Rush Hour Concert Series - "Sijo Poetry and Music" Program book (July 30, 2019, Chicago)

k

t

TUESDAY, JULY 30^", 2019 t,.

SAINT JAMES CATHEDRAL

05 E. HURON ST., CHICAGO, IL

i0 ^

ON SIJO WRITING YANG SANGGYONG (1904-1988)

The first line is a full skirt, the second is the bodice;

On reaching the third and last the neat collar has been added.

Lightly tie the ribbon bow, and the charm ofthe dress will appear.

The basic pattern offours is like the counting ofthe days: Twenty-eight will make a month, thirty-one, too, will make a month.

Set the stern, and when leaves and flowers bloom

fragrance will come ofitself.

The bright moon lighting up the sky, clear and white above the ground, Is it just the shining soul ofthe sijo ofancient masters ?

The mere sound ofa lute in moonlightis that not a sijo too? translated by Richard Rutt

ABOUT THE SUG

The sijo (Korean pronounced SHEE-jo) is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form typically exploring cosmological, metaphysical, or pastoral themes.

Organized both technically and thematicaEy by line and syllable count, sijo are expected to be phrasal and lyrical, as they are first and foremost meant to be songs.

Sijo are most often written in three lines, each averaging 14-16 syllables for a total of 44-46 syllables. Each line is written in four groups of syllables that should be clearly differentiated from the other groups, yet still flow together as a single line.

As shown in the example below,liberties may be taken with the number ofsyllables per group as long as the total syllable count for the line remains within reason.

When written in English, the most common format variation is six lines of two groups each.

In Korean,each visually distinct character is considered a single syllable.

• The first line is usually written in a 3-4-4-4 grouping pattern and states the theme ofthe poem, where a situation generally introduced.

• The second line is usually written in a 3-4-4-4 pattern similar to the first and is an elaboration ofthe first line's theme or situation (development).

•

The third line is divided into two sections. The first section, the count

er-theme, is grouped as 3-5, while the second part, considered the conclusion ofthe poem,is written as 4-3. The counter-theme is called the 'twist,' which is usually a surprise in meaning,sound,or other device.

UNTITLED SIJO BY Yi SUN-SHIN (1545-1598)

By moonlight I sit all alone in the lookout on Hansan isle. (3-5-4-4) My sword is on my thigh; I am submerged in deep despair. (2-4-4-4) From somewhere the shrill note ofa pipe...will it sever my heartstrings? (3-6-4-3) ^

^ -g^l

^11-

(3-5-3-4) (2-4-4-4) (3-5-4-3)

YI SUN-SHIN (1545-1598)is considered by military historians to be one ofthe greatest admirals

in military history and is famed for his victories againstJapanese invasions during the Joseon dynasty.

Many of his battles were fought and won while outnumbered, and he never lost a ship to an enemy force or suffered defeat. He is credited with devising the "turtle ship", the first ironclad battleship in

history. His last words are often cited as being demonstrative of his character: "The battle is at its height. Beat my war drums. Do not announce my death."

PROGRAM

Mia Park, narrator

KOREAN ART SONGS

Nostalgia

Kim Dong-jin based on sijo by Yi Un-sang

Green Mountain

Kim Yeon-joon

based on sijo by Kim Yeon-joon The Swing

Gum Su-hyun

based on sijo by Kim Mal-bong Ghibong Kim,baritone SojungLee Hong,piano

Editor's note: Traditional Korean names are written as <Iast name, first name>. Even now, this

practice continues in not only Korea, butJapan, China, and other Asian countries as well. However,

the names of the performers in this concert follow the standard English format of <first name, last namo,as is standard for Asians who have emigrated to Western countries.

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL

Three Korean Sijo Teddy Niedermaier based on sijo by Yi Myung-han,Hwang Chin-i, and Yang Sa-un Yunji Shim,soprano Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet Herine Coetzee Koschak, cello

Song of My Five Friends

Misook Kim based on sijo by Yoon Sun-do Yunji Shim,soprano Anthony Devroye, viola Sojung Lee Y{on^,piano Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet Herine Coetzee Koschak,cello

Ha-yeo-ga and Dan-sim-ga Eun Young Lee based on sijo by Yi Bang-won andJungMong-joo Yunji Shim,soprano Ghibong Kim,baritone Suwan QYvoi,Korean percussion Anthony Devroye, viola Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet Herine Coetzee Koschak, cello

Meet the composers and performers ata reception

following the concert.

