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K-music 2020 online: Park Jiha, Kyungso Park, Woojae Park + Soona Park

The second online concert of the K-music Specials strand brings us a collaboration between four Parks, three of whom have featured at past K-music festivals. The fourth Park, Soona, has separately played in London several times as part of Baramgot.

K-Music Specials II: Park Jiha, Kyungso Park, Woojae Park + Soona Park

Friday 13 November, 7pm
Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive

Four Parks: Park Jiha, Kyungso Park, Woojae Park + Soona Park

Four incredible artists come together in a stunning performance that displays the true roots of Korean music. Joining previous K-Music performers Woojae Park and Park Jiha are the gayageum performers Kyungso Park and Soona Park. Rarely seen on stage together, this exciting collaboration was performed and recorded at the 2020 Yeowoorak Festival.

Multi-instrumentalist Park Jiha is beloved, not only in Korea, but has seen huge success in the UK for her work is SU:M as well as with her Glitterbeat releases Communion and Philos, and has performed both albums in K-Music Festivals past.

Kyungso Park is a composer, player and improviser of the gayageum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument that sounds like a cross between a harp, an oud and a theremin. She freely breaks down the borders between traditional and contemporary music and at K-Music 2016 she premiered an exquisite collaboration with British saxophonist, Andy Sheppard – ‘an engrossing improvisational encounter.’ (The Guardian)

Ever busy, either collaborating with world-renowned musicians, creating new bands such as SB Circle, or performing in Festivals across the globe, she continues to expand her music incorporating elements of dance, visual art, contemporary classical, jazz, and more

Woojae Park’s innovative music sits in the borderland of ‘experiment’ and ‘art’. He has developed his own plectrum and stroke styles and in so doing has expanded the performance boundaries of the geomungo (six-stringed Korean zither instrument).

He has worked with artists including Soumik Datta, and modern choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for Fractus V, which played at Sadlers Wells and toured worldwide, described by The Guardian as ‘a marvellous braid of sound, fusing Middle Eastern influences to a wildly ecstatic pitch – as a fierce expression of unity, it resonates across the work’

Gayageum performer Soona Park’s cultural background informs her colourful musical identity. Her travels and studies mean her music is established in Japan, North and South Korea. The strange yet overwhelming technique that stands out in her performance makes us measure the musical territory she has constantly expanded, touching the hearts of listeners and is drawing attention for its outstanding performance.

Full online programme details are available at www.kccuk.org.uk/k-music and www.serious.org.uk/k-music

(automatically generated) Read LKL’s review of this event here.

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