L.A. Master Chorale Presents an All-Korean Program March 6, 2011

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
PRESENTS WOLRD PREMIERE OF MARK GREY’S
MUGUNGHWA: ROSE OF SHARON FEATURING
VIOLINIST JENNIFER KOH AS PART OF CHOIR’S ACCLAIMED
“LA IS THE WORLD” INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTING CITY’S VIBRANT MULTI-CULTURAL INFLUENCES

All-Korean Progam, “Stories from Korea,” Conducted by
Music Director Grant Gershon, also Includes Hyowon Woo’s Me-Na-Ri,
and Beloved Korean Classic Arirang Fantasie

Sunday, March 6, 2011, 7 PM, at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Kogi Korean BBQ Truck Rolls up to Disney Hall Prior to Performance from 4-7 PM
Renowned violinist Jennifer Koh joins the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Music Director Grant Gershon for the world premiere of Mugunghwa: Rose of Sharon by Mark Grey – named one of the Los Angeles Times “2008 Faces to Watch” – Sunday, March 6, 2011, 7 p.m., at Disney Hall. With text based on the extraordinary verses of Korean poet and engineer Namsoo Kim, who fled from a North Korean prison at the outbreak of the Korean War, the piece was commissioned by the Chorale and is the fourth piece to be premiered by the choir as part of its notable “LA Is the World” initiative, which was launched in 2007. This installment begins phase two of the initiative, conceived by Gershon as a collaboration among composers, master musicians and the choir to expand the choral literature with works that mirror LA’s vibrant multi-cultural fabric.

Also on the all-Korean program, entitled “Stories from Korea,” is a stunning piece for three choirs entitled Me-Na-Ri by Hyowon Woo, who is the composer-in-residence of the world-renowned Incheon City Chorale and is recognized as one of the most brilliant young Korean composers on the scene today. The Chorale also performs a variety of Korean folksongs, including a wonderful choral arrangement by Hojun Lee of the classic Korean song Arirang Fantasie, Hyunchul Lee’s Dona Nobis Pacem, an arrangement by Ben Jisoo Kim of Hangangsu Taryeong (Han River Song), Jungsun Park’s Dal-A Dal-a Ba-Geun Dal-A (children’s song).

Adding special flavor to the evening, the famed Kogi Korean BBQ truck rolls up to Disney Hall prior to the concert from 4-7 PM, selling its delectable blend of Korean American street fare. Los Angeles Times food writer Jessica Galt gushes, “magic resides in a Kogi taco.”

Mugunghwa: Rose of Sharon, written for Koh and the Chorale, is a story of courage and passion and based on writings by Korean engineer and writer Namsoo Kim. The work relates one man's spiritual path to reunification with his family, homeland and deceased father and blends hints of Korea's cherished musical and cultural traditions with Western art music to create a vibrant soundscape.
“Mark Grey is a composer for whom I have tremendous admiration,” says Gershon. “His piece, Mugunghwa, is a major new choral work – poetic, intense, and sonorous. It sparkles with fantastically colorful harmonies that respond beautifully to the poetry and the personal letters Mark has chosen to set to music. Audiences will love Mark’s storytelling, his fascinating and accessible music, as well as the interplay of virtuosic chorus and violin solo. This is an extraordinary new work that I am exceedingly proud to premiere with the Master Chorale. This concert is a brilliant showcase for the Chorale and exemplifies what we mean when we say ‘LA is the World.’”

Mugunghwa: Rose of Sharon is supported by grants from The James Irvine Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Media sponsors are Korea Times/Hankook Ilbo and Radio Seoul 1650 KFOX, and the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles.

Concert tickets to range from $19 to $124. Student Rush seats are $10 and are available at the box office two hours before the performance. For tickets and information, please call (213) 972-7282, or visit www.lamc.org. (Tickets can no longer be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.) The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Official Website: http://www.lamc.org