THREE KOREAN ART SONGS Ghibong Kim,baritone â&#x20AC;˘ Sojung Lee Hong,piano

NOSTALGIA SIJO BY Yi UN-SANG â&#x20AC;˘ MUSIC BY KIM DONG-JIN

Vividly I see in my minds eye the Southern Sea so blue and serene.

How can I forget even in dreams the serene waters of my hometown?

Even now,the seabirds would greet me. Oh,I wish I were back home!

I miss those friends of mine whom I played with when I was a child.

Wherever I go and wherever 1 am,how can I ever forget them?

How are they doing these days? Oh,I wish I met them again!

While seabirds and friends are all still there at my hometown.

How and why have I come to leave my hometown and live alone ?

Shall I go back home right now,leaving everything behind?

Oh,how I long to go back home and mingle with them as before!

How I long to live there and laugh as I did as a child in festive attire!

How I long to go back to those days when there were no tears at ail! translated byJang Gyong-ryol

^

yf r:]- ZL 4^^#

Ml

rL

4^

n ^-^1- zL^]44

-2-^4- 4 -t-4 44:2- 7>ji44 4^4 ZL

zi

jl44 4 44M]

444 4'=']44 4444 444ji 444 4^4 ^1311-01-4-4 44 4M] 44 ^444 4-514:11 4 44 444 44 45i-g-5i 445^4 114^ ^4 41- 4:444 447}-

Yl UN-SANG (1903-1982) | poet and academic

Yi Un-sang is considered to be one of the most influential Korean poets ofthe 20'*' century. After obtaining a bachelor s degree in his tory, he received a PhD in Korean literature and went on to teach at Seoul National Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;considered the premier university South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and Sook-Myung University. Though his literary range from biographies to novels, he is primarily remembered

as a poet and one ofthe champions ofthe revitalization ofsijo in the 20'*' century.

Many of his poems serve as the basis for some of the most popular Korean art songs.

KIM DONG-JIN (1913-2009) |composer

Kim Dong-jin is one ofthe first generation ofKorean lyric compos ers. Born in Anju, North Korea, he studied violin, piano, and com position at Sungsil Middle School in Pyongyang and later violin at a music school in Japan. As a musical prodigy, he started composing lyric songs while in middle school. During the Korean War, Kim moved to South Korea and became a professor at Sorabol Arts College, now a part

of Choong-Ang University; later he moved to Kyung Hee University. His works include numerous Korean lyric songs beloved by Koreans. He additionally com

posed operas based on pansori, a traditional form of storytelling through singing, and was a prolific film music composer.

Up above the shimmering sea Two or three seagulls are hovering.

Rolling, wheeling, they write a poem.

I do not know the alphabet they use.

On the broad expanse ofsky I will write a poem too.

Ti Un-sang(1903-1982)

GREEN MOUNTAIN 5IJ0 AND MUSIC BY KIM YEON-JOON

I yearn to live on a green mountain with a forest densely packed As I live on the mountainside, my heart will turn green This spring,green bloomed on the mountainside once more I yearn to live on a green mountain,leaving ail my worries behind The world around me has changed over an age,

but I long to live on a mountain that stays evergreen through time translated byJean Kim and Lucy Park

^^

ef

-y-ejef

KIM YEON-JOON (1914-2008) 1 musician and educator

rKim Yeon-Joon came from a rich family ofmusic-loving merchants.

He learned violin from his cousin and joined his church choir at age eight, then went on to study music at Yeon-hee University. He established Dong-A Technical School soon after graduating uni versity, though the school was eventually forced to close by the Jap anese colonial government. Immediately following the liberation of Korea from Japan he established Han-yang University, and under his leadership Han-yang be came a premier institution ofhigher education in Korea.

Kim is widely known in Korea as a talented and prolific composer. His pieces include hymns, art songs, chamber music, and orchestral music, and many of his pieces use lyrics he wrote himself. He received numerous awards as an outstanding educator and musician from Korea and Germany.

He was also successful as a business executive in newspaper publishing and long-distance shipping.

