Japanese metal idol group Broken by the Scream performing in Harrisburg, April 2027.

The Japanese metal idol group Broken by the Scream will perform in Harrisburg on April 30, 2027, part of next year's "World Tour" in North America. Tickets for the show at the Capital City Music Hall go on sale October 30 at 10:00 am.

Pittsburgh Taiko Beginner Classes, November 15, 22, December 6, 13.

Pittsburgh Taiko will hold its next installment of Beginner Classes from November 15.

Learn taiko drumming with Pittsburgh Taiko!

On Sunday mornings starting November 15, Pittsburgh Taiko will hold a four-week introductory class. This class is for people who are interested in joining our performing group or anyone who wants to just give taiko a try.

Taiko combines energetic hits with calm focus, balances group unity with individual expression, and requires both power and subtlety.

Each class is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at our studio in Bellevue.

Dates and times for the four-week course:

Class 1: Sunday, November 15, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 2: Sunday, November 22, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 3: Sunday, December 6, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 4: Sunday, December 13, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
No experience is necessary! If you recently took one of our workshops, this will be a more in-depth study of some of the topics we introduced there.

These classes are designed for adults and older kids (high school or older). Discounted rates are available for full-time students and JASP members.

Note that our studio is a masked space, and unfortunately it is not accessible to folks who can't climb stairs.

A set of frequently-asked questions are answered on the Pittsburgh Taiko website. The cost is $40 for high school students, college students, and Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania members, and $50 for the general public, and registration is completed online.

Concerts from TXT, Enhypen, SEVENTEEN, BTS in Pittsburgh, from October 24 for HyBe CINEFEST.

Several concert films from Korean pop groups will be in Pittsburgh-area theaters from October 24 through 31 as part of an HyBe CINEFEST series of movies.

• October 24 - 31 - HYBE Cheering Party 
• October 24, 25 - BTS ARIRANG in Buenos Aires: Live Viewing
• October 24, 29, 30 - TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR 'ACT : TOMORROW'
• October 25, 27, 28 - ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'BLOOD SAGA' 
• October 26, 28, 31 - SEVENTEEN World Tour New_
• October 30, 31 - BTS ARIRANG in Sao Paolo: Live Viewing

Tickets are available online.

Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi, November 8 at Omni William Penn Hotel.

The Omni William Penn Hotel will host a Candlelight Concert: The Best of Joe Hisaishi on November 8.

Rediscover the moving soundscapes of Joe Hisaishi, whose unforgettable compositions have brought some of cinema's most beloved stories to life. Hear melodies from Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and more by the warm glow of Candlelight.

This concert experience is a tribute. It is not associated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the artist, their heirs or their official representatives.

Programme: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Kaze no Tani, Laputa: Castle in the Sky - Kimi wo Nosete, My Neighbour Totoro - Kaze no Toori Michi, My Neighbour Totoro - Main Theme, Kiki's Delivery Service - Umi no Mieru Machi, Princess Mononoke - Main Theme, Spirited Away - Inochi no Namae, Spirited Away - Chihiro's Waltz, The Tale of Princess Kaguya - When I Remember This Life, Ponyo - Gake no Ue no Ponyo, The Wind Rises - A Journey (A Dream of Flight), Howl's Moving Castle - Merry Go Round of Life.

Performed live by Listeso String Quartet (string quartet).

The concert starts at 8:45 pm and tickets are available online. The hotel is located at 530 William Penn Place downtown (map). 

Mei Semones performing in Pittsburgh, May 8, 2027.

Mei Semones will perform in Pittsburgh on May 8, 2027.

At 26, the Brooklyn-based Japanese American guitarist and singer-songwriter — already named an Artist to Watch by The New York Times and Stereogum, and Artist You Need to Know byRolling Stone and The FADER — has developed a sound that brings together jazz, bossa nova, samba and grungy math rock without treating any of them as separate worlds. Her bilingual songwriting works in much the same way. Few songwriters weave between languages as naturally as Semones does, slipping between English and Japanese within the same song —sometimes the same line — and letting both languages become part of the music itself. As she puts it, writing in both languages “felt more true to myself.”

A fuller biography is available on her website. Doors for the all-ages show at Spirit open at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00. Tickets are available online. Spirit is located at 242 51st St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to present "Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY," July 31, 2027.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform "Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY" on July 31, 2027.

FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY – Eternal

Were you there forty years ago when the “Prelude” played for the first time? Were you there thirty years ago when “Opening - Bombing Mission” first brought players to Midgar? Whether your adventures started in Cornelia, Eorzea, Valisthea, or elsewhere, we invite you and your fellow warriors of light to continue your journey with this new concert series.

Our special 40th anniversary program celebrates the enduring music of Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura, and Masayoshi Soken, brought to life by a full orchestra and chorus and conducted by Maestro Arnie Roth. HD videos created by SQUARE ENIX accompany the music, celebrating four decades of FINAL FANTASY and the evolution of video game technology.

The event starts at 7:30 pm at Heinz Hall in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.  

Concert film EXO PLANET #6 – ExhOrizon [dot] IN CINEMAS in Pittsburgh, November 8.

The upcoming concert film EXO PLANET #6 – ExhOrizon [dot] IN CINEMAS will play in Pittsburgh on November 8.

EXhOrizon [dot] is coming to the big screen! EXO-L, wherever you are—let’s meet at the cinema. 🌍✨ Feel every beat, catch every detail, and share every fan chant as EXO’s powerful performances and spectacular stage production come to life with cinema sound. Gather your fellow EXO-L and join fans around the world for the final chapter of EXO PLANET #6. One stage. A world of EXO-L. One unforgettable experience.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Stray Kids World Tour 'RUN IT' Live Viewing in Pittsburgh, November 7.

An upcoming concert film Stray Kids World Tour 'RUN IT' live viewing will be held in Pittsburgh on November 7.

For the first time, Stray Kids presents a special live broadcast of ‘Stray Kids World Tour ’ from Tokyo Dome in movie theaters around the globe. True to the tour's title, captures the group's drive to push into bigger worlds and bolder stages. The eight members (Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N) pour out unrelenting energy through explosive choreography and powerhouse vocals, elevating the live experience to its peak. Their stage begins with “Hall of Fame,” a track that expresses Stray Kids’ ambition to write their own history, tracing their musical growth from the very beginning to where they are now. The production is enriched further by dynamic stage setups, traditional Korean performance touches, and spectacular laser lighting, designed to bring the crowd — in the dome and at the cinema — to their feet, singing, dancing and celebrating together.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Taiwanese musician Nini performing in Pittsburgh area (New Kensington), October 20.

Taiwanese musician Nini will perform in the Pittsburgh area on October 20 as part of her "East Goes West 2026" tour. From her official website, describing her as a "musical shapeshifter":

Nini, a distinguished musician hailing from Taiwan, has dedicated over two decades to mastering and performing traditional Chinese folk instruments. Her extensive experience has taken her on tours across Europe, the USA, Canada, China, Japan, and throughout her homeland. Nini's innovative approach to music involves playing genres such as heavy metal, rock, and EDM on traditional instruments like the Ruan, Liuqin, and San Xian. She also performs on a unique electric lute known as the DaoYu, which she uses to create a distinctive and modern sound that bridges cultural and musical boundaries.

The shows starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. Preserving Underground is located at 1101 5th Ave., roughly 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh (map).

Documentary Always Lalisa in Pittsburgh area, October 12, 14, and 17.

An upcoming documentary Always Lalisa, following Blackpink's Lisa, will play in the Pittsburgh area on October 12, 14, and 17.

Always Lalisa is a feature-length documentary following global superstar LISA during a transformative year away from Blackpink, the K-pop phenomenon that made her one of the world's most recognizable performers. As the group pauses activities, LISA embarks on the first true chapter of her solo career, confronting the question of who she is beyond Blackpink. The film follows LISA as she writes, records, and releases her debut solo album, Alter Ego, makes her acting debut in the third season of The White Lotus, and prepares for her first major solo performance at the 2025 Coachella Music Festival. Born and raised in Thailand, LISA left home at fourteen to train in South Korea's demanding K-pop system, ultimately rising to global superstardom. But forging her own path, particularly in the Western music market, brings new pressures, relentless scrutiny, and the challenge of redefining herself on her own terms. Intimate, emotional, and revealing, Always Lalisa captures an artist at a crossroads, documenting a year of risk, reinvention, and self-discovery as LISA begins to define not only her next chapter, but the woman and artist she wants to become.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Monroeville, and tickets are available online.

Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble return to Pittsburgh, October 15.

Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble will return to Pittsburgh on October 15.

