School of Music celebrates successful first Korean Music Festival

The University of Leeds School of Music is celebrating the success of its first Korean Music Festival, which highlighted Korean culture as a part of the diverse cultural landscape in Leeds

The University of Leeds School of Music is celebrating the success of its first Korean Music Festival, which highlighted Korean culture as a part of the diverse cultural landscape in Leeds.

Funded by the UK Korean Culture Centre and hosted by the School of Music over two days from June 13-14, the festival marked the beginning of the ‘Korean Music and Community Wellbeing: Lecture Workshop & Concert’ series, a project led by Dr Hyunah Cho and funded by the Academy of Korean Studies.

Korean Dance Society performs at the festival

After opening with a keynote lecture by Dr Sunhee Koo from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, on ‘Overseas Koreans, Music, and Sense of Well-Being in the Context of Migration’, the festival featured a range of Korean actvities, including music concerts, lectures, and workshops which gave attendees the chance to learn traditional Korean pop and hip-hop music and dance. Other workshops included a Korean traditional Jogakbo patchwork upcycling workshop led by Dr Hye-Won Lim, and a Korean Culture & Language workshop conducted by Dr Cuie Xu. There were also pop-up booths – a collaboration between student projects, local communities, and academics – showcasing Korean traditional and pop culture, including traditional games, fan-making, traditional decoration, goods, and traditional costumes. The festival closed with a performance by James An, one of the rising names in the South Korean hip hop scene, at Pyramid. 

Vocalist Kim Byoung Oh and dancer Kim Mi Jwa from Joseon Punglyu Jeong on stage

The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, attended the festival and delivered a speech to international students and visitors praising the festival’s promotion of diversity within the city. And Dr. Seunghye Sun, the Head of the UK Korean Culture Centre, sent greetings from the South Korean Government, celebrating the first Korean Festival in Leeds.

Lord Mayor Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung delivers an inspiring speech to international students and visitors at the Festival and Open Day

Dr Hyunah Cho, University of Leeds School of Music, said:

“We wanted to celebrate and help broaden understanding of Korean music and its culture of wellbeing within our local community on campus and across the city, and I’m delighted to say the event was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who contributed to its success. We look forward to offering similarly enriching experiences in the future.”

Professor Jasjit Singh, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures’ Pro-Dean International, said:

“While preparing for my opening remarks, I discovered that in Korea people often use the expression ‘Leeds Days’ to describe their heyday. The festival created the space to engage a huge range of communities, including home and international students, academics, musicians, dancers, and communities in and around Leeds. I hope those who attended the festival will agree that these were truly 'Leeds Days’! Congratulations to Hyunah and the team for organising such a diverse and engaging event.”

One attendee said:

"It was a lovely experience. The lectures were fascinating, and the music was incredible. I hadn't seen anything like this before; it was such a unique experience for the University.”

Jerry Liu, an international student and musician, showcasing his talents during the concert

Photo credits: Wen Zhang (Instagram: nathalieetsang) and Julian Tong (Instagram: jytph0tos)