THE SWING SIJO BY KIM MAL-BONG โ ข MUSIC BY GUM SU-HYON

Jade-colored fine ramie-cloth skirt and gilt pigtail ribbons are leaping into the blue sky and fluttering in the clouds.

A startled swallow stares at them,forgetting to beat its wings.

As she pushes offonce,she soars as high as to the treetop.

As she pushes off"twice, the world lays itself flat beneath her feet.

Myriad worries ofthe mind are all blown away in the wind. translated byJang Gyong-ryol

avil

A],

4-E-^1

^1 ^^11-^ ^-1 ^7]7} 4-7} ^14-^ ^4 4^1] ^44

4:4 ^^4 4^^4 -T- 4-i- 4-i- 44 4444444 4-ยง-4 44e4^44<='l ^444

KIM MAL-BONG (1901-1961) \ poet and author

Kim Mal-bong started her career as a reporter at the newspaper Joong-wae Daily and published many works of fiction throughout her life. She is notable for being one of the first highly educated Korean women during Japans annexation of Korea. She was deeply involved in social service and operated a home for the poor.

GUM SU-HYUN (1919-1992) |composer and educator

Gum Su-hyun was a high school music teacher,journal editor, and author of essays on music and music education. His compositions

.1^-

primarily consisted ofart songs, musicals, and choral music. During the Korean War, he provided shelter to musicians and artists who were refugees and actively supported artistic exchanges. He is best-

known for "Swing."

THREE KOREAN SIJO Teddy Niedermaier,composer Yunji Shim,soprano - Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet Herine Coetzee Koschak, cello

Ifon the pathways ofdreams a footprint could leave a mark, The road by your window though rough with rocks, would soon wear smooth.

But in dreams paths take no footprints.

I mourn the more for that.

—^Yi Myung-han

Jade Green Stream, don't boast so proud of your easy passing through these blue hills.

Once you have reached the broad sea, to return again will be hard.

While the Bright Moon fills these empty hills, why not pause ? Then go on,if you will.

—Hwang Chin-i

Soaring high though a mountain may be, it is a mere mound beneath the Heavens

Climb and climb, and no summit cannot be reached

Yet the people stay at its base—

they say the mountain is too high.

—^Yang Sa-eun

Yl MYUNG-HAN (1595-1645) was a high-ranking government official equiva lent to a chancellor. He is known for having been particularly gifted in poetry since childhood; as an adult he continued to write poetry throughout his life. This suit

ed his position, as government officials were commonly highly cultured members of the elite or noble class who valued the artsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially poetry. His works were compiled into a collection oftwenty volumes after his death.

HWANG CHIN-I (1506-1544) is perhaps the most famous courtesan {gisaeng) in Korean history. She was particularly noted for her exceptional beauty, charm

ing and quick wit, extraordinary intellect, assertive and independent nature, and mastery of the fine artsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including dancing, music, painting, and poetry. She has become a legendary historical figure in modern Korea,inspiring novels,films, tele vision series, and even operas.

However,few of her sijo and musical compositions have survived, as she was de nounced and vilified immediately after her death for her status as a courtesan.

There has been some speculation that this sentiment was prompted by jealous con temporaries.

YANG SA-EUN (1517-1584) was a government official appointed as the gover nor of several districts. Talented in calligraphy and poetry, he was referred to as a

genius by his contemporaries for his extensive knowledge of various topics, and is particularly well-remembered for his strong sense of morality and wisdom. His poems were considered unique for his time, as many of his works were written to inspire and encourage wisdom in others.

n Dr.TEDDY NIEDERMAIERisan As ociate Profes orofCore Mu COMPOSER

sic Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He previously taught music theory at the Oberlin Conservatory,and has served on the fac ulty at the European American Musical Alliance summer program in Paris since 2006. Dr. Niedermaier completed a Doctor of Music

degree in Music Composition in 2010 from Indiana University, where he studied with Claude Baker and David Dzubay. He earned two degrees in Music Compo

sition (Master of Music and Bachelor of Music)from the Juilliard School as a stu dent ofJohn Corigliano,Samuel Adler, and Robert Beaser.

For more information, please visit www.teddycomposer.com.