ALASH ensemble is a trio of master throat singers (xöömeizhi) from Tuva, a tiny republic in the heart of Inner Asia. The ancient art of throat singing (xöömei) developed among the nomadic herdsmen of this region. Alash remains grounded in this tradition while expanding its musical vocabulary with new ideas from the West.

The group will perform at the First Unitarian Church in Shadyside (map) from 8:00 pm. Tickets are available for purchase in-person at Caliban Book Shop (Oakland), Jerry's Records (Squirrel Hill), Vinyl Remains (Mt. Lebanon), Government Center Records (North Side), and Pleasant Dreams Records (Polish Hill), or online via Humanitix (charges 10% service fee).

Concert film SB19 Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale In Cinemas, with Filipino boy band SB19, in Pittsburgh October 8 and 11.

The upcoming concert film SB19 Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale In Cinemas, following Filipino boy band SB19, will play in Pittsburgh on October 8 and 11.

From the Philippines to the world, SB19’s historic Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale comes to cinemas worldwide. Captured before a record breaking crowd of nearly 100,000 fans, the film showcases the group’s biggest hits, spectacular production, and world class performances that have made SB19 one of Asia’s most influential acts. Presented in SCREENX and 4DX, audiences can experience the scale, sound, and energy of the concert like never before. Experience the power of GENTO, What?, and DAM as the Philippines’ biggest pop phenomenon takes over the big screen in an unforgettable celebration of music, fandom, and legacy. More than a concert film, it is the story of a movement– one built by five artists, millions of fans, and a dream that helped redefine Filipino music for a new generation.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson and, on the 11th, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Jasmine M. Cho's The K-pop Kitchen book launch event, with Kpop dance workshop and Random Play Dance, October 9.

Join local artist and author Jasmine M. Cho for the launch of her new book The K-pop Kitchen on October 9 at Level Up Studios, followed by a Kpop dance workshop and a Random Play Dance party. The event runs from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, including a book signing from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, a Kpop Dance Workshop from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, and a Random Play Dance Kpop Dance Party from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. And, each purchase of the book, either at the event or pre-ordered, enters you into an entry for one dozen custom cookies made by Jasmine. (More details are available at her social media post.) RSVP required. Level Up Studios is a dance studio located at 4836 Penn Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

More about the book, from Jasmine's website:

Korean Recipes and Idol Fun Facts for Fans of Kpop Demon Hunters, BLACKPINK, BTS, and More

I wrote this cookbook for fans of K-pop who want to learn more about Korean culture and its food <3

Loaded with delicious Korean dishes that K-pop groups like BTS, TWICE, H.O.T., and HUNTR/X would enjoy on and off the stage, The K-pop Kitchen presents recipes for delicious Korean snacks, meals, and treats that define the most iconic elements of South Korean culture.

Slurp up some delicious preshow ramyeon, heat up some voice-soothing samgyetang, or explore the lineage of K-pop with recipes from the Joseon Dynasty. For a quick snack inspired by street food from Seoul, learn how to make gimbap, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), or Korean corn dogs. And don’t forget a treat: From hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes) to bingsu (Korean shaved ice), this book will transport you backstage as you make delicious meals at home.

Concert film TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR 'ACT : TOMORROW' in Pittsburgh, October 24, 29, 30.

The concert film TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR 'ACT : TOMORROW' will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on October 24, 29, and 30.

Like shining stars, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s fourth world tour 'ACT : TOMORROW' unfolds as a dazzling journey toward the tomorrow they promised together. From its beautiful storytelling to the stunning production and powerful live performances that captivated MOA around the world, experience the immersive energy of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s spectacular world tour on the big screen!

It plays locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Concert film ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'BLOOD SAGA' in Pittsburgh, October 25, 27, 28.

The upcoming concert film ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'BLOOD SAGA' will play in the Pittsburgh area October 25, 27, and 28.

ENHYPEN’s ongoing world tour ‘BLOOD SAGA’ continues to captivate audiences around the world. Relive the unforgettable Seoul concert that marked the beginning of the ‘BLOOD SAGA’, where a mesmerizing dark fantasy comes to life. The members' fierce, synchronized choreography and a spectacular, breathtaking stage design emerge from the red glow and deep darkness. Experience the intense band-style sound and the unrivaled vampire universe that only ENHYPEN can deliver in cinemas!

It plays locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemkark theaers in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available onilne.

