It is not often that we get to see a top notch writer of Korean heritage writing about Korea in New Yorker. On the heel of the successfully ended, and politically loaded Winter Olympic Games 2018, here is a personal glimpse of hope for the two Koreas by the best-selling author of Pachinko and National Book Award finalist Min Jin Lee.
"After the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Healing the Deepest Fracture…"
Congratulations to Do Yeon Kim and Chase Morrin, who have performed in KACF concerts since 2017. The duo performs under the name GaPi which derives from Ga(yaguem) and Pi(ano) of which Do Yeon and Chase are young masters. The groups first album that was produced in Korea through the prestigious CJ Culture Foundation’s support, has recently been nominated as the best album in the Jazz/Crossover category for the Korean Popular Music Awards (the Korean equiv. to the Grammys according to the media). The album contains several pieces that were introduced to KACF audience during the Elegy for the Fallen (2017) and Spring Awakening (2018) concerts. Here are videos that captured the exciting performance at the time:
Chase Morrin (Harvard/NEC and Berklee) and Do Yeon Kim (Seoul National University/NEC) have performed for KACF concerts last year and earlier this year with enthusiastic response from the Boston area audience. This Summer, they crossed the Pacific ocean to do the same for the Korean audience. Read Do Yeon’s interview with the official blog of the CJ Cultural Foundation at the following link:
Congratulations to MT Foumai whose Korean-folk music inspired piece Village Music had been premiered in Boston in our Gala concert of 2015.
The following is an excerpt taken from the University of Hawaii's News article:
Michael-Thomas Foumai, a lecturer in the University of Hawaii Manoa Department of Music, has won a 2017 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Foundation (ASCAP) young composer award that encourages talented young creators of concert music. Foumai's award-winning 25-minute long composition—featuring a flute, cello and piano—is titled Manookian Murals.It was first performed in December 2016 by the Dolce Suono Ensemble in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Past winners of the Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the country’s most prestigious and visible award for young composers from ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), include Pulitzer-Prize winning composers Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Jay Kernis and Kevin Puts.
"Manookian’s work had an immediate impact that touched upon all my senses," said Foumai. "One could see, hear and nearly smell and taste the ancient Hawaiʻi that he envisioned."
For more information on Foumai and "Manookian Murals,” and to hear a snippet of the composition, visit the “Manookian Murals” website.
"We are so proud of Michael being one of the recipients of this prestigious award," said Lawrence Paxton, chair of the Department of Music. "He highlights the vitality of our faculty and the uniqueness of our nationally respected Music Department and its innovative programs."
Added ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, "Nurturing young talent is an essential part of The ASCAP Foundation’s mission. We congratulate these gifted young composters ranging in age from 15 to 30 and thank our dedicated panel of ASCAP members who selected composers from approximately 550 submissions."
http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2017/04/06/foumai-young-composers-award/
Belmont World Film will screen the East Coast premiere of the Korean film THE WORLD OF US as part of the 14th Annual Family Festival on Saturday, January 14, at 3:15 PM at the Studio Cinema in Belmont, MA.
According to the organizer of the Festival, it is one of the most beautiful films ever about childhood friendship and not to be missed!
THE WORLD OF US
Saturday, January 14, 3:15 PM
Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA
Directed by Ga-eun Yoon
South Korea | 2016 | 95 min. | Korean with subtitles | Age 8+ ($9)
Sun, a 10 year-old girl from a poor family, is an outcast at school. During summer vacation she meets wealthy Jia, who moves to town to live with her grandmother because her parents are too busy to care for her. The two become best friends, but when school starts, Jia starts to hang out with the cool girls and distances herself from Sun. The two girls eventually realize they have more in common than they think. A rare vivid and delicate portrayal of the life of children.
Tickets: $9. Purchase in advance at http://www.ticketor.com/belmontworldfilm/event/the-world-of-us-24366?treferrer=SJK
A gentle reminder about our upcoming concert. It will be at the beautiful space at the St. Paul's church of Brookline, just a block away in the neighborhood. Check out the amazing performers lined up:
This is a paid concert; tickets are available online here. To find more about the concert, please check out its FB event page.
This is in from our friends at KCB:
On Saturday May 14, the Korean Church of Boston will be hosting a “Voice of Harmony Concert” to benefit our sister church in need. Previously, thanks to your help, we have been able to successfully sponsor “a benefit concert for Syrian Refugees” and “a benefit for North Korean refugees” to contribute to their aid. We hope that this benefit concert will also be used to support our neighbors.
The concert program includes classical and jazz works by Mozart, Piazzola, Gershwin, and Strauss, spanning diverse genres for the enjoyment of many.
In addition, the impressive lineup of performers includes winners of several national and international competitions, and those actively involved in various areas of music. We look forward to their demonstration of the depth and beauty of their artistic mastery.