SONG OF MY FIVE FRIENDS Misook Kim,composer

Yunji Shim,soprano • Anthony Devroye,viola • Sojung Lee Hong,piano Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet • Herine Coetzee Koschak,cello

SONG OF MY FIVE FRIENDS YOON SUN-DO

You ask how many friends I have ? Water and stone, bamboo and pine.

The moon rising over the eastern hill is a joyful comrade.

Besides these five companions, what other pleasure should I ask?

YOON SUN-DO (1587-1671) was a noted Korean Neo-Confucian scholar, writ er, poet, politician of the Joseon Dynasty. Though he achieved early success as a government official, his straightforward character made enemies at court and he was banished for imprudent criticism ofthose in power. He spent most of his life

in his rustic country home,contemplating the nature oflife, and teaching and writ ing poetry. He is considered the greatest master of the sijo in Korean literature,

and his most famous composition is "The Fisherman's Calendar," a cycle offorty seasonal sijo. He was also known by his pen names Gosan and Haeong.

COMPOSER'S NOTE

SONG OF FIVE FRIENDS is inspired by Yoon Seon-do's beautiful ecosystem of

valuable friendship. Soprano, Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Piano represent moon, water, bamboo, pine, and stone respectively. This sijo has great metaphorical val ue and encapsulates the different natures that some friends have and the relative strength ofeach friendship.

The soprano leads the piece with the expression of"blessing everyone with light," while the clarinet represents "faithful and never-ending" color. The viola and cel lo harmonize in texture with the image of "standing green no matter what" and

"Mr. Pine, down co earths eternal spring." Ihe piano communicates throughout the whole piece with a sensible versification and intense expression over the fun damental components of this nature, "could it be that only stone stands strong against the elements?"

As sijo is often more lyrical and personal than other East Asian poetic forms, the final line takes an insightful turn. "What other pleasure should I ask?" - the har monization offive distinctive instruments symbolize a relationship ofall ofus who want to live simply and naturally.

—Misook Kim

COMPOSER Dr. MISOOK KIM received her B.M. with the honor of Cum Laude

from Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. After finish ing her "New Star Concert" sponsored by the newspaper Chosun Ilbo,she entered graduate school at the University ofTexas at Austin; there she completed her M.M. and D.M.A. degrees in composition and a certificate in piano performance. Reviewer Mike Greenberg, writing for the San Antonio Express-News, called the composer "a bold and unrepentant modern ist." He also wrote in the San Antonio Current that "her music was fearlessly mod ern—spiky, protean, often highly compressed, proudly declining to participate in the fashion for 'accessibility'—but she was so sure-footed in her instincts and her craft that she earned her listeners' trust to lead them safely and enjoyably through the strange realms she conjured."

Kim has been featured throughout the United States and Korea as a composer as well as pianist in various concerts of her own and other composers' works rang ing from solo pieces to larger ensemble compositions. In addition to commissions for the MUSICOPIA, Hudson Duo, and Olmos Ensemble, she has won the In

ternational Alliance for Women in Music Judith Zaimont Award and the Long Island Arts Council International Composition Competition in 2007. She also won the 2008 International Sejong Music Composition Competition. Her music was broadcast on Classical Spotlight of KPAC Texas Public Radio and WFMT Chicago Classical Radio.

A founding member ofthe Chicago New Arts Trio and the Composers'Alliance of San Antonio, Kim has also served as a board member ofthe San Antonio Interna

tional Piano Competition. She is a former faculty member at the University ofthe Incarnate Word and Trinity University in San Antonio,TX.She has also served as music director at the Korean United Methodist Church. In the fall of2006, Kim

joined the faculty at the Conservatory ofMusic at Wheaton College,IL.

HA-YEO-GA AND DAN-SIM-GA Eun Young Lee,composer Yunji Shim,soprano • Ghibong Kim,baritone Suwan Choi, Korean percussion • Anthony Devroye, viola Jennifer Woodrum,clarinet • Herine Coetzee Koschak,cello

HA-YEO-GA SIJO BY Yl BANG-WON

What difference does it make,

this way or that?

The tangled vines of Mansu Mountain in profusion grow entwined.

