Randolph to host an ‘Afternoon of Korean Art Song’ in January

Randolph College’s Department of Performing Arts will host an afternoon of Korean art songs next month, featuring soprano Misook Yun, mezzo-soprano Ryu-Kyung Kim, and pianist Da Eun Choi.

The performance, part of Randolph’s Guest Artist Concert Series, is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Wimberly Recital Hall, and admission is free. 

The trio will perform gagok, a contemporary Korean vocal art form influenced by Western music traditions. 

Set to Korean poetry or texts, gagok typically features a single voice accompanied by piano. Emerging in the late 19th century, the genre blends elements of American hymns and folk songs, Italian canzone, French mélodie, and German Lieder, while retaining deep roots in Korea’s 5,000-year-old vocal music traditions.

Yun, a lyric soprano known for her “exquisite clarity” and “virtuosity,” has performed internationally in Italy, Austria, Hungary, South Korea, and the United States. Her operatic roles include Mimi (La Bohème), Cio Cio San (Madama Butterfly), and Violetta (La Traviata). She has also been a featured soloist in Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem. A seasoned educator, Yun taught at Youngstown State University for 25 years before joining Mercyhurst University in 2024 and continues to contribute to international music festivals as a clinician.

Kim, praised by Opera News for her “superb technique, innate musicality, and powerful stage presence,” has appeared in 13 world and U.S. premiere operas. Recent highlights include the Silicon Valley Chamber Music Festival’s 2023 world-premiere project, وحدة JUNTOS, and performances with the Bach Society of Dayton and Dayton Opera. Known for roles such as Carmen, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), and Adalgisa (Norma), she has also performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and with orchestras in Korea, Japan, and Germany. Kim is a professor of voice and director of the World Music Choir at the University of Dayton.

Choi, an accomplished pianist, is celebrated for her versatility in solo and ensemble performances. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a Sidney M. Wright Endowed Presidential Scholar, and earned degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and Hanyang University in Seoul. Currently, Choi serves as staff pianist at Youngstown State University and principal pianist for the Lima Symphony Orchestra. She previously held positions at Bluffton University from 2018 to 2023.

During their residency here at Randolph, the trio will give a guest talk to students in professor Randy Speer’s World Performance Traditions course. 

This event is made possible through the generosity of The Edwin H. and Elaine Dahl St. Vincent Music Fund.