From the Pensive Bodhisattva to King Danjong... Pianist Yang Bang-ean Brings Korea's Heritage to Life Through Music

Album "New Horizon" marks 30th anniversary of solo debut
Inspired by the Pensive Bodhisattva, King Danjong, Gariwangsan Mountain and more
"My roots and DNA are Korean"; anniversary concerts set for November 28-29

Korean history and cultural heritage, including the Pensive Bodhisattva, King Danjong, Jeongseon’s Gariwangsan Mountain and the Silla royal capital, have been reborn through the music of Yang Bang-ean, a Korean-Japanese pianist and composer. His new album, "New Horizon," set for release on November 27 to mark the 30th anniversary of his solo debut, features numerous tracks inspired by these subjects.

"My roots and DNA are Korean, but I was born in Japan. I have traveled to many places, absorbed a great deal and turned it into music," Yang said at a press conference held on November 4 at AudioGuy Studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

November 4 marked exactly 30 years since he released his solo debut album. Yang released his first solo album, "The Gate of Dreams," on November 4, 1996. He began working in Korea in 1999, and gained widespread recognition after his 2001 song "Frontier!" was selected as the official theme song for the 2002 Busan Asian Games. He has since worked across a range of fields, composing music for online games such as "Aion" and "Arknights," as well as the film "Beyond the Years," directed by Im Kwon-taek. He also served as music director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Although he currently lives in Japan, he said he visits Korea once a month for his music career. "New Horizon" is his first full-length solo album in 11 years.

Pianist and composer Yang Bang-ean introduces “New Horizon,” an album commemorating the 30th anniversary of his solo debut and set for release on the 27th, at a press conference held on the 4th at Audioguy Studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul. PRM

Yang was born to a father from Jeju who was sympathetic to North Korea and a mother from Sinuiju who acquired South Korean citizenship and was sympathetic to South Korea. Their lives reflect the twists and turns of Korea's modern and contemporary history, marked by division and ideological conflict between the two Koreas. Yang said he experienced sadness and pain growing up in this environment, but also drew considerable musical inspiration from it.

Yang, for his part, pursued music without boundaries. He has built his own musical world by moving across genres such as classical, rock and jazz. In particular, he has broken down barriers between Eastern and Western music by combining Korean traditional instruments such as the taepyeongso, haegeum and janggu with Western orchestral instruments. He said that although he did not major in Korean traditional music, he wanted to incorporate it as a Korean musician, and that doing so helped him grow musically.

"NOMADESQUE," a track on the new album, expresses his life to date and his musical identity. The title combines "Nomad" with the suffix "-esque," meaning "in the style of." It reflects how his life - born in Japan and absorbing music and cultures from around the world - resembles that of a nomad who wanders from place to place rather than staying in one location. "I am not a nomad, but I have lived a nomadic life," he said.

"Sayu Thoughts" was created for the National Museum Foundation of Korea's "Theater of Contemplation" project. The piece translates into music the inspiration Yang drew from the Pensive Bodhisattva at the National Museum of Korea and its "Room of Quiet Contemplation."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yang performed on piano without an audience at the Gyeongju National Museum, with a triad of Maitreya Buddhas as the backdrop. Recalling the occasion, he said, "I felt as if a different kind of wind was blowing, and I was able to draw a great deal of inspiration from it." He later continued his connection with Korea's cultural heritage by giving a performance at the invitation of the National Museum of Korea.

Pianist and composer Yang Bang-ean performs at a press conference held at Audioguy Studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 4th. PRM

"Rebirth" expresses the hope of transforming the sorrow and pain of King Danjong, a tragic monarch, into hope for the present day. After finishing the composition, Yang watched "The Man Who Lives with the King," a film about Danjong. "I cried during the final scene," he said. "If I had seen the film beforehand, the mood of the music might have been different."

"Wind Phone" was inspired by the "Wind Phone" in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The phone booth was installed in a resident's garden so people could send messages to those who have passed away. It offers a place to speak to loved ones through a disconnected receiver, and became widely known after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Yang is set to perform tracks from his new album as well as some of his best-known works at "UTOPIA-New Horizon," a concert marking the 30th anniversary of his solo debut, on November 28 and 29 at the Haeoreum Grand Theater of the National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.