Belated congratulations to London based violist Julie Park for winning the prestigious Arts Club Sir Karl Jenkins Award in October. She follows violinists Songha Choi, who won second prize in 2019, and Joo Yeon Sir who won the prize in 2014. Julie Park performs tomorrow in Korean Cultural Centre UK’s ‘Home Theatre’ season of online […]
Music
Welcome to LKL’s Music section, where we cover Korean music from K-pop to P’ansori and beyond. Here you will find news of concerts as well as featured content such as our live music reviews, recorded music reviews, and music-related interviews and features. You can also find Dr Colette Balmain’s K-pop essays featuring BTS and more.
K-music 2020 online: Heemoon Lee + Prelude + NomNom
Heemoon Lee’s gig with Prelude and NomNom at K-music 2017 (pictured below) was LKL’s live performance of the year, and it’s a strong contender for most fun gig of the whole K-music series so far. So it deserves its place in this K-music Greats strand, the final online concert of the festival. K-Music Greats III: […]
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, […]
K-music 2020 online: Leenalchi
The final online concert in the Critics’ Choice strand brings us a band who’ve really exploded onto the scene this year. Critics’ Choice III: Leenalchi Thursday 12 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Leenalchi are currently enjoying viral success with the video ‘Feel the Rhythm of Korea’, in collaboration with the Ambiguous Dance Company […]
K-music 2020 online: Sinnoi
The second online concert in the Critics’ Choice strand brings us the innovative trio Sinnoi. Critics’ Choice II: Sinnoi Wednesday 11 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive A unique presence on the jazz scene, Sinnoi has a minimalist composition with rich, deep musical interplay of improvised and delicate exchanges. Sinnoi was formed by Bora […]
K-music 2020 online: Coreyah
The first concert in the Critics’ Choice strand introduces us to Coreyah, who came to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 but as far as I know have not otherwise performed in the UK. Critics’ Choice I: Coreyah Tuesday 10 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Coreyah are a psychedelic Korean folk music group, integrating […]
K-music 2020 online: Gray by Silver + Gonia
The second of the two online concerts from the New Talent strand brings together two interesting jazz-infused acts: New Talent III & IV: Gray By Silver + Gonia Monday 9 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Gray By Silver Expressive pianist and composer Hanbin Lee leads this jazz group in expertly performed, emotional pieces […]
K-music 2020 online: Black String
Black String return to K-music in the second of the K-music Greats strand of the 2020 festival: K-music Greats II: Black String Saturday 7 November, 5pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive ACT artists and masters of traditional Korean music and jazz Black String burst on to the London scene in 2011, their rise to the […]
K-music 2020 online: Hey String
For me, Hey String were the highlight of K-music 2019. So it’s great to see that they’ve got another gig this year. K-Music Specials I: Hey String Friday 6 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Gayageum trio Hey String push beyond the limitations of traditional performance in a full force of interplaying melodies and […]
K-music 2020 online: Jaram Lee
The final show in the K-Music Encounters series features leading pansori singer, Jaram Lee, where she will discuss and perform The Old Man and The Sea, based on Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece and recreated in pansori form. Lee goes back to the basics of pansori, and only with traditional Pansori linguistics and simple percussion, she brings […]
K-music 2020 online: Kyungso Park, Jae Il Jung + Soona Park
A double-bill of collaborations in the third online concert of K-music 2020. K-music Encounters II: Kyungso Park + Soona Park Wednesday 4 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Kyungso Park Kyungso Park is a composer, player and improviser of the gayageum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument that sounds like a cross between a harp, […]
K-music 2020 online: Yoon Jeong Heo + Vincent Peirani
Some of the highlights of previous K-music festivals have been the collaboration between Korean and Western performers. Here’s the first such event in the 2020 festival. K-Music Encounters I: Yoon Jeong Heo (from Black String) + Vincent Peirani Tuesday 3 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive In the first episode of K-Music Encounters, geomungo […]
K-music 2020 online: Dongyang Gozupa + Dal:um
The second online concert of K-music 2020 introduces some new acts that we haven’t seen before. Let’s hope they get to come over in person next year. K-Music New Talent I + II: Dongyang Gozupa + Dal:um Monday 2 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Dongyang Gozupa In a hard-hitting combination of progressive, post-rock […]
K-music 2020 online: Jambinai
The first online concert of K-music 2020 features one of the most popular acts from previous years. K-Music Greats I: Jambinai Saturday 31 October, 5pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Jambinai present traditional Korean music in a new and innovative way, with their ground-breaking post-rock sound that combines folk, metal, jazz and ambient electronic elements […]
K-music 2020: the official press release
Despite the pandemic, Serious and the KCCUK have arranged a great line-up for K-music this year. Bookended by live performances to open and close the festival, there’s a range of exciting online performances which involve new collaborations between favourite K-music artists from the past as well as some new names. We’ve already posted about the […]
[K-music 2020 live: Soojin Suh + Kit Downes] cancelled
![Thumbnail for post: [K-music 2020 live: Soojin Suh + Kit Downes] cancelled](https://i0.wp.com/londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/soojin-suh.jpg?resize=120%2C120&ssl=1)
The November lockdown is the final nail in the coffin of this on-off gig. K-music 2020 is now online only. But what a great line-up it is. I’m leaving the below text in place, as a reminder of what might have been (but now won’t be). The 2020 K-music festival closes with a collaboration between […]
K-music 2020 live: ADG7 CANCELLED
I just got this email from King’s Place: Dear Patron, We regret to inform you that this event has been cancelled. Please see the below message from the show curators at Serious… ‘The ADG7 concert will be postponed until K-Music 2021 because of concerns about travelling at present. The rest of the K-Music 2020 programme […]