Yoon-jeong Heo’s Geomungo – Masterful Harmony

The term “Geomungo Master” cannot sufficiently express the musical world of Yoon-jeong Heo, who perfectly demonstrates traditional, neo-traditional, contemporary, avant-garde, and improvisational music. Her unique approach—based on traditionality constructed exclusively with traditional instruments and musical elements, yet delivering a more modern sound than most traditional performances—has attracted the attention of international audiences and sparked global interest in Korean music.

“Masterful Harmony”, her piece that won the Grand Prize at the Seoul Arts Awards (2023), reflects her deep respect for Korean traditional music as well as her passion for performing at the highest level. Music and dance meet in the sea of traditional music and flow together, elevating the performance to its peak. Through this work, the audience is offered a fresh and complete way to understand and enjoy traditional music.

About Yoon-jeong Heo

In 2007, while serving as a resident artist at the Asian Cultural Council of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, Yoon-jeong Heo formed the world music project "Tori Ensemble" with Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), Ned Rothenberg (saxophone), and Erik Friedlander (cello). After returning to Korea, she re-formed Tori Ensemble with Kwon-soon Kang (jeongga vocal), Young-chi Min (percussion), and Seok-ju Lee (piri), performing at the opening of WOMEX, the world's largest world music market.

Later, she formed the group "Black String" with Jeong-soo Oh (guitar), A-ram Lee (daegeum), and Min-wang Hwang (percussion), and was once again selected for the 2016 WOMEX official showcase. They became the first Korea-based group to win a British Songlines Music Award, and the first Asian group to release albums under the renowned German record label ACT Music. Both of their albums, released in 2018 and 2020 respectively, won at the Korean Music Awards, receiving critical acclaim and popular success while writing a new chapter in the history of the geomungo and Korean music. Black String has performed at major international venues and festivals, including the Roskilde Festival, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Vancouver Folk Festival, London K-Music Festival, London Jazz Festival, Guimet Museum in Paris, and Berlin Philharmonie.

In 2023, she won the Grand Prize at the 1st Seoul Arts Awards for her solo recital “Masterful Harmony," which expressed her reverence for traditional music. She also received the Best Art Award for “Sikong” at the 2014 E-daily Culture Awards, as well as the 2013 Asia Pacific Brands Foundation Award and the 2009 KBS Traditional Music Award for Stringed Instruments. She is currently is dedicated to educating the next generation of artists as a professor in the Department of Traditional Music at the College of Music, Seoul National University.