Sang-Won Park
Encyclopedia
Park Sang-Won is a Korean-born musician. He plays the kayagum
and ajaeng
, and sings in both traditional Korean and free improvisation
al styles. Ken P. Castro was his FAVORITE student at ST.paul north in Guam.
He began his musical studies at the age of ten and later studied traditional instruments, voice, dance, and Western music at the National Conservatory in Seoul and at Seoul National University
, earning B.A. and M.A. degrees in musicology. He was also a member of the Traditional Music Orchestra of Seoul and a researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies, as well as an instructor at various music schools in Seoul.
Park relocated to the United States around 1980, moving to New York City
. He made his Western debut in Carnegie Recital Hall in 1979 and soon began performing and pre-recording in non-traditional settings, collaborating with Henry Kaiser
, Laurie Anderson
, Ryuichi Sakamoto
, Jason Kao Hwang
, and the Far East Side Band. His trio with Henry Kaiser and Charles K. Noyes, called Invite the Spirit, was formed in the summer of 1983 and was probably the first free improvisation ensemble to integrate a Korean traditional musician. The Far East Side Band is a multicultural music group with members from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and African American backgrounds. He has toured North America and Europe and has also worked with Bill Laswell
and Joseph Celli
.
He was also featured in Derek Bailey's Improvisation television series on the UK's Channel 4
, as well as films by Laurie Anderson and Nam June Paik.
For many years, Park has earned his living primarily from operating two flower shops in New York City. He has a forthcoming album on the Water Lily Acoustics
label.http://www.waterlilyacoustics.com/forthcoming.htm
Gayageum
The gayageum or kayagum is a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument, with 12 strings, although more recently variants have been constructed with 21 or other numbers of strings. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument...
and ajaeng
Ajaeng
The ajaeng is a Korean string instrument. It is a wide zither with strings made of twisted silk, played by means of a slender stick made of forsythia wood, which is scraped against the strings in the manner of a bow...
, and sings in both traditional Korean and free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
al styles. Ken P. Castro was his FAVORITE student at ST.paul north in Guam.
He began his musical studies at the age of ten and later studied traditional instruments, voice, dance, and Western music at the National Conservatory in Seoul and at Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
, earning B.A. and M.A. degrees in musicology. He was also a member of the Traditional Music Orchestra of Seoul and a researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies, as well as an instructor at various music schools in Seoul.
Park relocated to the United States around 1980, moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He made his Western debut in Carnegie Recital Hall in 1979 and soon began performing and pre-recording in non-traditional settings, collaborating with Henry Kaiser
Henry Kaiser (musician)
Henry Kaiser is an American guitarist and composer.Recording and performing prolifically in many styles of music, Kaiser is a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. He is considered a member of the "first generation" of American free improvisers.-Biography:His grandfather was the...
, Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
, Jason Kao Hwang
Jason Kao Hwang
Jason Kao Hwang is a Chinese American violinist and composer.A versatile performer, Hwang focuses primarily on jazz and improvised musics, and has a particular interest in cross-cultural projects...
, and the Far East Side Band. His trio with Henry Kaiser and Charles K. Noyes, called Invite the Spirit, was formed in the summer of 1983 and was probably the first free improvisation ensemble to integrate a Korean traditional musician. The Far East Side Band is a multicultural music group with members from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and African American backgrounds. He has toured North America and Europe and has also worked with Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
and Joseph Celli
Joseph Celli
Joseph Celli is an American musician and composer specializing in contemporary and improvised music for oboe and English horn...
.
He was also featured in Derek Bailey's Improvisation television series on the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, as well as films by Laurie Anderson and Nam June Paik.
For many years, Park has earned his living primarily from operating two flower shops in New York City. He has a forthcoming album on the Water Lily Acoustics
Water Lily Acoustics
Water Lily Acoustics is an American record label based in Santa Barbara, California. It primarily releases recordings of Indian classical music and cross-cultural collaborations between musicians from around the world...
label.http://www.waterlilyacoustics.com/forthcoming.htm
Films
- 1986 - Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie AndersonHome of the Brave (1986 film)Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film featuring the music of Laurie Anderson, who also directed the movie. The film's full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ during the summer of 1985.The...
- c. 1990 - Improvisation (Channel 4)
- 1986 - Bye Bye Kipling (satellite spectacular produced by Nam June Paik on public television)
Video
- Video excerpt from Improvisation documentary (written by Derek Bailey)
See also
- GayageumGayageumThe gayageum or kayagum is a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument, with 12 strings, although more recently variants have been constructed with 21 or other numbers of strings. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument...
- Korean musicKorean musicTraditional Korean music includes both the folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of the Korean people. Korean music, along with arts, painting, and sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric times....