Soak Up A Sonic Celebration Of Korea At The K-Music Festival 2024

By Sponsor

Last Updated 25 October 2024

Soak Up A Sonic Celebration Of Korea At The K-Music Festival 2024

This is a sponsored article on behalf of the Korean Culture Centre.

A person in black outfit a blond hair performing on stage
Visionary Korean vocalist Heemoon Lee is one of many musicians at K-Music Festival mashing up traditional and innovative Korean sounds to create an enthralling live show.

A spellbindingly eclectic concoction of music — traditional, modern and powerfully innovative — reverberates around London at 2024's K-Music Festival, which is already in full swing.

Running from now until 23 November 2024, this sonic celebration of Korea still has some of the most mouth-watering shows to come. Here's what our ear drums can't wait to pick up:

Hera Hyesang Park, Sinfonia Smith Square (26 October)

A woman under water in a turquoise dress

Snap up the rare chance to catch soprano and Juilliard graduate Hera Hyesang Park — she performs at Sinfonia Smith Square on 26 October, with selections from her critically-acclaimed new album Breathe. Park is joined by renowned tenor David Junghoon Kim (award-winning alumnus of the Royal Opera House's Young Artist programme), and Japanese-American pianist Bretton Brown (au fait with everything from Carnegie Hall to the BBC Proms). Together, this extraordinary trio deliver an unforgettably fresh reinterpretation of Korean folk music through Western classical traditions. This is not just a concert, but a journey through heritage, artistry, and the modern Korean experience.

Black String, Kings Place (30 October)

The band with instruments

On 30 October, Korean four-piece Black String premiere their yet-to-be-released third album, Road of Oasis, at Kings Place in King's Cross — inviting Londoners to immerse themselves in Korean folk and jazz soundscapes, at what is the group's international premiere. The narrative-driven album takes its cue from the ancient Silk Road, and is a powerful reinterpretation of dang-gut — shamanic music traditionally performed during Korean rituals and ceremonies. Black String are joined for this show by pioneering bagpipe artist, Cassandre Balbar (NOT your usual Scotland the Brave-type piper) – promising a captivating night of musical sounds.

SMTO No-Noise, Southbank Centre (15 November)

A band wearing black captured in a spotlight

Lee Il-woo — trailblazer of post-rock sensation Jambinai — leads new ensemble SMTO No-Noise, at what promises to be an explosive night of sounds (and silence) at the Southbank Centre on 15 November. The musical collective features the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra (SMTO), who along with Lee Il-woo, will nudge the boundaries of acoustic landscapes. Prepare to hear things you've never heard before...

Heemoon Lee, Southbank Centre (23 November)

Black and white image of someone performing on stage

When you see a performance by the visionary Korean vocalist Heemoon Lee you don't tend to forget it — so don't miss this chance to see him live in London on 23 November with his band OBANGSINGWA (OBSG), playing songs from their sparkling new album, SPANGLE. It is quite the concoction of genres (Korean folk, jitterbug, rock, blues) — a heady mixture of Korean musical heritage with contemporary creativity. Heemoon Lee dazzled audiences at the Purcell Room in 2018, so prepare yourself for another wildly entertaining evening.

And that's just a flavour of what's still to come at the K-Music Festival 2024. Check out the full programme here.