G-Hawaja performs creative music through a collaboration of Western and Korean traditional instruments, melding disparate tones and styles. The group seeks to express the emotions of the times in a dramatic way by utilizing the uniquely expressive characteristics of Korean traditional music - particularly its sense of excitement known as Hueng and the bittersweet sense of grief known as Han - to deliver familiar music with new emotional dimensions. G-Hwaja strives to popularize Korean traditional music by delivering a dynamic and vivid image of Korean to the modern world. Since its creation, G-Hwaja had its first performance at the John F Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Ms. Jung-Hee Oh is a Korean traditional music artist in ‘Gayageum Byeong-chang’ (singing with self-accompaniment of the Gayageum instrument) and ‘Pansori’ (a traditional storytelling performed by a solo vocalist accompanied by a drummer).
She is recognized as a Korean government National Intangible Cultural Heritage Certified trainee in Gayageum with song and ‘Sanjo’ and studied with Ahn, Sook Sun, Living National Treasure of p'ansori and gayageum.
Ms. Oh received her master’s degree in music from Chung-Ang University in Seoul. Currently, she serves as the music director of the music band G-Hwaja and teaches and performs in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas.
You Shin Kim is a composer of the song “Mother,” Sung by Seung Chul Lee, one of the most famous top singers in Korea. He released his own albums, `Thankfulness’ and ‘The Road’. Mr. Kim works as a producer, songwriter, lyricist, arranger and performer. He is a musician who is active in the music world with fusion music that combines various genres by digesting various colors of music such as classical, pop, and jazz, as well as traditional Korean music. Mr. Kim was the main host of AM1660 radio station, “New York Arirang”, for two years and a guest for FM87.7 K-radio for several months. He is also a composer, arranger, and keyboardist of the fusion Korean traditional group, G-Hwaja.
In addition, Mr. Kim is a music composer and arranger for the musical, 'King David', which will be staged in LA in June 2022. He arranged and performed in a YouTube channel with Michelle Kim, vice-concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Kim also arranged and played piano in recordings with Jennifer Jeon for her CD album and her YouTube videos that surpassed 64 million views. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Film Scoring Major.
Grace Leekyung Kang, a renowned haegeum artist, leads a multi-faceted career that encompasses her musical influences as a performer, both as a soloist and chamber musician, and her vocation as a scholar.
Awarded Gold Prize at the Nan-Gye Korean Traditional Music Competition.
Grace Kang held a recital titled “Haegeum for the Heart” at the Korea Society in New York in 2010. In a collaboration with New York artist Joo Hyun Park, Grace Kang was featured in a Jazz-Haegeum album, “When Jazz Guitar Met Haegeum”, in 2014.
An alumna of Gugak National High School, Kang received a B.A. and double M.A. in music and education from Yong-In University, and she earned a Ph.D. in traditional Korean music at Han-Yang University in 2015.
Her album, Haegeum praise album “Place in My Heart,” were released in 2022 and Haegeum creative album single, “Beautiful and Splendid,” Part 1, Part 2 in 2023. Currently, Dr. Kang is a member of music band G-Hwaja, and the successor for the lyrics of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Decree No. 41. As an ambassador for traditional Korean culture, haegeum performer Grace Leekyung Kang shares her music through her deeply touching artistry and voice.
Graduated bachelor's and master's degree from Chung-Ang University, Song Eun Shin is a winner of Seoul Gayaguem Competition. She has established her reputation as having outstanding performance and detailed expressions of the unique musical language. In addition, Ms. Shin has been a pioneer in spreading the sound of Gayageum across the world. She started to play Gayageum when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Korean National Traditional Arts High School and received bachelor's and master's degree from Chung-Ang University with top honors. She won Seoul Gayageum Competition and has continued to advance her career through great concerts and performances, including Shanghai Expo, the G20 Summit, and Hong Kongnational holiday events.
Jamon Maple is Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy, NYU. He is tenor, voice specialist, recording artist, music director, and choral conductor, enjoys an international teaching and performance career. A native of Beaumont, TX, he most recently made his television debut in South Korea, performing on the singing competition show Fantastic Duo, and later appeared in the season 7 premiere of the award-winning television mystery music game show I Can See Your Voice. He has co-written songs for multiple Korean hit dramas with famed OST composer Kang Dong-yoon and recently celebrated the international
release of his Korean single, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jamon maintains a robust private voice studio in New York City, South Korea, and mainland China, teaching singers across genres. His students are NATS national competition winners in opera and musical theatre, finalists in the New York Lyric Opera Theatre national competition, professional pop and indie recording artists, and Broadway performers. He regularly gives masterclasses on classical and pop vocal techniques and interactive singing workshops
entitled “Kpop for Foreigners” and “A Practical Guide to Vocal Pedagogy.” He holds a BM from Boston University and an MM and an advanced certificate from NYU Steinhardt.
Han Chung Eun is the most influential and versatile performer of traditional Korean bamboo flutes, Daekeum and Sokeum in our generation. Originally trained in the tradition of classical Korean court music, Chung Eun is well known by his wide range of musical style, having collaborated over the years with artists from all genres such as Bobby McFerrin, British Guitarist legend Martin Taylor, Swedish jazz guitarist Ulf Wakenius, Vocalist Inger Marie, and Composer and Pianist Ryo Kunihiko. His most recent performance includes “KBS Open Concert” on the historical opening day of Blue House to the public.
Woosung Jung is a master of Daegeum Court Music, an intangible cultural asset, and plays wind instruments such as Daegeum, Sogeum, Danso, and Taepyeongso. He has performed at various concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, and is active as a traditional music educator and performer in Korea, China, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Currently, he serves as the Associate Director of the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC), where he leads the Danso Ensemble, the Instrumental Music Ensemble, and the Chicago Chwitadae (military marching band).
Jason Yoo fell in love with playing drums at age of 14 after being exposed to other instruments including guitar, bass, and piono. After his service at South Korean military band, he flew to New York City where he studied jazz at The New School Jazz & Contemporary Music. Jason’s maturity in music is attributed to studying with late Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Carl Allen and Herlin Riley, and working with great musicians including multi-Gram-my-winning. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Chris Tomlin, and BMK to name a few.
Daseul Kim is a strong jazz bass player and instructor in NY/NJ. He earned Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance and Master's Degree in Jazz Arranging from William Paterson University. Mr. Kim studied with legendary masters such as Christian McBride, Rufus Reid, and Mulgrew Mille. He was the band leader for the Jazz & Color Festival at Central Park in NYC. Mr. Kim has also played along side prominent artists, Vincent Herring, Eric Alexander, James Weidman, and Bucky Pizzarelli.
Jennifer Jeon is a bright young musical talent who started playing the violin at the age of 6. Jennifer won awards in the New York Music Competition, the International New Praise Academic Support Society, LISMA International Music Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition, and IVC Competition, awarding her the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Throughout her career, Jennifer performed in many states within the United States, as well as Portugal, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, and Canada during music tours and missionary concerts. Jennifer had the exciting opportunity to speak and perform at talk shows hosted by CTS, a Korean Christian Broadcasting Station, and was featured in Healing Talk Show (Danbi Broadcasting Station), Love New Jersey, and CTS Radio, as well as in interviews and news articles in New York and Virginia, such as AmenNet, Christian Yonhap News, Gospel news, and Hankook Ilbo. Her YouTube channel, in which she uploads videos of Christian, chamber, beginner, pop, and classical music, has attracted over 64 million viewers worldwide and boasts a total of 195,000 subscribers. She attended Taft School, a boarding school in Connecticut, and recently graduated from Brown University in May 2021.
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