Dolce Classic organizes Composer Jang Dong-In invitational concert in Seoul

By Seok-jae Kang
Vice President, Asia Journalists Association

SEOUL: Dolce Classic organized the Composer Jang Dong-in Invitational Concert at the Yun Bong Gil Memorial Hall in southern Seoul, Korea on March 12, 2024.

Under the theme “Bloom, Spring”, the 10th Dolce invitational concert featured a total of 27 gagok pieces, including 12 composed by Korean composer Jang. Gagok in Korean refers to a genre of vocal music using lyrics from a poem.

Dolce Classic is headed by poetess Seo Young-soon. The concert was supported by GCS International, the World Hangung Association, the Korean Writers Association, the Mirae Ilbo newspaper …

The whole concert program was accompanied by pianist and composer Jang Dong-in, who is also music director of Dolce Classic. Kim Moon-gi serves as photography director of Dolce Classic.

Poetess Seo said in her opening remarks, “I organized this invitational concert in the hopes that our gagok will bloom like spring flowers and I wish this serves as a good occasion to further globalize gagok or Korean art songs.”

“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the release of the famous children’s song of ‘Half Moon on the Milky Way,’ which was written and composed by Korean Yoon Geug-young,” Dolce Classic President Seo said. “That is why this concert features a new children’s song of ‘Scent of Green’, composed by Jang and will be performed by a trio of children, thus linking the 100 years in between.”

Composer Jang said in his remarks that “It is my great honor to be invited to this Dolce Concert. It has been 10 years since I, as a pianist and composer, first met the great Korean composer Lee An-sam, who passed away in 2020.”

Jang recently published a collection of 29 of his gagok pieces named ‘Songs Brought from Dreams’ and plans to organize a talk concert to celebrate the book publication on March 23 in Seoul.

He graduated from the Music College of Seoul National University and earned his master degree in Germany. He won a prize from the Korean Gagok Festival Composition Competition in Dangjin in 2023.

Composer Jang does not limit himself to a certain genre but enjoys to compose all types of music such as contemporary and classical music as well as New Age and electronic music. His works are various in spectrum.

Soprano Hong Chae-rin opened the invitational concert by performing “Spring Has Come”, a song written by poet Kong Han-soo and composed by Jang Dong-in. Soprano Hong also performed “Beautiful Night”, a song written by poetess Seo Young-soon and composed by Jang Dong-in.

Baritone Lee Sang-eun, an advisor to Dolce Classis, sang “Daffodil”, lyrics by poet Lee Seok-soo and composed by Jang Dong-in, while Soprano Baek Hyun-ahe performed “Violet Love”, a song written by poetess Lee Jung-yong and composed by Kim Sung-hee.

Tenor Yoon Hee-cheol sang “Do You Know”, lyrics by poet Ko Young-bok and composed by Son Tae-jin. Soprano Shin Nan-hyang performed “Your Words”, lyrics by Kim Sowol and composed by Jang Dong-in. Tenor Chung Sae-wook, a former vice president of Myongji University, sang “I Will Be With You”, a song written by himself and composed by Kim Sung-hee.

Soprano Park Yun-sun performed “Dreaming Lake Seokchon,” a song written by Seo Young-soon and composed by Lim Keung-soo.

Baritone Choi Kyung-jin, who runs the Shin Dermatology Clinic in Daegu, performed “In My Younger Days”, lyrics by Lee Hae-seon and composed by Jang Dong-in, while Soprano Jang Hyun-ju performed “The Love Song of Chuja-Island”, a song written by Jeon Ha-na and composed by Jang Dong-in.

Baritone Kim Woo-ju performed “Toreador” song by Georges Bizet, and “Is There My Love?”, lyrics by Lee Hae-seon and composed by Jang dong-in, while Baritone Park Won-seok sang Jang Dong-in’s first gagok piece, ‘Upon the Wind’.

Baritone Cho Joo-tae, an attorney of law firm Dongin, performed “Childhood Memories”, lyrics by Lee Hae-sun and composed by Jang Dong-in, while Baritone Lee Gwang-suk sang “If I Could Stay With You,” a song written by Seo Young-soon and composed by Kim Sung-hee.

Tenor An Chang-soo sang “Magnolia Flower,” a song written by Choue Young-seek and composed by Kim Dong-jin.

All performers concluded the program by singing “Spring of My Hometown,” lyrics by Lee Won-soo and composed by Hong Nan-pa.