The story of CelloGayageum began in 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Comprising two gifted musicians, Kim Sol Daniel (cello) and Yoon Dayoung (gayageum), the duo crossed paths at a concert organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in the aforementioned city. Drawn together by their mutual curiosity, they struck up a conversation and soon discovered a shared passion for creating music. Despite believing there to be a lack of opportunities and not having the courage to pursue their musical dreams independently, they decided to experiment together. Kim and Yoon bring together the haunting sounds of the cello and gayageum, and the result is a beautiful blend of Western and Far Eastern musical traditions. Having said that, the challenge of balancing these two instruments forced them to think creatively. Performing as cultural ambassadors, CelloGayageum’s mission is to present South Korea’s traditional music to the world. Ahead of their performance at the K-MUSIC FESTIVAL in London, we sat down with Kim and Yoon and discussed the duo’s journey and artistic development. 

View of the Arts: Can you share the story of how ‘CelloGayageum’ came into existence? What inspired you to create the duo combining the cello and the gayageum?

CelloGayageum: We first met back in 2016 in Berlin/Germany through a concert that was organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Berlin. Out of curiosity for each other’s instruments, we started talking and discovered that we both share the same passion for creating music, but we have not had the chance and courage to pursue it. So, we just tried some stuff together for fun, which resulted in our first piece, Dream like Fantasy. People instantly liked our piece, which we didn’t take that seriously at first, but we got booked for some small events where we started to get even more positive feedback. Eventually, we started composing more pieces, just to try out new things, but those new pieces all received a good response from the audience, which led to even more events and concerts. Our passion for creating our own music grew with each performance, and in no time, there was nothing more important than “CelloGayageum” to us.

VOA: The “Pavillon of Unification” in Berlin was source of inspiration for your duo. How did the city’s history influence your musical vision and the concept behind CelloGayageum?

CG: Berlin is a city that has a harsh history of separation and unification. As of now, Korea is still officially at war. We think that being at war is a horrible situation for everyone involved. So, seeing the Korean “Pavillon of Unification” at the centre of Berlin gave us the idea to bring the concept of “unification” to the next level. Since we are by no means politicians or people in power that can create a direct impact on any political conflicts in the world, we thought that we could do our part as artists to show that there can be so much beauty when two separate things come together to form something new by creating wonderful music.

VOA: Your collaboration involves merging Western and Far Eastern musical traditions. Could you elaborate on how your musical and cultural backgrounds contribute to the unique sound and style of CelloGayageum?

CG: We think that the uniqueness lies in the differences of our musical backgrounds. Roughly put, Korean traditional music is more based on rhythmical patterns and melodic lines, whereas classical or Western music is based more on harmony before anything else. So, we tried to bring those interesting rhythmical patterns and harmonic chord progressions together to lay a foundation for our melodies. The interesting part is that both the cello and the gayageum aren’t meant to be used as harmonic or rhythmic instruments but rather mainly melodic instruments. So, it is always quite a challenge to find the right balance for the triad of melody, harmony, and rhythm with just those two instruments. But it is this limitation that makes us think outside the box and forces us to be creative, which gives us our unique sound and style.

VOA: Winning the Soorim Culture Prize in 2018 and being granted support by the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture for your debut album are significant achievements. How have these recognitions impacted your journey as musicians and collaborators?

CG: The Soorim Culture Prize is an award that has quite a history, since the Soorim Culture Foundation is well-known for supporting many famous artists in the past. So, just getting the award already gave us plenty of exposure and the chance to get connected to a lot of Korean presenters. The grant given to us by the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture allowed us to produce our first album, South Wave, North Wind, and made it possible for us to give our first debut concert in Seoul. All in all, this has basically kicked off our career in South Korea.

In 2019, you were named the ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Jeongdong Theatre in Seoul. What does this recognition mean to you, and how does it motivate you to continue your artistic endeavours?

CG: The contest that was hosted by the Jeongdong Theatre in Seoul had the goal of supporting young artists and showcasing their music on a renowned stage. We gave our showcase the motto “Unity” and were thankfully named “Artist of the Year”, which gave us further exposure and connections. We were really grateful because getting all these awards ensured that we got booked for more and more concerts. That further proved to us that we were on the right path with our music and motivated us to continue our work.

VOA: Your album, South Wave, North Wind was the result of your collaboration. Could you tell us more about the creative process behind producing this album?

CG: When we started our duo back in 2016, we didn’t have anything particular in mind other than just writing and making music together. So, we wrote one piece after another until we had five in total, which were: Intro, Dream like Fantasy, Sound of the Ocean, F. A. E, and Fly High. The timing was perfect because right when we had those five pieces, we got the grant from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture to produce our first album. So, all in all, our first album basically captures the beginning of our work, which was just pure creation with no other goal than creation in itself.

VOA: Balancing the characteristics of both the cello and the gayageum must be an intricate process. Could you share some insights into how you find the right equilibrium between these distinct instruments and their musical languages?

CG: The first impression that most people have when seeing those two instruments together is, “How could those two instruments, which are so different, possibly work together?”. But if you look closely, they are more alike than some might think. They are both made out of wood and have strings that are tensioned over a bridge. Of course, if you get into more details, you’ll find plenty of differences as well. They sound alike when plucked, but they couldn’t sound more different when the cello is played with the bow, so it is a balancing act of similarities and differences that creates our unique language.

VOA: As cultural ambassadors, you aim to showcase South Korea’s traditional music to the world. How do you approach this mission? And what challenges and rewards come with presenting traditional music in contemporary contexts?

CG: The reward and challenges go hand in hand. As a duo that hasn’t existed in this form before, it is not easy to convince presenters to book us for big events or concerts because new endevours always come with a risk. But the reward that comes with this challenge is that the audience, and also the people who booked us, always go home stunned, excited, and satisfied, which gives us confirmation that we are on the right track.

VOA: Experimentation seems to be a crucial aspect of your musical exploration. How do you go about discovering new ways to create music and finding the right balance between innovation and preserving the essence of your respective traditions?

CG: We think that re-innovation is a key aspect of our work. We are using already existing and familiar patterns in a new musical context as well as implementing modern playing techniques for traditional music. Never disregarding one for the other is also a very important point. In a world where some could assume every possible sound has already been discovered, it is more about finding new combinations with the given sources than embarking on a search for new sounds.

VOA: You will soon be performing at the K-Music Festival in London, what can the audience expect from you?

CG: They can expect to get the maximum out of the minimum – as a duo, we are basically the smallest form of an ensemble there can be, but don’t let our size fool you because you’re going to get the most out of what an acoustic duo can offer! It will be a musical journey through culture and nature! 

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Tickets available here.

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}