Renowned for breathing new life into her masterpieces, Hyelim Kim will perform both traditional Korean compositions as well as her own contemporary works. She will be joined by renowned Australian jazz drummer Simon Barker, violinist Pei Ann Yeoh (Kuala Lumpur), vocalist Bae Il Dong (Seoul) and Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) Artistic Director Peter Knight on trumpet and electronics.
Leaf and Shadow reflects the vibrancy of borderless contemporary music and daring improvisations by exploring the fusion of traditional Korean sounds, percussive rhythms and experimental jazz nuances in this Meeting Points Series exclusive.
Meeting Points Series is a creative collaboration between Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Art Orchestra and is an intimate collection of concerts bringing together musical styles from across the globe in unexpected collaborations curated by Artistic Director Peter Knight.
The Australian Art Orchestra’s work constantly seeks to stretch genres and break down the barriers separating disciplines, forms and cultures. It explores the interstices between the avant-garde and the traditional, between art and popular music, between electronic and acoustic approaches, and creates music that traverse the continuum between improvised and notated forms.
Hyelim Kim – taegŭm (Seoul/London)
Kim obtained her undergraduate and masters degrees from Seoul National University, and is currently conducting research on the globalisation of Korean music at SOAS University of London. She was selected as the pioneering artist of 2009-2010 by the Korean Arts Council; was a performer at the New York Omi Residency in 2009; and was selected as the Kumho Young Artist for 2006. Over the past decade, she has held performances across Europe, United States and Australia, with a wide variety of artists from UK rapper Ghostpoet, German pianist and composer Nils Frahm to violinist Alice Zawadzki and Australian drummer Simon Barker.
Simon Barker – drums (Sydney)
Simon Barker (PhD Jazz Performance) is a lecturer in Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In addition to his numerous solo performances and recordings, Simon co-leads several internationally recognized collaborative ensembles including Trace Sphere, Chiri, Showa 44, and Band of Five Names. Simon also performs with many of Australia’s most established ensembles including the Australian Art Orchestra, Matt McMahon trio, the Phil Slater Quartet, and several groups led by Scott Tinkler. In 2015, Simon published "Korea and the Western Drumset" (Ashgate, London).
Pei Ann Yeoh – violin (Kuala Lumpur)
Pei Ann Yeoh was born in Kuala Lumpur and has received her Fellowship Diploma from Trinity College London in both Solo Piano and Violin Performance. Following that, she pursued a Bachelor of Music at Queensland Conservatorium, Australia and Masters of Music at Birmingham Conservatoire, majoring in jazz violin performance. Between 2011 and 2015, she held Visiting Tutor posts at several local universities in Malaysia. Pei Ann is currently doing a Ph.D. in Music at King’s College London.
Bae Il Dong – voice (Seoul)
Emerging during the mid Chosŏn era (1392-1910), p’ansori is a style of epic story singing performed by a vocalist and drummer (kosu). The vocalist narrates long dramatic tales through speech, song, and action, while the drummer accompanies the singer and gives calls of encouragement (ch’ŭimsae) such as ŏlssigu (right-on!) at the end of vocal phrases. While still a student, he travelled to Mount Chiri on the southern end of the Sobaek Mountain Range and spent seven years living by a waterfall, practicing up to 18 hours a day in order to reveal his voices.
Peter Knight – trumpet, electronics (Melbourne)
Peter Knight is a multidisciplinary musician who has gained wide acclaim for his distinctive approach, which integrates jazz, experimental, and world music traditions. In 2013 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, which features his compositions internationally with recent highlights including London Jazz Festival, Jazztopad (Poland), and Melbourne Festival. Peter’s work as both performer and composer is also regularly featured in a range of other ensemble settings, and he also composes for theatre, creates sound installations.