The first half of the concert will showcase the crossover from classical pieces such as Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante to semi-classical pieces such as Gershwin’s Summer Time. The second half will demonstrate the beauty of jazz in Piazzola’s masterpiece the “Four Season of Buenos Aires” as well as other music performed by a piano trio an a jazz ensemble.
You may purchase the ticket on-line at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-of-harmony-concert-tickets-24551621561
Seungho Jang (bass) is graduating from Berklee with a Master’s degree this summer, but before that he had some business to finish. One of them was to play as a member of the Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors group in the Bimhuis Amsterdam, winning the first prize! Also shown in the photo is the drummer Noam Israeli (far right) who played in Seungho Jang Quintet last Summer. Congratulations. How do you cash a big check like that?
Seungho was earlier this year captured on the stage with the legendary saxophonist Joe Lovano. Sweet.
Terra Han, the gayageum player who headlined the Korean Cultural Festival in 2013 is busy in Korea and in the US. Recently she sent a news of giving a seminar in KAIST, the Korean Advanced Institute of Technology. She also performed several versions of Gayageum.
Michael-Thomas Foumai, whose chamber piece Village Music was one of the highlights of our recent Gala Concert, had his orchestral piece performed by the prestigious American Composers Orchestra in their annual SONiC festival (Sound of a new century - Zankell Hall ) during its Grand Finale. The concert featured five pieces by American composers, all World premiers, and Dr. Foumai’s work, titled “The Spider Thread”- "recounted a rapturous and frantic dash for spiritual salvation—an orchestral high-wire climb, before the thread snaps.” according to the director of the concert.
Many of KACF friends would remember TeRra Han, the main performer (Gayageum and Dance) of our first Gala Concert in 2013. Ms Han has since played at prestigious stages around the world, in Paris, Tokyo, Beizing and Seoul, and most recently, last October, gave a full Sanjo concert at the Andrew Weill recital hall at the famed Carnegie Hall.
You may check out the review of the event by the local press in NYC here.
Also have a taste of the full(!) Sanjo — probably the same piece as given at the Carnegie Hall, as captured from a recent concert in Tokyo here:
Click on the poster of the event below to visit the archive of the whole evening:
To view the photos from the event, click on the image below:
Scenes from the first rehearsal of the pieces
Oyuwa - a concerto for 25-string Gayageum
Village Music by Michael-Thomas Foumai
Many of our musician friends who performed in Oasis Cafe or other sponsored events have graduated, moved on and are busy building their career. As of this summer, we have many great news from them!
I-Yun Chung, the leader of the group Aires de Argentina, who brought exciting world music to early days of the Oasis cafe series, had moved to San Francisco a while back, and is now performing as the pianist to the group Tangonero. They expect a CD coming out soon. She also got married recently. Congratulations!
Seungho Jang, who graduated from Berklee recently is now starting the Master’s course at NEC on a scholarship. During his recent visit to Korea, he teamed up with Kiwoong Choi (drums) and Jaehun Kang (piano - now at the Juilliard School of Music) for the old-times’ sake.
Both Kiwoong and Jaehoon seem very happy performing together.
Sumie Kaneko, the Japanese Koto and Shamisen player as well as a superb fusion jazz singer, has recently performed and conversed with an enthusiastic audience at the Museum of Fine Arts. A class act, adding some prestige to her busy resume!
Yumi Bae, who had played for us on several occasions performed as the featured soloist with the Boston University Symphony Orchestra last Spring. The piece was Bloch’s Schelomo, a notoriously difficult rhapsody, but beautifully pulled off.
Kudos to Eunhye Jeong, the leader of Sigimsae, the Berklee - Korean fusion group that had given us the memorable opening number at KCF60. After her graduation, she put out her first CD. It is the fruit of her successful crowd-funding campaign.
TeRra Han, the Kayageum player, has been busy back in Korea for the past year with CDs and performances at the prestigious stages in Korea, Japan and China. This Fall, she will continue her series of full Sanjo performance, including a recital at the Carnegie Hall!
Echae Kang, the jazz violinist, has been busy back in Korea, and there is a growing recognition of her talent. In addition to the duo activities (Echae EnRoute) around the performance scene at the famed Hong-Dae area, she had a series of tour concerts around Italy earlier this Summer.
Eunae Anna Koh, the NEC violinist, who also performed at several events held at ECC chapel, recently placed the 2nd winner at the prestigious Michael Hill International Violin Competition held in New Zealand. You can “hear" the Brahms concerto flowing out of the photo below.
Hiro Honshuku, the veteran jazz musician, and his group Racha Fora have been actively performing in this area as well as in Japan, and they had a new CD out this Summer. It is a tribute to Miles Davis.
We feel very lucky to have had these talented people for our stage.
