K-Music Festival 2024: Lear (National Changgeuk Company of Korea)
K-Music Festival 2024
K-Music Festival 2024
Korean music across London this autumn!
This year's K-Music Festival will open on October 3 at the Barbican Centre with the National Changgeuk Company's highly anticipated production of Lear. Building on the success of last year's 10th-anniversary celebration, which featured a critically acclaimed collaboration between renowned film music director Jung Jae-il and the London Symphony Orchestra, the festival once again pushes boundaries with this large-scale changgeuk performance.
Changgeuk, a unique traditional Korean opera rooted in pansori, has been masterfully produced for contemporary audiences by the National Changgeuk Company since its founding in 1962 as part of Korea’s National Theater. Their European premiere of Lear, a major restaging of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy at the Barbican Centre will mark a significant milestone as their debut performance at this prestigious venue. The National Changgeuk Company's previous work, Trojan Women, received rave reviews and enjoyed a sold-out run at last year's Edinburgh International Festival. With such a strong track record, anticipation is high for Lear, promising an unforgettable experience for London audiences.
Alongside Lear, the K-Music Festival presents outstanding Korean women’s voices from jazz to classical music to sonic fusion. To mark her 30-year career as a jazz singer, Youn Sun Nah returns to the K-Music Festival with her 12th album Elles, an anthology paying tribute to women's voices from Nina Simone to Roberta Flack, via Björk and Edith Piaf. This intimate duo concert with France’s finest pianist Bojan Z will take place at Union Chapel on 6th October.
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 26th October at St John’s Smith Square following her concert at the Edinburgh International Festival this summer. She will be joined by pianist Bretton Brown and tenor David Junghoon Kim featuring highly acclaimed tunes from her new album Breathe, released by Deutsche Grammophon along with traditional Korean folk songs.
Led by Youn Jeong Heo, the legendary master of Black String will premier music from their brand-new album set to be released this autumn. Their return to the UK at Kings Place Hall One on 31st October will provide “a spellbinding experience”.
The K-Music Festival’s longtime friend and partner, the EFG London Jazz Festival will present two extraordinary Korean bands in partnership with the K-Music Festival. SMTO No-Noise, a dynamic ensemble featuring Lee Il-woo of the post-rock sensation Jambinai makes their London debut on 15th November at the Southbank Centre. Heemoon Lee, the visionary and captivating vocalist of SsingSsing, who dazzled audiences in 2018 with his electrifying performance returns to the Southbank Centre with his exciting and sparkling new album, 'SPANGLE’.
