New sounds from the ancient instruments of Korea. Black String is a quartet named after the Korean zither, geomungo, with percussion, bamboo flutes, guitar, and electronica also in a mix that swings comfortably between east and west, Korean folk and jazz. Led by Korean traditional music virtuoso Yoon Jeong Heo, Black String creates a unique musical language drawing on Korean traditional music, jazz, and free improvisation, presenting extraordinary, enigmatic music that wells up from silence and grasps the senses.
The group’s recognitions include Asia & South Pacific Winner at the 2018 Songlines Music Awards, Best Jazz & Crossover Album at the 2020 Korean Music Awards (Best Performance in 2017), an official showcase artist at WOMEX (World Music Expo) 2016. Black String is the first Asian group to sign with ACT, Europe’s largest jazz label, releasing two studio albums, Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019), as well as a live album, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic (2020).
Black String is: Yoon Jeong Heo (geomungo), Jean Oh (electric guitar), Aram Lee (daegeum, sogeum, yanggeum), and Min Wang Hwang (janggu, vocal)
Photo credit: Nah Seung Yull
This program is supported in part by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange as part of the Traveling Korean Arts Program, Maryland State Arts Council, and Korean Cultural Center New York.
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