Eunae Koh, the NEC violinist, familiar from several recent performances for KACF, performed the Brahms concerto with the NEC orchestra recently:
Seungho Jang who also performed for the the Korean Cultural Festival(KCF) of 2013, as well as leading several Oasis Cafe Jazz concert recently had his recital (along with Kyumin Shim on piano) at Berklee. Here is a scene from the event:
Nayoung Baik, the Berklee violinist, who also performed during the KCF, also gave her senior recital:
Terra Han, who had headlined the KCF just had a solo recital, performing one of the Sanjo pieces complete at a prestigious venue in Korea.
Yumi Bae, the cellist, who played several pieces, some with Ms Han, for KCF and other Oasis cafe concerts, also had one of her recitals toward her doctoral degree, at the Boston University.
Miho Sato, the soprano, who led an interesting concert along with her Japanese friends, is having a Spring concert at St. Paul’s Church, our neighbor:
Sumie Kaneko, our dear friend musician, from KCF as well as Miho’s concert, is becoming a regular headliner in the Dhaka music festival. Here is a picture from last December:
Isaku Kageyama, the Taiko player, performing recently in the East Coast Taiko Conference:
KACF co-sponsors the Spring Concert by Hwaum Boston Chamber Orchestra. The program features the Overture to Der Freishutz, Beethoven’s Symphony No 3 and Grieg’s Piano concerto. (Yoo Jin Noh, pianist) Mark your calendar 3.21 (Sat) 7:30 PM at Granoff Music Center, Tufts University.
This event is now scheduled for [Mar 21 Sat 7:30 PM]
The concert is to be held at ECC Children’s chapel at the Korean Church of Boston, 32 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA.
Free admission.
For more information about the performers and previous concerts, visit the organizer’s web site at http://www.snowingmap.com.
For information about Dong-ju Yun, one of the most beloved poets in Korea, here is the Wiki entry about his brief life.
서시(序詩):
죽는 날까지 하늘을 우러러 한 점 부끄럼 없기를
잎새에 나는 바람에도 나는 괴로와 했다
별을 노래하는 마음으로 모든 죽어가는 것을 사랑해야지
그리고 나에게 주어진 길을 걸어가야겠다
오늘 밤에도 별이 바람에 스치운다
The proem:
Till my last, to suffer not a blot of shame on looking up at heaven,
My heart has been tormented by mere rustlings of the leaves.
In a spirit of chanting stars, I shall love all the moribund lives.
Then, let me walk on my path given.
The wind whisks by stars as ever on this even.
As part of the Berklee Global Jazz in Panama team, Seungho Jang performed in many concerts in the region, as well as in the Jazz Club of Danilo Perez, one of the most famous jazz pianists of his generation.
Upon returning from the tour, Seungho then played with professor Hey Rim Jeon of Berklee in her public radio appearance with WICN.
Kyumin Shim, who played piano during the Korean Cultural Festival last year as well as in Oasis cafe with Kiwoong Choi, performed as the pianist of the Anthony Fung quintet in the Regattar Bar in Cambridge, one of the most prestigious jazz stages in the Boston area. The group’s first CD is out and available on iTunes for purchase at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chronicles/id891285933 Congratulations!
Echae Kang, the superb violinist who graced one of the oasis cafe concerts two years ago with the Aires de Argentina group, is back in Korea impressing the audience around the lively Hong-Dae and ITaewon areas with various jazz groups.
Kiwoong Choi, the veteran drummer who became friends with Oasis Cafe audience through his multiple concerts is back in Korea after a month of walking along the Camino de Satiago in Spain. When he is not busy fending off pressure from his parents to get married, he is also playing some music!
Hwaum Boston Chamber Orchestra (Jinwook Park, music director - www.hwaumboston.org ) has its first concert of the 2014-15 season at the First Church in Cambridge. (9.27. Sat. 7:30 PM; 20$/ticket, Students Free) The program includes pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Janacek, Schoenberg and Respighi.
Hwaum was founded in 2013 to help and sponsor young musicians and enrich our cultural life through classical music concerts. Each season, Hwaum gives two regular concerts as well as the chamber music series and various charity concerts. In the last season, they included concerts for the North Korean Refugees, Blessed Lament (for KACF), and the memorial concert for the victims of Seweol accident.
In coming months, it will also perform in Rhode Island (10.5), as part of the 250th anniversary of Brown University festivities. For tickets and other information, contact sooihnee@comcast.net or 978.821.9434.
Last October, KACF co-sponsored the Korean Cultural Festival in which the Kayageum player TeRra Han graced the concert along with many musicians familiar from our recent concerts. Among the highlights, the concert featured an interesting juxtaposition of the highly experimental Paintbrush Orchestra and the footages of video art by Nam June Paik who is considered the father of the modern video art. Last May, TeRra had her own spin on Nam June Paik, playing music by the eminent classical composer Sukhi Kang of Korea in the prestigious National Modern Art Museum as well as at the Seoul National University. The concert also featured the German musician Roland Breitenfelt on electronic sound.
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Sumie Kaneko, another dear musician friend of ours, spent a busy Summer week as the invited performer for the Dhaka Summer Concert in Bangladesh.
