Interview with South Korean Composer, Pianist Yeonjoon Yoon

Can we get to know you?

I am a pianist, composer, and artist, with a keen foundation in Western classical music, exploring genres of other origins. Some recent explorations have been in electronic, and traditional Korean music, amongst others.

What is the story of how you became familiar with your instrument?

I am too openly and widely interested in other religions to call myself a Christian, but I come from a Christian background, due to my Grandma who was a devoted believer. It was the preacher of the church I attended, which also was my kindergarten, in Nowon-gu of Seoul (in the northern end of Seoul and also my hometown) who got me started on the piano, at age five.

How do you see the interest in your musical style worldwide? And what is the situation in your country?

Musical genres are like races to me: it is there for convenience’s sake. I am constantly broadening my scope led by my curiosity, with my identity based on the inherently Korean and acquired Western classical traditions. I am unsure what and how to label my music, though some might call it neo-classical or crossover, which I do not mind, but don’t favor either.

The Korean music scene is interesting since there seems to be quite a bit of movement in diversity and peculiarity, though, on a broader scale, it is a heavily trend-driven one. It could be a harsh environment, making it both exciting and challenging for the kind of music I create. I would like to get as many ears and support as possible to deepen and widen the audience pool, both nationally, and globally!

Do you know Turkey? Are there any music artists from our country that you follow?

There is of course the Turkish pianist Fazil Say. His work ‘Black Earth’ lives somewhere in my ears. It would be great to collaborate with him sometime. I am unfortunately not so familiar with the traditional music of Turkey, but perhaps one day!

In a more unconventional route, there is a Prague-based Turkish DJ, Pink Concrete (Yalin Yucel), with whom I plan on collaborating sometime down the road. I found out about him and his music through Berghain in Berlin. We connected through Instagram, like how you found me.

Can you tell us about any new projects you have in the works?

<Études Project> inspired by the works of Frédéric Chopin and Philip Glass presented as triptychs of three tracks, will be released in EPs culminating into an album. The first set will be released on February 26th, titled <Études Project: Triptych I>. Further works will also include musicians of other genres.

‘Open the Door: Part I’, a single inspired by the nature poet Walt Whitman’s quote “Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!” in collaboration with multimedia artist and composer Ebe Oke, will be released soon, on February 12. It blends piano and electronics in an electroacoustic dialogue, merging deliberate precision with aleatoric fluidity, and bold maximalism with minimalist elegance.

‘Um: Sprouting’, with traditional Korean musicians, is in the works for a live album release (from the Seoul performance in August), which was presented at the Barbican last May (info).
MUAK, a solo piano work, released as a single, inspired by the shamans of Korea, is a studio recording of one of the works presented in the project.

A duo of improvised music, ‘GYKY’ with Geonjay Kim, the leader of the indie-psychedelic rockband Silica Gel, is another budding collaboration and project to come. He will also join me in the Études project.

Within the classical realm, I will be presenting Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with my cadenza at the Konzerthaus Berlin, with the Konzerthaus Berlin Orchestra on March 19 (info).