Jin Hi Kim
Komungo
14.99

The disc features Kim's improvisations and compositions on the traditional 4th century Korean instrument as well as the unique electric komungo, solo or in collaboration with Shonosuke Okura (Japanese otsuzumi drum from the Noh Theatre), Kongar-ol Ondar (Tuvanese throat singer) and Kang Kwon Soon (Korean kagok singer).

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More about Jin Hi Kim

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Jin Hi Kim began studying the instrument at the age of thirteen years old. During this post-war period, traditional Korean music was almost completely eliminated with few remaining musicians and very few students to continue the tradition. Ms. Kim at the suggestion of her father began to study but remembers that most of the public scorned the study of the traditional music with most parents aspiring to have their children learn Western music especially the piano, violin and voice. In 1993, she entered the National High School for Traditional Music as a full scholarship student and several years later Seoul National University’s Department of Traditional Music. During high school she studied with master teachers who in later years were designated as National Living Treasures by the Korean government.

Ms. Kim came to the San Francisco in 1980 and began her Western music studies initially at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where the composer John Adams was one of her teachers. Subsequently she received a MFA degree from Mills College with a major in Electronic Music and Composition. At Mills she took courses and studied with a number of leading American composers including Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, and David Rosenbloom among others. After graduation she received a commission from the Kronos Quartet for Linking for String Quartet. During this period she also began introducing the komungo into American improvised music and avant-garde music performing with a wide array of musicians including James Newton, guitarist Henry Kaiser, Elliott Sharp and eventually Derek Bailey, Bill Frisell, Eugene Chadbourne, Hans Reichel and numerous musicians throughout Europe and the United States.

On this recording Jin HI Kim performs six works on the traditional Korean acoustic komungo as well four works with the electric komungo she developed. This instrument, built by instrument maker Joseph Yannzeillo, is capable of being played in a traditional acoustic manner in addition to having direct electric interface with various processing devices and computers. On this recording the programs for the electric komungo were created by Alex Noyes with assistance from residency programs at Harvestworks in New York City and the iEar Studio of Renssaeler Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

On several tracks there are special guest artists including Shonosuke Okura (Japanese otsuzumi drum from the Noh Theatre), Kongar-ol Ondar (Tuvanese throat singer) and Kang Kwon Soon (Korean kagok singer). The works including these artists are taken from two of Kim's music theatre pieces including Dragon Bond Rite and Dong Dong Touching the Moons. The later was commissioned by The Kitchen and MASS MoCA with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Inroads Program of Arts International and premiered at The Kitchen in May, 2000.

In March, 2001, Ms. Kim presented the World Premiere of Eternal Rock for Komungo and Orchestra with Dennis Russell Davies conducting the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

Jin Hi Kim can also be heard on No World Improvisations (OO #2), No World Trio Improvisations (OO #4), Living Tones (OO #24) (available by special order from cdRoots) and Komunguitar (OO #40). See the entire oodiscs catalog.

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