RESIDENCY
Music (lives for) Dance
California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, California 91355
January 16, 2024
5:30pm PT
In-Person
Free
Join Calarts faculty Vinny Golia (music) and Sam Wentz (dance) with guest musicians Aram Lee and Jean Oh and choreographer/dancer Kensaku Shinohara in a music and dance-improvisation-encounter in the Sharon Disney Lund Theater.
Jean Oh and Aram Lee are Seoul, South Korea-based musicians known for their work in the highly-acclaimed experimental jazz quartet, Black String (ACT record label.) Co-directors of the music program at Seoul Institute of the Arts, they are currently in residency at CultureHub LA. Because they are expert improvisers, CultureHub LA sought to bring them together with treasures of CalArts known for their improvising: Vinny, Sam, and alum Kensaku. What will happen? Come inform the moment with your presence. Deepest gratitude to Rosanna Gamson for welcoming this event into the Lund on short notice for the CalArts WInter session community!
This concert is supported through a global residency by Seoul Institute of the Arts and CultureHub.
Jean Oh is a guitarist, composer, producer, DJ and educator who is actively working in different genres including jazz, world music, and indie pop. He makes original music mixed with electronic and folk music, and performs at various festivals and events, including his recent performance "Yon DJ Set" at the Jarasum Jazz Festival. He has released three albums on European label ACT and performed around the world with Black String, a South Korean quartet with percussion, bamboo flutes, guitar and electronica that swings between east and west, Korean folk and jazz. With this group, he has performed at numerous world-renowned performance venues and festivals such as Lincoln Center, Washington Kennedy Center, London Jazz Festival, Denmark Roskilde Festival, etc. Black String is the first Asian group to sign with ACT, Europe's largest jazz label, releasing two studio albums, Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019), as well as a live album, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic (2020). The group's recognition includes Asia & South Pacific Winner at the 2018 Songlines Music Awards, Best Jazz & Crossover Album at the 2020 Korean Music Awards (Best Performance in 2017), official showcase artist at WOMEX (World Music Expo) 2016, three Korean pop music awards, and the Songline Music Awards in the United Kingdom. He is currently Co-director of the Music Program at Seoul Institute of the Arts.
Aram Lee is a Daeguem player, composer, producer and educator who creates and performs contemporary music based on the deep spirit of traditional art. music that converges traditional and contemporary Korean music. He was awarded the Best Performance and Best Album of Jazz & Crossover at the Korean Popular Music Awards and the KBS Gugak Awards and served as music director of the Yeowoolak Festival and as artistic director of the Korea Intangible Heritage Festival.
He is currently a member of the music group Black String, a South Korean quartet with percussion, bamboo flutes, guitar and electronica that swings between east and west, Korean folk and jazz. With this group, Lee has performed at numerous world-renowned performance venues and festivals such as Lincoln Center, Washington Kennedy Center, London Jazz Festival, Denmark Roskilde Festival, etc. The group's recognition includes Asia & South Pacific Winner at the 2018 Songlines Music Awards, Best Jazz & Crossover Album at the 2020 Korean Music Awards (Best Performance in 2017), official showcase artist at WOMEX (World Music Expo) 2016, three Korean pop music awards, and the Songline Music Awards in the United Kingdom. He is currently Co-Director of the Music Program at Seoul Institute of the Arts and is working as an artistic director of the Yeowoolak Festival.