Black String is founded on Korean traditional music but guided by universal emotions, freely crossing generic borders while actively working to create a new level of improvisational performance. They present a repertory which is both contemporary and filled with Black String’s distinctive aesthetic.

The 2018 Songlines Music Awards winners, Black String, will premiere new music from their upcoming album set to be released this autumn, following their acclaimed albums Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019) on the German label ACT. Led by Youn Jeong Heo, the legendary master of the geomungo (zither), the band also includes guitarist Jean Oh, daegeum (flute) and yanggeum (hammered dulcimer) player Aram Lee, and percussionist and vocalist Min Wang Hwang. Black String creates extraordinary, enigmatic sounds with ancient instruments, blending East and West, Korean folk and jazz in their unique musical language.

Black String was selected for the 2016 World Music Expo Official Showcase, and was the first Korean band to win the Asia & Pacific Award from renowned world music magazine Songlines in 2018, demonstrating the excellence and artistic potential of traditional Korean music to the world. After their debut at the London Jazz Festival in 2012, they have performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals in the world, including the New York Lincoln Center, the Washington Kennedy Center, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Danish Roskilde Festival and the New York Winter Jazz Festival. They were the first Asian band to sign with ACT, Europe’s largest jazz label, so far releasing two studio albums, Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019), and live album, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic (2020).

This event will last for approximately 70 minutes.

Reviews

‘a spellbinding experience.’ The Guardian

‘no boundaries and relentless in its exploration of ever-fresh ingredients for sonic fusion.’ Jazzwise

‘Black String make you wonder how rock coped for 65 years without the geomungo.’ Mojo