K-Factor: An Orchestral Exploration of K-pop
Co-presented with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Thursday, June 20, 2019, 8:00 pm
Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall
1941 Broadway, New York, NY
Yuga Cohler, conductor
Johan, arranger
Jakob Dorof, creative consultant
Eana Kim, key advisor
Jihoon Suk, key advisor
JungJae Moon, special guest
Lincoln Center is excited to present K-Factor, an orchestral concert exploring the radical innovations in Korean popular music over the past century.
Today, K-pop makes headlines and thrills audiences across the globe. But with so much media attention focused on the record-breaking popularity of South Korea's groups and soloists, their musical ingenuity often gets overlooked. Among its many signature features, K-pop makes frequent use of unconventional song forms, genre-bending juxtapositions, imaginative harmonies, and an expansive spectrum of international influences. And while K-pop's appeal is multifaceted by design, these exciting compositional techniques are key to what keeps fans enthralled.
“So much goes into any one K-pop song, but the music has always been the core,” said Eana Kim, a leading lyricist and creative in the Korean music industry, and K-Factor key advisor. “This program at Lincoln Center focuses on an adventurous side of Korean pop I’ve always felt deserves deeper consideration.”
K-Factor celebrates the musical vision of this global phenomenon, from the orchestral music of the early 1900s to what the New York Times has called the “mainstream avant-garde” in modern K-pop. This engaging program features a 50-piece symphony orchestra performing live in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The show's curated set of songs has been specifically arranged to capture the sonic detail present in Korean music new and old, showcasing well-known hits by K-pop artists like Blackpink, BTS, EXO, Red Velvet, and Seo Taiji, alongside deeper cuts and transformative songs less familiar to Western audiences. K-Factor provides a fresh, way to hear the inventive compositions behind K-pop’s striking music videos and high-polish production.
Then, join the Lincoln Center Young Patrons—a membership group for culturally-minded New Yorkers—for a post-show party featuring a DJ set, an open bar, and light bites. (The party is open to Young Patrons and $150 ticket holders.)
For tickets and more info, please visit www.kfactor.org
True Value of K-pop
Wednesday, June 19, 2019, 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
61 West 62nd Street
FREE
Chris Lee - Board of Directors and A&R Executive, SM Entertainment / CEO, CTGA Europe
Tom Nagorski - Executive Vice President, Asia Society (moderator)
Since opening its doors in 1995, SM Entertainment has continuously expanded and redefined the Korean music industry through the company’s signature innovation: Culture Technology. Under the leadership of SM founder Soo Man Lee, this sophisticated in-house system of artist development, content creation, emerging technologies, and global market strategy has repeatedly advanced K-pop as both a business model and an art form. In light of Culture Technology’s influence on K-pop’s phenomenal global success and innovative music, A&R Executive Chris Lee joins us at Lincoln Center to provide an inside look at this groundbreaking system, and the key role it has played in SM Entertainment’s position as an industry leader for more than 20 years.