Artist

Biography

Hwayoung Shon [손화영] is a gayageum virtuoso and composer who seamlessly weaves traditional Korean roots into modern musical contexts. Praised for her mastery of the instrument and genre-defying collaborations, she has dedicated her artistry to breathing new life into ancient melodies while pushing the boundaries of the gayageum.

Her musical journey began at the age of three with the piano, but it was at eight, upon hearing the delicate yet powerful resonance of the gayageum, that she discovered her true calling. Just two years later, she won first place at the National Korean Traditional Music Competition, leading to her debut on KBS's New Artist Music Concert in 1986—a moment that marked the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of musical excellence.

A graduate of Seoul National University and the winner of numerous national Korean traditional music competitions, Shon has become a pioneering figure in Korean music. She performs as a soloist on prestigious stages worldwide and collaborates with symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, jazz musicians, and world music artists, significantly expanding the gayageum's expressive range. Beyond performance, she actively contributes to the broader understanding and appreciation of Korean traditional music, sharing her insights through lectures and workshops at universities and cultural institutions—including the University of California, Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and California State University, Sacramento—and has contributed as a columnist for publications like The Korea Times (미주 한국일보) and The Hyundai News US (미주 현대뉴스), writing for "Gugak Column" and "Women's Window."

As a composer, Shon weaves Korea's ancient sounds into new sonic landscapes. Her recent works—including "Prologue (서시)," "Sing to the Lord," "Ritual," "Nostalgia (무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다)," "Into the Abyss," "Ancient Traveler," "May You Find Rebirth in Paradise (극락왕생하소서)," and "Ballade 1894 (새야 새야 파랑새야)"—reflect her deep connection to history, spirituality, and human emotion. Her composition "Ancient Traveler" was selected for Polar Sounds, a groundbreaking global sound art project by Cities and Memory and the Helmholtz Institute, and was featured in Mongabay alongside her name as composer and performer. The work was subsequently also featured within an interactive installation at Klimahaus Bremerhaven, Germany. Her artistic vision extends beyond the concert stage: at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., she presented Unfolding Koreanness—a month-and-a-half-long exhibition featuring a deconstructed gayageum installation and a continuous screening of her sanjo performance, accompanied by the simultaneous release of a publication of the same name.

Shon's innovative work and artistic vision have contributed to projects that garnered international recognition from major media outlets, including The Guardian, BBC World Service, The Atlantic, and Mongabay. Her captivating performances have reached global audiences through major broadcast networks like KBS, MBC, EBS, BBC, WGVU-FM, KAZU-FM, CKRL, Wave Farm, and other international networks.

Shon made history as the first gayageum musician to collaborate with a K-pop artist in an improvisational duo on public broadcasting, performing alongside Jung Won-yeong of For Seasons (봄여름가을겨울) on KBS. This pioneering collaboration showcased the instrument's remarkable adaptability in contemporary music. She also gave the world premiere of a work written for her by Laurie San Martin, a Barlow Endowment recipient, further expanding the gayageum's presence in modern concert repertoire.

Her extraordinary talent has been widely recognized. The late Seong-Chun Lee, former director of the National Gugak Center, praised her as "a once-in-a-generation talent." Her profoundly expressive and technically dazzling performances have captivated audiences at venues such as the Herbst Theatre, the World Music Festival in France, and StanfordLive's Asian Zither Masters showcase. As featured soloist with the Santa Cruz Symphony, she has brought the gayageum to orchestral audiences, further expanding its presence in classical concert settings. Through collaborations with contemporary ensembles, jazz collectives, and global music festivals, she continues to redefine the role of the gayageum in 21st-century music.

Through her ever-evolving work as a performer and composer, Hwayoung Shon not only preserves tradition but also boldly reimagines the future of Korean music on the global stage.