We too could be like that,

and live together a hundred years.

o]

II-I

Edl- ^ 11 <=>1

cc|5}El

ol^d^^l

-r^slsl-

DAN-SIM-GA SIJO BY JUNG MONG-JOO

Though this body die and die, it may die a hundred times, my white bones become but dust, called soul exist or not:

for my lord, no part of this red heart would ever change. How could it?

'^l

Yl BANG-WON (1367-1422) was the fifth son ofYi Sung-gae. Both father and son were high-ranking generals of the Koryo kingdom, and after a string of in competent and corrupt kings the two staged a successful coup d'etat to overthrow the ruling dynasty. The new Joseon dynasty was subsequently established with Yi Sung-gae as its first king, known as King Taejo. Yi Bang-won later became the Jo seon dynasty's third king as King Taejong. His son and successor was King Sejong the Great.

Immediately after the coup, Yi Bang-won approached Jung Mong-joo,prime min ister of Koryo and a highly-regarded scholar, and composed this sijo asking the great scholar to join the Joseon dynasty. The title was attached to the sijo by later scholars and is a reference to the phrase "this way or that."

JUNG MONG-JOO (1338-1392) was the prime minister of the Koryo kingdom, highly respected as a great scholar. Immediately after the last Koryo king was de throned,Yi Bang-won toasted Jung with a sijo that proposed thatJung support the newly-established Joseon dynasty; however,Jung replied with this sijo, declaring his undying loyalty to the Koryo dynasty. Shortly after this exchange,Yi Bang-won had Jung assassinated at the Sonjuk Bridge, which is now a national monument.As Jung was the last major supporter of Koryo, this event is considered the symbolic end ofthe Koryo dynasty.

Jung was so greatly revered that even Yi Sung-gaeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;now King Taejongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;mourned his death, and he was later venerated by future Joseon monarchs. Now,this sijo is considered the epitome of Korean fidelity. The title Dan-shim-ga was attached to the sijo by later scholars and means "red heart," a phrase that is now considered a symbol ofloyalty.

COMPOSER

EUN YOUNG LEE has been working with the New York New Mu sic Ensemble, Pacifica Quartet, eighth blackbird, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Gemini Ensemble, ECCE, Antico Moderno, Left Coast

Chamber Ensemble, dissonArt ensemble, and ensemble mise-en

among other ensembles. Many ofher works have been commissioned and have received a number of awards, including first prize at the Tsang-Houei Hsu International Music Composition Competition in Taiwan. Her compositions have also been selected for broadcasts. She earned a PhD at the University ofChi cago,joined the Boston Conservatory as a faculty member in 2014 and at the Tufts University in 2016 as a visiting professor.

For more information, please visit www.eunyoungleemusic.coin.

PERFORMERS SUWAN CHOI, a Korean craditional musican, is an Arcist-in-Res-

idence at the Global Pungmul Institute of Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Korean Traditional Performing Arts. He is a for mer performance director of the Korean traditional performing arts troupe NJ&P and was a grand prize winner at the World Samulnori Competition in Korea. Choi recently performed at the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival.

Editor's note: Traditional percussion instruments have been a staple of Korean music since the period ofthe Three Kingdoms ofKorea(57EC-668 AD). Drums are used as accompaniment injeongak (lit."proper music"),the "classical" category of Korean traditional music associated with the upper classes as royal court mu sic; in contrast, a variety ofdrums and gongs form the backbone oiminsogak (lit. "peoples traditional music"), folk music performed by commoners. According ly,jeongak is characterized by deliberateness and composure, whereas minsogak is characterized by animated and exuberant emotional expression. One of the most popular forms of minsogak is pungmul, a folk music tradition rooted in farming culture involving dancing and drumming and almost exclusively performed by per cussion instruments. Samulnori (lit. "the playing offour instruments"), the bestknown branch oipungmul music, was created in 1978 and is performed by four

instruments: an hourglass-shaped drum ijanggu), wide,shallow barrel drum {buk), and gong {jin^, all led by a small handheld gong {kkwanggwari).

