K-Music Festival to return to London with 12th edition next month

The annual K-Music Festival is returning with concerts showcasing the diversity of contemporary Korean music next month.

Organized by the Korean Cultural Centre UK in partnership with Serious, producers of the EFG London Jazz Festival, the event runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 20 at major London venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and Kings Place, featuring leading Korean and British artists.

Now in its 12th year, the K-Music Festival has showcased Korean musicians in the UK who explore the intersections of tradition, jazz and experimental music since 2013. This year's edition features concerts that range from improvisation and orchestral post-rock to jazz-influenced chamber works.

Korean cellist and composer Lee Ok-kyung and UK-based electronic artist Mark Fell, an influential figure in digital art and experimental music, perform in collaboration on Oct. 1 at Kings Place, located in the heart of King's Cross in London.

Jambinai, a Seoul-based post-rock band known for blending Korean traditional instruments with contemporary sounds, will team up with the London Contemporary Orchestra and perform under the baton of conductor Robert Ames at the Barbican on Oct. 5.

Making their London debut, Korean string trio Hilgeum heads to the Purcell Room at Southbank Centre on Oct. 18, performing with British vocalist and composer Alice Zawadzki. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Park Ji-ha will deliver a special performance on Oct. 25 at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room.

Composer Won Il heads to Queen Elizabeth Hall on Nov. 14 to present a multi-disciplinary performance, "Dionysus Robot," a fusion of tradition and modernity.

The piece combines Korean shamanic music, contemporary electronics and live performance to create a ritualistic exploration of instinct, control and transformation. The performance also features drag artist Mo Ji-min to honor the philosophy of Dionysus and the legacy of Paik Nam-june, and deliver an immersive, theatrical experience to the audience.

The following evening, on Nov. 15, the quartet Gray by Silver will perform at Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room as part of the Late Night Jazz series. Led by pianist and composer Lee Han-bin, the group combines jazz, traditional Korean music and classical influences.

The festival concludes on Nov. 20 with the world premiere of a new concerto by composer Shin Dong-hoon at Barbican Hall. The piece, written for internationally acclaimed pianist Cho Seong-jin, will be performed with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.