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Think Korea 2006 – the Jae-Eun Park Ensemble

Details of an unusual event as part of Think Korea 2006:

Jae-Eun Park Ensemble with City of London Sinfonia

Date : 27 – 29 October 2006
Venue : SOAS & St Giles Cripplegate

Jae-eun Park

Programme

October 27, 7:30 pm

The Harmony within East & West
City of London Sinfonia
Dominic Wheeler, Conductor

Transformation for Orchestra by Heejung Ahn
Motion for Piano and Orchestra by Gui Sook Lee
Arirang for orchestra by Bang-Ja Hurh
Flame for Violin and Orchestra by Chan Hae Lee
Brahman Song by Jae Eun Park

October 28, 6:00 pm – The Harmony within East & West

Running time: 3 hours
Part I The Fragrance of Korea – GARAK

Szymborska’s Muse by Hyo-shin Na
Line, Plane, Space for Daekum, Kumungo and Kayagum by Yoon Hwa Min
Tangum by Young-Mee Lymn
Yu-jeok for Daegum, Piri and Percussion by Ji-hyang Kim
Lamentation for Kayagum and Kumungo by Boknam Lee
Love Song of a Pasqueflower for Kumungo by Young-Ja Lee
Within… for Daegum, Piri, 25-string Kayagum and Korean Percussion Instruments by Yong Nan Park

Part II The Beauty of Creation – Chamber Ensemble by CLS

Intrigued for Flute, Clarinet & Piano by Yanghee Kim
Plie Variations for Violoncello and Piano by IeDon Oh
Impetuoso by Sungji Hong
Memoir for Clarinet, Cello and Piano by Aseon Han
Reminiscence of Childhood by Yoon Hee Hwang
Monkumpo Variation by Hyun-Joo Lee
Whirlwind for Clarinet, Cello and Piano by Jiesun Lim

1. Introduction

1) Korean Society of Women Composers

The KSWC (Korean Society of Women Composers) was founded in 1981 by six composers, Young-Ja Lee, Kyungsun Suh, Bang-Ja Hurh, Chan-Hae Lee, and Sook-Ja Oh. The purpose of this foundation has been to promote Korean women composers and to support their creative works. Every year this foundations holds at least two performances in the Spring and Autumn. At these performances, only debut performances are premiered. These performances motivate women composers to utilize their creative energies for new innovations in the music field.

KSWC invites renowned composers and performers to give master classes and seminars in order to open up the music channels so that they are easily available to those who wish to attain them. Because of KSWC, the international community recognizes Korean women composers. KSWC publishes and releases albums and music scores of composers. For the past 25 years, KSWC has had performances which have presented more than 700 new pieces. Furthermore, close to 13 albums and music scores have been released.

KSWC was founded in 1981, and in 2001, to commemorate its founding a commemorations was held. At that time, student compositions were performed and in a separate concert, Korean women composers performed their chamber music concert I & II. Also in the same year, to remember, Isang Yun, a famous world-known composer whose hometown was Tong-Yeong, a concert (Tongyeong International Music Festival) was held. For this concert, recognized composers were invited to perform.

In 2003, IAWM (the International Alliance for Women in Music) was opened in Korea for the first time. Composers fro over thirty countries attended. More than sixty compositions were performed.

Presently, KSWC consists of over 200 members. KSWC focuses their work not only in Korea but worldwide. Through the 2003 IAWM performance, Korean women composer received worldwide attention and has gotten invitations from many countries. Since 2004, KSWC has expanded its previous chamber piece repertoire into other branches such as orchestra works, Korean traditional music literature, and others.

KSWC exists for the sole purpose of giving a voice to women composers in Korea. KSWC further advances Korean arts them and promotes them worldwide.

2) President Jae-eun Park’s Profile

Jae-eun Park received her D.M.A. in composition from New York State University, M.A. in composition from University of Michgan, and B.M. in composition from Ewha Womans University. She is a recipient of the Donga Competition, International Alliance for Woman in Music competition, and Excellent Composer Prize at University of Michgan and New York State University. She has had her music performed at the Seoul Olympic Cultural Art Festival in 1988, Dae-jun Expo Cultural Festival in 1992. Also, her works have been performed in Seoul Music Festival, Asia League of Composers, Korean Society of Women Composers, Chang-ack Society, ISCM. She has been awarded commissions by Seoul City Orchestra, Dae-jun City Orchestera, and KAMSA Orchestra in USA. Her work Nouveau Voyage for Piano Concerto was performed by Krakow Orchestra in Poland, Japan, Korea and was released by International Music Corporation.

Ms. Park’s has had her music performed world-wide including France, Germany, USA, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, Italy, Taiwan. Recently, her works have been performed International Alliance for Woman in Music Festival in L.A. and Israel Asia League of Composers Festival in 2004.

She was a radio show host for the classical music program myung-gog-e Jun-dang and Hyun-jang Music in KBS-FM.

She also translated the Materials and Technique of Twentieth Century Music and the Musical Term Dictionary in 5 languages.

Ms. Park participated in the International Composers Festival by UNESCO in France as a Korean representative for 7 years. She was a board member of Asia League of Composers and a vice-chairperson of the International Festival of Women in Music Today Seoul. Also she directed the Aida and Tosca as a board member of Jenus Opera.

She is a President of the KSWC since March of 2005 and a currently faculty in composition department at Kyunghee University in Korea.

2. Project Plan

1) Purpose of the project

This project is aimed to celebrate in 2006 Korea-England’s treaty of amity. It is to celebrate both western and traditional contemporary music and to open up these pieces to th international community.

This is a joint project by Rebecca Miller, a woman composer and conductor, with a non-profit organization KCPA, which is a Korean culture publicity delegation that resides in England. The Nori production (a Korean organization as well as England SBC) combines with Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room.

This international project is a important opportunity for Korean traditional ad contemporary music to be introduced in the international scene and for Korean music to flourish and the Korean soul to be known in the world.

2) Concerts

The Concert is divided into three categories:

  • Korean Traditional Music Concert
  • Contemporary Music Concert
  • Seminar

This event will take place during 27-29/10/2006.

Korean Traditional Music Concert: Introducing an ensemble that mixes both western and traditional Korean instruments to portray Korean traditional music in a more modern light.

Contemporary Music Concert: Chamber music and orchestral music concerts to celebrate 2006; Korea-England joint concert. The compositions are based on Korean spiritual themed and messages in contemporary musical techniques.

Seminar: Observing Korean contemporary musical development through the International active and prolific Korean composers’ works

3) Participation

① Korean Traditional Contemporary Music Ensemble players: 9 persons
② Korean Society of Women Composers’ members: 21 persons
③ The Executive Committee of KSWC and Staff: 5 persons

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