Concert film SEVENTEEN World Tour New_ in Pittsburgh, October 26, 28, 31.

The upcoming concert film SEVENTEEN World Tour New_ will play in the Pittsburgh area on October 26, 28, and 31.

Celebrating their 10th debut anniversary, SEVENTEEN embarks on a world tour fueled by their determination for a fresh start, just like the title 'NEW_'. With their unrivaled stage presence and explosive energy, SEVENTEEN once again proves their unlimited potential. Experience the blazing heat of the concert—bursting with each member’s unique charm—right on the big screen!

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Korean pansori pop band Leenalchi (이날치) in Pittsburgh, November 2.

The Korean pansori pop band Leenalchi (이날치) will perform in Pittsburgh on November 2, part of its world tour spanning Canada, the US, Europe, and an August show in Incheon. A brief biography, from the band's official site:

Imagine a musical version of Hamlet set to a juicy, tripped-out bass hook.

The psychedelic riffs are courtesy of Jang Young Gyu (that’s Mr. Jang to you), Leenalchi’s enigmatic leader. Born in 1968, Mr. Jang has witnessed the unprecedented popularity of Korean culture reach every corner of the planet from within. Even on this EP, you’ll find evidence of that reach in their cover of “Let’s Live for Today” by Los Angeles rock band, The Grass Roots. Leenalchi’s version was originally recorded for Kagonada’s acclaimed adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel, Pachinko, and was used as the theme song in the final episode.

In a landscape dominated by the K-pop industry, Mr. Jang represents the country’s small but dedicated indie music scene; he is also a prestigious film composer, scoring soundtracks for some of Korea’s most celebrated movies like Train to Busan, The Wailing, and The Good, the Bad, the Weird.

The band performs at 8:00 pm at the Warhol Museum, part of its Sound Series. Tickets are available online. The Andy Warhol Museum is located at 117 Sandusky Street on the North Shore (map).

HYBE Cheering Party in Pittsburgh-area theater, from October 24.

An upcoming HYBE Cheering Party will play in the Pittsburgh area from October 24 through October 31.

The heat of cheering for HYBE artists unfolds in cinemas! Sing along with your favorite HYBE Artists in 3D! A one-of-a-kind game-like cheering screening is coming, where fans can chant fan cheers and wave their light sticks while watching the music videos of BTS, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, ILLIT, KATSEYE, aoen, CORTIS, and SANTOS BRAVOS on the big screen. Join this unforgettable celebration filled with diverse music, passionate fan energy, and a dazzling wave of Light Sticks!

It plays locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Filipino-Icelandic singer-songwriter Yaelokre performing in Pittsburgh, November 14.

Filipino-Icelandic singer-songwriter Yaelokre will perform in Pittsburgh on November 14.

If you ever feel as if music has lost its capacity for surprise, the beguiling wonder and infinite creativity of Yaelokre will respark your belief. The Filipino-Icelandic artist - real name Keath Ósk (they/it) - fuses three imaginative strands to their visionary expression: intimate, innocent folk infused with leftfield surrealism and instant pop accessibility; artwork which is intricately detailed and beautifully alluring; and storytelling which brings personal experience and poetry into rich, fable-like narratives. What’s more, all three of these elements are crafted by this one visionary artist.

The scale of the fantastical world they have created is vast, both in terms of narrative and lore. But its essence is relatively simple. The songs are set in the fictional world of Meadowlark and chart the adventures of four masked children who comprise a musical ensemble known at The Lark: Cole Seymour, Clémente Dearworth, Peregrine August, and Kingsley. They perform as representatives of The Harkers, mythical beings who express the fundamental principles of nature, wonder and chaos. What’s more, Yaelokre voices all of the different characters within their universe.

The show starts at 8:00 pm, doors at 7:00, at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale (map). Tickets are available online.

Music at Main: Album Listening Club – “KPop Demon Hunters” Movie Soundtrack, September 26 at Carnegie Library in Oakland.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main Branch is hosting "Music at Main: Album Listening Club – “KPop Demon Hunters” Movie Soundtrack" on September 26.

It’s like a book club, but for music! This month’s album is the “KPop Demon Hunters” Movie Soundtrack. We’ll play some tracks, talk about its history and share what the album means to us. Held in the North Wing Music Room.

It runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm and is free and open to the public. The Main branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by numerous city bus lines.