Korean Traditional Jazz 'Saetaryeong' 'Arirang'... Applause Floods Manhattan, New York

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] In New York, USA, known as the "Mecca of Jazz," jazz orchestra arrangements of "Saetaryeong" and "Arirang" resonated.

On the evening of the 3rd (local time) at The Times Center in Manhattan, New York, the group that newly arranged Korean folk songs in jazz style and performed them was the "Jihye-ri Orchestra." Led by conductor Lee Ji-hye, who is a composer, arranger, and jazz artist, she has been featured in The New York Times, JazzTimes, Grammy.com, and is recognized as a "rising star."

The Jihye-ri Orchestra consists of 18 members, including wind instruments such as saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, as well as piano, guitar, and percussion. At this performance, they showcased so-called "gugak jazz," starting with "Relentless Mind" from their album released last year, followed by Saetaryeong and Arirang. They also performed "Nowhere Home," which reflects questions about their identity during the COVID-19 pandemic, "Eight Letters," about the lives of their mother and grandmother, and "Born in 1935."

About 300 audience members, including professors from Berklee College of Music and music industry professionals, responded with enthusiastic applause to every piece performed by the Jihye-ri Orchestra.

This concert was held as part of the "Young Korean Artist Series" partnership, jointly established by the Korean Cultural Center New York and CJ Cultural Foundation to discover and support the international advancement of the next generation of Korean-American performing artists. A representative from the Korean Cultural Center New York stated, "At a time when the influence of Korean culture in New York is increasing, we are very pleased to provide a platform through our partnership with CJ Cultural Foundation that allows emerging Korean artists gaining attention in the local performing arts scene to pursue even greater dreams."