Kyungso Park

Near East Quartet has been a force in Korean music since 2010, juxtaposing elements of contemporary jazz and traditional Korean music with pure sound exploration to create new forms. Saxophonist/clarinettist Sungjae Son and guitarist Suwuk Chung have been members from the outset, and the group has been strengthened with the integration of a pansori singer and highly creative drummer Soojin Suh. The eponymously titled album Near East Quartet will be releases through ECM this year and contains five compositions by Sungjae Son and three Korean traditionals. It was recorded in Seoul, and mixed by Manfred Eicher with Nicolas Baillard and album producer Sun Chung. Kyungso Park is a composer, player and improviser of gayageum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument that sounds like a cross between a harp, an oud and a theremin. She freely breaks down the borders between traditional and contemporary music through jazz, dance, classical and more.