Okkyung Lee

Okkyung Lee is a cellist, composer, and improviser who moves freely between artistic disciples and contingencies. Since 2000 she has worked in disparate contexts as a solo artist and collaborator with creators in a wide range of disciplines. A native of South Korea, Lee has taken a broad array of inspirations—including noise, improvisation, jazz, western classical, and her homeland’s traditional and popular music—and used them to forge a highly distinctive approach.

Although Okkyung is probably known best for her improvisational work utilizing visceral extended techniques on her instrument, she has been creating various types of compositions and site-specific works, responding to its architecture, audience, or objects surrounding her, producing an immersive experience that also challenges the built-in hierarchy in traditional concert settings. She has appeared on more than 30 albums, including the latest release 나를 (Na-Reul) on Corbett vs Dempsey, and Teum (The Silvery Slit), written for acclaimed Acousmonium by GRM and live cello, released on GRM Portraits/Editions Mego.

She has been commissioned to compose music and assemble projects for Explore Ensemble (London, UK), Time Spans Festival (New York, USA), Groupe de Recherches Musicales (Paris, France), Sonic Acts Festival (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Borealis Festival (Bergen, Norway), Donaueschingen Music Festival (Donaueschingen, Germany) and Nam June Paik Art Center (Yong-In, South Korea). She has performed in Museum of Modern Art (New York), Whitney Museums of American Art (New York, USA), The Met Breuer (New York, USA), Museum Tinguely (Basel, Switzerland), Museo del Novecento (Milan, Italy), Serpentine Galleries (London, UK), White Cube Galleries (London, UK) and many others.

https://okkyunglee.net

EUNYOUNG KIM

Eunyoung Kim is a pianist, composer, and improviser in Seoul, Korea. Building her musical foundation based on her earlier training in classical and church music, she incorporated jazz into her musical framework. During her studies in the US, her exposure to improvised music expanded the breadth of her musical inspiration.

Since returning to Korea in 2013, Kim has performed as a leader and sideman at various Asian festivals such as Beijing World Music Week, Beishan World Music Festival, Kumamoto Street Art-flex Jazz Festival, Jarasum Jazz Festival, and JazzKorea Festival.

In 2018, she released her debut album titled Silent Child, as the leader of the KEY Trio presenting her original compositions, while the most recent album Earworm, is her first solo piano album establishing her identity as an improviser. Additionally some of the tracks from Earworm have been featured on BBC Radio program Freeness.

Eunyoung was recognized as the 2016 Rising Star Pianist by Jazz People Magazine in Korea and appeared on the prestigious Korean national broadcast music program EBS space Gonggam as the New Face of Jazz in 2019. She also continues collaborating with K-pop musicians such as Jung Mijo and Parc Jae Jung as pianist and arranger.

JUNYOUNG SONG

Junyoung Song is a prolific drummer based in Seoul, South Korea, working primarily in jazz and free improvisation. He has released two albums as a solo artist titled Solo and Solo

Live, showcasing his passion for unaccompanied drum music. After moving back to Korea upon receiving his degrees from Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, he has collaborated with numerous Korean musicians from both jazz and pop music, most notably with Sunjae Lee, Jongshin Yoon, Lucid Fall, Mijo Jung, and Mid-air Thief. His versatility and talent have established him as a respected figure in the Korean creative music scene.