ANTHONY DEVROYE, Artistic Director of Rush Hour Concerts,

enjoys a varied and active career as chamber, orchestral and solo violist and teacher. He has been violist of the Avalon String Quar tet since 2004, and viola faculty at the Northern Illinois University School of Music since 2007. Mr. Devroye has performed with the quartet at major venues throughout the United States, as well as in France and South Korea. His orchestral experience includes numerous performances with the Chicago Symphony under Riccardo Muti, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach and other leading conductors; additional orchestral performances include the New York Philharmonic and Chicago's Lyric Opera Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival and Music ofthe Baroque. Mr. Devroye holds a BA in Biological Science from Columbia University and a Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music. In 2005 he won First Prize at the Julio Cardona International String Competition in Portugal. His viola teachers have included Michael Tree, Roberto Diaz, Toby Appel and Heidi Castleman.

Dr. SOJUNG LEE HONG, Professor of Music at Judson Universi ty, has worked as a soloist, collaborative pianist, teacher, and church musician in the Chicago area since her appointment to the music faculty of Judson University. She has also performed and taught internationally, frequendy touring with ensembles for charity and missions concerts. For the past ten years she has organized the annual scholarship benefit concerts to support talented Korean students who come to the United States to further their music studies. She holds BM and MM degrees from Seoul National University in South Korea and a doctoral degree in piano performance and literature from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign. Recently, she was awarded the Margaret Hillis Award for the Arts by the Elgin YWCA,for her distinctive contribution to the Arts.

Baritone GHIBONG KIM, born in Daegu, Korea, received his Bach elors degree in Voice Performance at Seoul National University. He continued his voice studies at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Par ma, Italy, which Renata Tebaldi and Claudio Abbado had attended, and graduated with the highest academic honor. He was a winner of the international competition Rocca delle Macie in Siena, where Renato Bruson served as a judge. He was also a finalist at the Tito Schipa Voice Competition in Lecce and the Flaviano Lavo' Competition in Piacenza. His major teachers were Sherrill Milnes and Inci Bashar.

Mr. Kim's first professional appearance in Italy was as Cola in Paer's Camilla at Teatro Regio di Parma. Following this success, he was consequently engaged to sing as Belcore in L'elisir d'amorey Marcello in La boheme, and Rigoletto in Rigoletto.

Other roles include Renato {Un ballo in maschera), and Valentine {Faust). Since moving to the United States, Mr. Kim has been an active performer not only in operas, but also as an oratorio soloist. Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah" is his signa ture role. Mr. Kim made his Chicago debut as Conte in Le nozze di Figaro at the Chicago Chamber Opera with the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra. Other roles include Germont in La traviata with the Elgin Opera and Morales in Carmen at the DuPage Opera Theater.In 2011,he performed Brahms'sf/w deutsches Requiem with the Elgin Choral Union and Elgin Symphony Orchestra, which was broad cast on WFMT Chicago Radio.

Mr. Kim has given solo and chamber concerts in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Guate mala, Argentina, Paraguay, and South Korea. He taught voice as faculty at Judson University in Elgin, IL, and currently serves as the music director at the Alliance Fellowship Church in Hoffman Estates.

An avid conversationalist, cellist HERINE COETZEE KOSCHAK is

on a lifelong quest to engage in meaningful and personal exchanges through music. Herine is a founding member ofFifth House Ensemble and is regularly heard on local and national radio stations and concert stages, as well as on the Cedille record label. As a passionate advocate of music education in underservcd communities, Herine joined the fac ulty ofthe Merit School ofMusic in 2002 and served as Co-Director ofthe SuzuId-Alegre Strings Program and the String Department Chair from 2010-2014.She has appeared as a featured soloist with numerous orchestras including the National Repertory Orchestra, the Nittany Valley Symphony, and International Chamber Artists. Herine has held titled positions in the Civic Orchestra ofChicago and the National Repertory Orchestra, and has also performed with the Milwaukee Sym phony Orchestra and the renowned new music ensemble, eighth blackbird. An Indiana University alumna, her principal teachers were Janos Starker and Emilio Colon. She resides in Deerfield, IE with her husband and young son, with whom she shares a love of Nutella.

