K-Music Festival: London hosts renowned programme of Korean Music
From music to movies, theatre to food, the world has fallen in love with everything South Korean.
This October, the renowned Korean Music Festival returns for its 11th edition and can now confirm the full programme of events, bringing an eclectic and diverse mix of some of Korea’s best artists to the capital.
The festival opens with the National Changgeuk Company’s highly anticipated new production of Lear on October 3, at the Barbican Centre in Silk Street.
Changgeuk, a unique traditional Korean opera, has been produced for contemporary audiences since the company’s founding in 1962.
This premiere of Lear – a major re-staging of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy at the Barbican Centre will mark a significant milestone as their debut performance at the prestigious venue.
This year’s K-Music Festival also presents a huge selection of some of Korea’s best female artists, with everything from jazz to classical music to sonic fusion.
To mark her 30 year career as a jazz singer, Youn Sun Nah presents her 12th album Elles, a tribute to artists like Nina Simone to Roberta Flack, via Björk and Edith Piaf. Crossing musical borders she’ll be joined by France’s finest pianist Bojan Z for an intimate concert at Islington’s Union Chapel in the north end of Upper Street, near Highbury Fieldson, October 6.
On October 23, master of the traditional Korean Piri, SEAYOOL KIM makes his debut at the Holy Cross Church with the contemporary classical work Suite for Jeju, reinterpreting the traditional instruments while merging piri and string quartet, courtesy of the Ligeti Quartet.
Well-known for her exceptional vocal mastery, soprano Hera Hyesang Park will make her K-Music Festival debut with a fresh reinterpretation of traditional Korean songs on October 26, at St John’s Smith Square following her concert at the Edinburgh International Festival this summer.
To close the festival, and in partnership with the EFG London Jazz Festival, there will be performances by two extraordinary Korean bands.
First up is No-Noise, a dynamic ensemble led by both Lee Il-woo on November 15, at the Southbank Centre.
And finally the last event on November 23, is Heemoon Lee, the visionary vocalist of SsingSsing, who dazzled audiences in 2018 with his electrifying performance, returning to the Southbank Centre with his band, OBANGSINGWA to perform new album, SPANGLE.
For the full programme and tickets visit: https://kccuk.org.uk/en/programmes/kmusicfestival2024/
Pictured top: SMTO No-Noise (Picture: Keunou Choi)