Choi Seungjoo
Deageum Flute performer
Introduction
My name is Seungju Choi, and I play the daegeum. I became interested in Korean music when I started learning gayageum as a child, and I had fallen in love with the charming and unique sound of the daegeum and then had majored in daegeum. I perform music on the daegeum, and I am trying to introduce Korean music to many people, reinterpret it in a modern way, and preserve and develop the charming sound of the daegeum.
Highlight
Daegeum Major, Department of Korean Music, Ewha Womans University;
Performed at the Korean Cultural Exchange Center (KOFICE) and Korean Education Center in Sydney, Australia
Performance at Goldcreek School, organized by the Korean Embassy in Canberra, Australia
Performed at Zipper Hall, LA, USA
Performed at Marianopolis University, Montreal, Canada
Performed at George Weston Recital Hall, Toronto, Canada
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto, Canada & Korean Culture and Arts Association at Meridian Art Center
Performed at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
Participated in Daesung Mymac McOut TV
Gugak Theater String Orchestra
Wonnam Church 'Act 1, Scene 1: Gugak Orchestra with a Scenario' Performance
National Theater of Korea Haeoreum Theater <Conclusion: Peace for Youth> Performance
Performed at the 2024 Gugak String Festival at the National Center for the Performing Arts
2024 Completed the Hanyeum Orchestra
2024 Completed the National Theater Yeowoorak Academy
The 2nd Buam Gugak Competition, 1st Prize in the Wind Orchestra Division
Grand Prize in the Wind Instrumental Category at the 16th Bitgoeul Instrumental Music Festival
The 8th Mossol National Gugak Competition Awarded the Encouragement Prize in the Instrumental Division;
Silver Prize in the 2nd Creative Gugak Competition, Gugak National Day
Ewha Womans University Gugak Instrumental Music Division 3rd Prize in Instrumental Music
Gugak Ensemble Chodong member
Gugak Ensemble Sohwa (韶華) member
What to expect while doing this
As a daegeum performer, I love when I connect with an audience through music, when the energy and emotion onstage transfers and becomes one with the audience, especially since it's an instrument that's directly related to breathing, so there's a greater sense of immersion and connection with each note.
I also feel that when you can make the daejeon feel more familiar and accessible by trying to connect with the present while still maintaining the tradition, it becomes something bigger than just the moment you play the music.
So, as an instrument, as a performance, it makes me happy to be able to bring the sound of the daegeum to someone.
Interview
Q. What are some of your most memorable places and experiences in nature in Korea?
I love the sea, and in Yeongdo, Busan, I can always see the sea no matter where I go. The clear blue hue of the sea in Yeongdo is especially attractive, and the red lighthouse on Jungri Beach is even more attractive because it has a contrasting color to the blue sea. In the evening, the lights around Yeongdo Bridge and the harbor reflect off the sea, creating a serene and beautiful scene that has stayed with me for a long time. I thought that man-made objects would spoil the natural scenery, but instead, they made it more beautiful, which is similar to my music, and that's what I remember most.
Q. What does nature mean to you?
For me, nature is actually an escape. It's a place where I can clear my mind and reflect on myself, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the complexity of my emotions. Especially when I'm at the ocean, watching the waves breaking and coming back together, the sound of the waves, the soft sand under my feet, and the faint salty smell on the tip of my nose, it's soothing and calming.
Q. What do you want people to take away from the experience and healing you provide?
The soft, deep sound of the daegeum soothes and calms the listener's mind, and its natural tones, like the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, give the illusion of escaping from everyday life and entering the bosom of nature. I hope that through these performances, people who listen to my music will feel relaxed and healed and find a moment of peace.
Choi Seungjoo
Deageum Flute performer
Introduction
My name is Seungju Choi, and I play the daegeum. I became interested in Korean music when I started learning gayageum as a child, and I had fallen in love with the charming and unique sound of the daegeum and then had majored in daegeum. I perform music on the daegeum, and I am trying to introduce Korean music to many people, reinterpret it in a modern way, and preserve and develop the charming sound of the daegeum.
Highlight
Daegeum Major, Department of Korean Music, Ewha Womans University;
Performed at the Korean Cultural Exchange Center (KOFICE) and Korean Education Center in Sydney, Australia
Performance at Goldcreek School, organized by the Korean Embassy in Canberra, Australia
Performed at Zipper Hall, LA, USA
Performed at Marianopolis University, Montreal, Canada
Performed at George Weston Recital Hall, Toronto, Canada
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto, Canada & Korean Culture and Arts Association at Meridian Art Center
Performed at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
Participated in Daesung Mymac McOut TV
Gugak Theater String Orchestra
Wonnam Church 'Act 1, Scene 1: Gugak Orchestra with a Scenario' Performance
National Theater of Korea Haeoreum Theater <Conclusion: Peace for Youth> Performance
Performed at the 2024 Gugak String Festival at the National Center for the Performing Arts
2024 Completed the Hanyeum Orchestra
2024 Completed the National Theater Yeowoorak Academy
The 2nd Buam Gugak Competition, 1st Prize in the Wind Orchestra Division
Grand Prize in the Wind Instrumental Category at the 16th Bitgoeul Instrumental Music Festival
The 8th Mossol National Gugak Competition Awarded the Encouragement Prize in the Instrumental Division;
Silver Prize in the 2nd Creative Gugak Competition, Gugak National Day
Ewha Womans University Gugak Instrumental Music Division 3rd Prize in Instrumental Music
Gugak Ensemble Chodong member
Gugak Ensemble Sohwa (韶華) member
What to expect while doing this
As a daegeum performer, I love when I connect with an audience through music, when the energy and emotion onstage transfers and becomes one with the audience, especially since it's an instrument that's directly related to breathing, so there's a greater sense of immersion and connection with each note.
I also feel that when you can make the daejeon feel more familiar and accessible by trying to connect with the present while still maintaining the tradition, it becomes something bigger than just the moment you play the music.
So, as an instrument, as a performance, it makes me happy to be able to bring the sound of the daegeum to someone.
Interview
Q. What are some of your most memorable places and experiences in nature in Korea?
I love the sea, and in Yeongdo, Busan, I can always see the sea no matter where I go. The clear blue hue of the sea in Yeongdo is especially attractive, and the red lighthouse on Jungri Beach is even more attractive because it has a contrasting color to the blue sea. In the evening, the lights around Yeongdo Bridge and the harbor reflect off the sea, creating a serene and beautiful scene that has stayed with me for a long time. I thought that man-made objects would spoil the natural scenery, but instead, they made it more beautiful, which is similar to my music, and that's what I remember most.
Q. What does nature mean to you?
For me, nature is actually an escape. It's a place where I can clear my mind and reflect on myself, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the complexity of my emotions. Especially when I'm at the ocean, watching the waves breaking and coming back together, the sound of the waves, the soft sand under my feet, and the faint salty smell on the tip of my nose, it's soothing and calming.
Q. What do you want people to take away from the experience and healing you provide?
The soft, deep sound of the daegeum soothes and calms the listener's mind, and its natural tones, like the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, give the illusion of escaping from everyday life and entering the bosom of nature. I hope that through these performances, people who listen to my music will feel relaxed and healed and find a moment of peace.