YUNJI SHIM (soprano) is a winner of the 2018 women's voice fel lowship from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation in Chicago.Shim has performed as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni^ the role of Ottavia in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and a soloist of Verdi Requiem in Viva Verdi!She is the winner of the 2017 Krannert debut artist competi tion and 2017 winner ofthe Artist Presentation Society in St. Louis. In May 2019, she made her debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as a first prize winner of the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition. Also in June 2019,she per formed with St. Petersburg Opera in Florida as a cover ofthe title role InMadama Butterfiy. In addition, she has been selected as a 2019 voice fellow for the Art of Song program at the Toronto Summer Music Festival. Shim is pursuing a doctoral degree at University of Illinois. She received her master's degree in music from Eastman School of Music and her bachelor's degree of music from Seoul National University in South Korea. She has studied with Cynthia Haymon-Coleman, Dr. Robert Mclver, Dr. Hyunju Yun, and Soonhee Lee.

JENNIFER WOODRUM's commitment to engaging audiences through the performance of genre-bending chamber music sends her to world-renowned venues across the country including Bennet Gordon Hall at Ravinia, Chicago's Pritzker Pavilion, the San Francis co Center for New Music, and Miller Theatre in New York. A solo

competition prize winner ofthe Chicago Musicians' Club of Women,the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation, and the American Opera Society, Jennifer

maintains a busy career as a recital and solo artist.Jennifer is on faculty at Carthage College and the University of Wisconsin Parkside and holds Bachelors and Mas ters degrees from Northwestern University, where she studied with Russ Dagon.

A devoted mother to two beautiful children,Jennifer sees life as a constant chal lenge to achieve balance.She loves spending time in her kitchen fermenting vegeta bles from her garden, barely cooking meat and putting lots ofbutter in everything.

' â&#x20AC;˘ ^

MIA PARK is powered by hopeful engagement. As a Chicago based multidisciplinary artist, Mia shares her passion for discovery through acting, teaching yoga, writing, playing music, producing events, and volunteering.

V

Learn more about Mia Park at www.MiaPark.com

The spring breeze melted snow on the hills, then quickly disappeared.

I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair and melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears.

U-Taek (1262-1342)

DURING ONE OF CHOPIN'S NOCTURNES

Music engulfs the hall, the pianist leaping through octaves.

As she slows, cold air whispers between fingers to hold a pause.

Then it comes: the crinkled crackling ofa lozenge unwrapping.

Katie Lee (12''"grade) honorable mention,pre-college sijo division 2019 Sejong Writing Competition

RUSH HOUR CONCERTS

In the Summer of 2000, concert pianist and civic leader Deborah Sobol found ed the Rush Hour Concert series to reinvent the traditional classical music con

cert format by presenting chamber music masterworks in an engaging setting, accessible to all. These 30-minute concerts offer unparalleled access to repertoire spanning 700 years, performed by world-class musicians from Chicago's leading ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and independent chamber music groups. The concerts are presented free ofcharge every Tuesday evening, June through August, at 5:45 p.m. in historic St. James Cathedral in downtown Chicago.

Rush Hour Concerts is a program ofthe International Music Foundation.The In ternational Music Foundation is dedicated to presenting free high-quality classical music performances and music education experiences in the Chicago metropoli tan area for people of all ages and degrees of musical awareness so they can experi ence how music enriches life.

ABSENTEE PARENTS

Make their excuses when asked why they aren't at your concert.

Pat yourselfon the back when you see others holding bouquets.

You have become your own cheerleader. This is a crucial skill.

Sofia Liaw (12'^grade) firstplace,pre-college sijo division 2019 Sejong Writing Competition

TENNIS

When the professionals play, its like watching a metronome: Racquet to racquet and back again, the ball keeps a perfect, steady beat.

When I'm on the court with my friends, we improvise: jazz, hip-hop.

Linda Sue Park (b.l960) Newbery-Award-winning author ofyoungadult and children's books

POETRY FOUNDATION

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience.

The Poetry Foundation works to raise poetry to a more visible and influential po sition in our culture. The Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds ofpoetry.

Established in 2003 upon receipt of a major gift from philanthropist Ruth Lil ly, the Poetry Foundation evolved from the Modern Poetry Association, which was founded in 1941 to support the publication oiPoetry magazine. The gift from Ruth Lilly allowed the Poetry Foundation to expand and enhance the presence of poetry in the United States and established an endowment that will fund Poetry magazine in perpetuity.

SEJONG CULTURAL SOCIETY

Based in Chicago, IL, the Sejong Cultural Society was founded in 2004. It is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

The Sejong Cultural Society strives to advance awareness and understanding of Koreas cultural heritage amongst people in the United States by reaching out to the younger generations through contemporary creative and fine arts. It is our hope that, through this, the rich culture behind Korea's colorful history will be accessible to people of any ethnicity and nationality while being a unique part of American culture.

