives a special lecture on popera, Chairman Lim will hold a master class with emerging tenor Lee Jeonghyeon, an alumnus of Hanyang University. The established Korean popera group Poète will also give a congratulatory performance.

At 6 p.m. on November 14, the main event, the “K-Popera Gala Concert,” will be held at Mir Grand Theater. Eight performers from Seasons 1 through 4 of “Phantom Singer” will take the stage: Kim Hyun-su and Lee Byeori (Forte di Quattro), Paek Intae (Duetto), Kwak Donghyeon (Popular Phenomenon), Ahn Sekwon (Edel Reinklang), Seo Youngtaek (Fortena), Koo Bonsu, and Choi Yongho.

Chairman Lim said, “I will do everything I can to help Yongsan-gu become more than just the center of Seoul: I will work to make it a hub of K-culture in Korea and a command center for culture and the arts reaching out to the world.” Artistic Director Kim Hyun-su said, “I hope this festival will raise the artistic standing of K-popera and become a celebratory event that everyone can enjoy together, transcending the boundaries between classical and popular music.”

Admission to the November 13 popera class is by invitation only. The foundation will accept registrations for up to 300 people on a first-come, first-served basis through its website starting November 2, with priority given to Yongsan-gu residents and music majors. Tickets for the November 14 gala concert are available through NOL and YES24. Early-bird ticket buyers can receive a 30% discount on up to six tickets per person, while Yongsan-gu residents can receive a 50% discount on up to four tickets per person. For inquiries, contact the Yongsan Cultural Foundation’s Performing Arts Team at 070-4173-4511.

Yongsan Art Hall reopened on October 6 after extensive renovations, 16 years after it first opened.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.