This October, the prestigious Korean Music Festival returns for its 11th edition, unveiling a full lineup that promises to showcase a vibrant blend of Korea’s most influential artists in the heart of London.

The festival kicks off on October 3 at the Barbican Centre with the National Changgeuk Company’s awaited new production of Lear. Changgeuk, a form of traditional Korean opera, has been reimagined for contemporary audiences by the company since its founding in 1962. This performance marks the company’s debut at the Barbican, presenting Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy in a groundbreaking adaptation that brings a new experience for London audiences.

This year’s K-Music Festival also highlights an impressive lineup of Korea’s leading female artists, offering various genres from jazz to classical and beyond. Celebrating 30 years as a jazz singer, Youn Sun Nah will perform on October 6 at Islington’s Union Chapel, presenting her 12th album Elles, a tribute to iconic artists like Nina Simone, Roberta Flack, Björk, and Edith Piaf, alongside renowned French pianist Bojan Z.

On October 23, master Piri player SEAYOOL KIM makes his London debut at Holy Cross Church, presenting Suite for Jeju. This contemporary classical work merges the traditional Korean piri with a string quartet, featuring the Ligeti Quartet, in collaboration with the Bloomsbury Festival.

Soprano Hera Hyesang Park will make her K-Music Festival debut on October 26 at St John’s Smith Square, following her acclaimed performance at the Edinburgh International Festival. Accompanied by pianist Bretton Brown and tenor David Junghoon Kim, she will present songs from her celebrated album Breathe and traditional Korean folk songs.

On October 30 at Kings Place Hall, the acclaimed group Black String, led by Youn Jeong Heo, will premiere music from their forthcoming album alongside tracks from their previous albums, Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019).

The festival will conclude with two extraordinary performances in partnership with the EFG London Jazz Festival. On November 15, Lee Il-woo of Jambinai will lead No-Noise‘s dynamic ensemble in their London debut at the Southbank Centre. Finally, on November 23, the festival will close with Heemoon Lee, the visionary vocalist of SsingSsing, returning to the Southbank Centre with his band OBANGSINGWA to perform their new album, SPANGLE.

Visionary vocalist Heemoon Lee returns to the Southbank Centre with his band OBANGSINGWA to present their new album SPANGLE. Known for boldly reimagining traditional Korean folk songs, Lee blends genres like jitterbug, pop, rock, and blues to create a vibrant theatrical performance.

This year’s K-Music Festival brings an immersive celebration of Korea’s rich musical scene, offering audiences an extraordinary journey through its diverse artistic expressions.

_{View of the Arts is an 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.}