Our programs include the Sejong Music Competition for pre-college violin and piano students; the annual Sejong Writing Competition for American and Cana dian students and adults, divided into essay and sijo categories; the Sejong Prize for music composition for international composers of all ages; and the annual Sijo Workshop for educators among a variety ofother sijo-related events. Our Sijo and Music program was launched in 2015. Through this we encourage musicians of various genres to utilize sijo in their works with the goal of making sijo more acces sible for people unfamiliar with Korean culture.

BACK IN NEW ORLEANS

In the South, Grandpa was born. Paper shack house had a dirt floor.

As a kid he drank coffee. Milk for them was too expensive.

They were rich with gospel spirit! In church they sang, and filled their hearts.

Dante Kirkman (8'''grade) honorable mention,pre-college sijo division 2016Sejong Writing Competition

SEJONG CULTURAL SOCIETY sue EDUCATION PROGRAM

As an extension of our Writing Competitions sijo category, the Sejong Cultural So ciety has worked on a variety ofsijo-related materials and events for both pre-college educators and the public. Through this, we hope young creative writers will be intro duced to a unique style of poetry in a more accessible and mainstream environment.

SUO WORKSHOPS

The Sejong Cultural Society supports sijo workshops intended primarily for pre-college educators. This program originated in 20II with an ongoing annual workshop we primarily hosted, but has now expand ed to various programs we collaborate on with a vari ety ofother educational organizations. In addition to co-hosting several programs in Chicago, we provide speakers and materials to present sijo in a hands-on experience at conferences and workshops across the country.

SIJO IN CLASSROOMS

Since 2015 we visited four high school English class rooms across the country that have incorporated the

sijo into their curricula, and we hosted a master class aimed towards teaching elementary school students.

Video recordings of these classes being taught about sijo have been posted on our website in an effort to not only demonstrate to educators how the sijo may be introduced to a pre-college classroom, but also for anyone interested in learning about sijo in an accessible format.

Several of these teachers and other college-level educators additionally collaborated to create written lesson plans for others to use. We plan on continuing to create more material for educators for varying grades.

SIJO AS MUSIC

In addition to our goal ofintroducing sijo to the West as a poetry form, we also hope to modernize sijo fur ther by tying the form to mainstream contemporary culture in the form of music. Through concerts such as Music Inspired by Korean Poetry and Sijo Poetry and Music, and with the collaboration of individuals

and groups such as the hip-hop collective Elephant Rebellion, we hope to utilize a vast range of musical genres in the hopes ofdrawing interest to the sijo through a popular and culturally mainstream source.

Please visit our website at www.sejongculturaIsociety.org to hear jazz and hip-hop works in addition to classical and art songs, all of which are based on sijo.

SEJONG CULTURAL SOCIETY UPCOMING EVENTS

2019 sue WORKSHOP FOR EDUCATORS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

in collaboration with NCTAA at Indiana University

Pike High School,Indianapolis IN Curriculum includes comparison ofKorean sijo, Chinese quatrain, and Japanese haiku

2019 SEJONG MUSIC COMPETITION SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2019

UIC Performing Arcs Center, Chicago,IL Application deadline: October 31,2019 Violin and piano categories open to all pre-college students WINNERS' CONCERT

December 5, 2019

Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago,IL

2018 SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2020

in collaborarion with the Korea Institute at Harvard University and the Literature Translation Institute of Korea

Open to US and Canada residents Essay category open to age 30 and younger Sijo category open to poets ofall ages Contact us at sejong@sejongculturalsociety.org with any questions or visit our website at www.sejongculturalsociety.org.

P 0 Sejong CiilturnI Society

The Consulate General of

R

'IjThe Republic of Korea in Chicago

Sijo Poetry and Music was sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago, and organized by Rush Hour Concerts and the Scjong Cultural Society.

This program was created by the Scjong Cultural Society. www,poL'trvhiund.uii 111,1)1":^ â&#x20AC;¢ vs'ww.uiitchii-MUti.Di;,:,,

rush-h our-ci)nceris