By Kim Woo-joong
Korea Times intern
Citizens will be able to fight the summer heat wave by enjoying a variety of classical music for free at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall in August.
A city spokesman said Monday that the city has prepared midsummer night concerts based on the "classic" theme, such as "jazz classics," "cinema classics from film OSTs" and "pop classics."
The month of August at the plaza will be extra exciting because the city has arranged more diverse cultural programs, such as a ballet gala show, an opera "The Adventures of Pinocchio," a gugak (Korean traditional music) concert, and a gugak musical, "Wedding Day," which parents can enjoy with their children during the vacation.
"The Evening of Poems and Songs" will be staged, July 29. Reciting poems will be poets Lee Kun-cheong, Park Jong-chul, Lee Hee-ja, Yu An-jin and Moon Chi-hyo. Soprano Kim Hyang-ran, tenors Kang Moo-rim and Choi Sung-woo, baritone Noh Hee-sup and mezzo-soprano Kim Min-ah will also perform at the event.
On July 31st, visitors to the plaza can will be entertained by Jazzpark Bigband and singer Yoo Yeol in "Jazz Concert Sing Sing Sing."
In addition, "Ballet Gala Show" will be staged, Aug. 1, featuring all styles of ballet dances, from traditional, romantic and neoclassic to modern, in a chronological presentation.
Painter Han Jemma and saxophone player Lee Jung-sik will perform in a concert, ''Classic Meeting with Jazz'', Aug. 4. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Band and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Children's Band will play brass instruments, along with a musical gala show hosted by musical actors Ryu Soo-young and Han Ji-sang, cooling the hot summer night.
Quartet X and soprano Kim Won-jeong will introduce the performances and provide commentary on Aug. 10, and the Spanish Millennium Chorus will sing Korean songs, Aug. 18. Audiences will be able to hear original soundtracks from films at a semi-classical concert by musical actress Kim So-hyun and baritone Suh Jung-hak, Aug. 19.
All the events will run for 100 minutes from 7:30 through 9:10 p.m. with no program on Mondays.
For further information, visit the homepage of "Culture and Arts in Seoul Plaza" (http://www.casp.or.kr).