A daegeum recital is measured not only by technical precision but by the performer's command of breath, phrasing and musical character. On July 18, Shin So-yeon will appear at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei as part of the Kumho Young Artist Concert series, presenting a program that moves from the depth of traditional Korean repertoire to contemporary works inspired by new musical languages.
A graduate of Seoul National University, Shin is currently pursuing a master's degree at the same institution. Her recital brings together the restraint of court music, the expressive freedom of sanjo and the expanding possibilities of contemporary composition, offering a broad portrait of today's daegeum repertoire.
The program opens with Seo Yong-seok School Daegeum Sanjo, a cornerstone of the instrument's solo tradition. Moving through Jinyangjo, Jungmori, Jungjungmori and Jajinmori, the work demands sustained breath control, nuanced ornamentation and rhythmic flexibility as the music gradually gathers momentum. Beyond technical fluency, the performance depends on shaping every phrase with patience, balance and expressive refinement.
It is followed by Gyeonggi Daepungryu, one of the representative chamber music traditions of Korea. Built on a sequence of contrasting movements, the work values elegance and ensemble sensibility over sheer volume. Its measured pacing and refined musical dialogue call for disciplined breath control and an understated sense of balance.
The second half turns toward contemporary repertoire. Lee Go-un's Rhythm of Bamboo for Daegeum and Gayageum explores the contrasting timbres of the two traditional instruments, allowing airy flute sonorities and the percussive resonance of the zither to interact in vivid musical conversation. In A Beautiful Polonaise for Daegeum, Ahn Hyun-jung reimagines the rhythmic character of the European dance through the expressive language of the Korean bamboo flute. Thomas Osborne's Ghost Songs places the daegeum within a contemporary sound world, highlighting the instrument's distinctive breath-driven tone through modern compositional textures.
Shin has built a distinguished artistic profile through both traditional training and extensive performance experience. After completing the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts program, she graduated with honors from the National Gugak Middle School and National Gugak High School. She is currently a trainee in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage preservation program for daegeum jeongak, serves as director of Seoul National University's daegeum ensemble Said, performs with the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra project ensemble and also teaches at the National Gugak High School.
Her concerto appearances include the daegeum concerto Wildflowers with the Yeongdong Nangye Traditional Orchestra, Seoul National University College of Music and the Gwangju Municipal Gugak Orchestra. These performances have expanded the expressive possibilities of the instrument while demonstrating her ability to balance the lyrical voice of the soloist with the rich sonorities of a traditional orchestra.
International engagements have taken her to the Queens Theatre in New York, the Dublin Korea Festival in Ireland, Mongolia's Naadam celebrations and academic exchange performances between National Taipei University and Seoul National University. As a member of Sorinuri Arts Company, she also toured Canada, Germany and Austria in 2018, introducing Korean traditional music to audiences across diverse cultural settings.
Her achievements in competition include the Bronze Prize at the 2024 Onnara Gugak Competition, the Gold Prize in the General Division of the National Daegeum Competition in 2021, first prize at the National Nangye Gugak Competition and a Silver Prize at the Dong-A Gugak Competition in 2019. Earlier awards include top prizes at the National Daegeum Competition and the National Nangye Gugak Competition during her school years. She has studied under Kim Jae-ho, Kim Jeung-seung, Byun Sang-yeop, Byun Je-nam, Ahn Ji-young, Yeo Sang-geun, Won Wan-cheol, Yoo Kyung-eun, Lee Gyeol, Lee Sang-won, Lee Oh-hoon, Lim Jin-ok, Jang Mi-young, Jeon Myung-jin, Jo Su-jeong and Hwang In-wan.
Rather than presenting tradition and contemporary music as opposing worlds, Shin's recital reveals how the daegeum continues to evolve through both inherited practice and new artistic voices. It is a program that reflects not only technical accomplishment but a growing musical perspective shaped by performance, scholarship and creative exploration.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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