LKL meets Won Il, who arrives in London this week to direct what we are expecting to be one of the highlights of the Korean cultural year. The work, Dionysus Robot, is inspired by Nietzsche’s philosophy of Dionysus and pays homage to the legendary media artist Nam June Paik. It brings together traditional Korean and electronic instruments, shamanic vocalisations, kinetic movement, and projected image. We had a detailed interview with the pioneering composer / instrumentalist back in 2013, and met him again in Kingston in 2015. We were keen to hear about what he has been working on since then, and to get a glimpse of what to expect from Friday’s performance. Here’s a transcript of our most recent conversation:
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LKL: We last met during the Kingston Welcomes Korea festival in 2015. I think by then your time as conductor of the National Orchestra of Korea was coming to an end. Can you tell me what you have been doing since then? For example, are you still directing the spiritual music festival in Hwaeomsa? And when did you take on your position at the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra?
Won Il: After completing my term as Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Korea, I made a major decision. I soon resigned from my professorship at the Korea National University of Arts as well and declared myself a freelance, on-site musician. I wanted to live at the very place where music is created. As a composer and performer, I was preparing new recordings.
Then in 2019, I served as the general director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the National Sports Festival, which is like Korea’s own Olympics, and celebrated its 100th edition at the Seoul Jamsil Stadium. Later that same year, in November, I was offered the position of Artistic Director of the Gyeonggi Provincial Traditional Music Orchestra. After much deliberation, I accepted the position, rebranded the orchestra under a new name — the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra — and set out a new artistic direction.
I worked with the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra for a full four years, until October 2023, and we made many new attempts. What stands out most is that we continued to pursue adventurous musical experiments even during the two-and-a-half-year COVID-19 period.
During this time, I stopped directing the spiritual music festival at Hwaeomsa Temple. In truth, the differences in direction between myself, the staff, and the monks were never resolved, and it became impossible to continue the festival with the original sincerity and intention. I had to step away because I do not believe in presenting a concert where just any performers or any music are mixed together without purpose.
What did you learn from your residency at Kingston Welcomes Korea?
I was impressed by the way the residency encouraged collaboration between ordinary citizens and professional artists. Perhaps because of that experience, I began to imagine immersive performances—ranging from simple, small-scale concepts to large-scale productions for wide audiences—often without even realizing it. Of course, these would be performances completed through collaboration with everyday citizens or amateurs. It looks like I will actually be staging such a performance in 2026 (although I can’t reveal the details yet).
You directed the music for the Pyeongchang Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. What did you learn from that experience?
Won Il: I did not oversee all of the music by myself; four music directors divided the responsibilities for different parts of the opening and closing ceremonies. I was in charge of the athletes’ entrance, the special performance “Taeguk, the Rhythm of the Universe” that took place after the VIP entrance, the national anthem, the chuita ensemble music, and the closing ceremony music.
[Highlights of the opening ceremony can be found in the following video]
Working on something aimed at audiences around the world brought both joy and exhilaration. It was an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. What I remember most, however, is not only the music but the production team meetings, which functioned as a kind of collective intelligence. Everyone freely shared ideas and exchanged opinions, so in a sense it felt like we were all part of a co-directing team.
From that process, I learned that when people approach discussions earnestly and with focus, spending long hours debating and searching for insight together,they can achieve excellent results.
Tell me about your work with video. For example, is Dionysus Robot the first time you have worked with video on-stage?
Won Il: No, Dionysus Robot is not the first time I have worked with video on stage. At the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, I directed a musical called “Geumak (Forbidden Music)”—a mystery musical set in the Joseon era about events surrounding a court musician, political rivals, and Crown Prince Hyomyeong, all tied to a score believed to be possessed by an evil spirit. Even then, I used video very effectively. I also made extensive use of video, light, and installation concepts for the 100th National Sports Festival ceremonies.
Perhaps it’s because my dream throughout university was to become a film director, but using video, imagining visual elements, and integrating them into the work all feel completely natural to me as part of my creative process.
You have said elsewhere that your real dream is to be a film director. What sort of films would you like to create and which directors do you admire?
Won Il: I like films in the style of David Lynch. I’m drawn to works that are artistic in style, captivating, unpredictable in their storytelling, and filled with unforgettable characters. I also love elements of black comedy. In that sense, I’m a big admirer of the Coen brothers as well. If I were to list all the films and directors I love, it would be far too many to name 🙂
Dionysus Robot was commissioned by and premiered at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in 2022 and then had a brief tour in Europe. How was the work received by the audience and critics, and did the foreign audience respond differently to the Korean audience?
Won Il: Music is abstract, and this work in particular mixes many sonic elements with the exotic qualities of Korean traditional music. It also incorporates many cultural symbols. When audiences open their hearts and simply listen and watch, I think everything can be understood. Everywhere we performed, there were strong reactions—though for different reasons in each place. (Laughs)
What I hope for is that the madness sleeping in the audience’s subconscious connects with our music. If the experience can awaken—even for a brief moment—a sense that everyday life is healthier, more energetic, more alive, and something to be grateful for, then that is enough for me.
What is it like working with creatives / performers from different disciplines? How much direction do you give them and how much input do they have into the final result?
Won Il: I’m very comfortable working with people from different fields and coordinating with them to realize an overall artistic plan—I genuinely enjoy that process. In the case of this work, I’m applying my own compositional approach, which I call “Sinawi-style composing.” It requires about 20% of the music to come from the performers’ own spontaneous improvisation and active participation. There are specific sections designed for that.
I always focus more on the process than the result. The final outcome is simply one knot in the continuous thread of that process.
Have you made any changes to the work since its premiere?
Won Il: The premiere version of the music consisted of five movements and lasted about 30 minutes. After that, I performed the work with the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra in several countries over the course of two years, and the music expanded to nine movements with a total duration of about one hour. Video elements were added as well, and in Korea we even presented a special version featuring a drag-queen dancer appearing as the god Dionysus.
The version being performed now includes new musicians—not the original Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra members—and incorporates violin and cello, making it a new arrangement. The total length is about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This is the third evolved version of the work, and I plan to present a fourth version in 2026. That version will be a more compact band format with eight performers, and I hope to include video, installation art, and robots.
How many musicians will be joining you on stage for Dionysus Robot? Are they drawn from the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra or do you select musicians from elsewhere too?
Won Il: All of the musicians are invited from outside. In 2024, I performed the same version of the work with this lineup at the Yeowoorak Festival at the National Theater of Korea.
What do you hope that the London audience will take away from the performance? At the end will we be exhilarated or exhausted?
Won Il: I hope the London audience will leave feeling charged with exhilarating energy.
Jambinai have just presented their “day-off” playlist for BBC radio. What music do you listen to on your own day off?
Won Il: I listen to a really wide range of music. I enjoy sanjo, and I often listen to ambient and danceable music. I also frequently listen to master musicians playing unique instruments from around the world—it’s a great source of inspiration for me. I listen to one or two tracks by Jamie xx and Thom Yorke every day.
Contemporary music today isn’t about a specific musical phenomenon; it’s the platform on which we can access all the music humanity has ever created.
Thank you so much for your answers and the time you have given me. I look forward to this Friday.
Links:
- The Timbre of Moonlight – LKL meets Won Il at the Barbican in 2013, when he directed the opening concert of the very first official K-music festival (reviewed here)
- Buy tickets for Dionysus Robot at the QEH this Friday