Part of the Small World Music Festival

[su:m] mix traditional Korean instrumentation with a dramatically modern approach to produce hypnotic 21st Century soundtracks.

[su:m], or in English – A Rythmic Space / a Pause For Breath – consist of two young and talented artists who happen to be sisters - Jungmin Seo and Jiha Park are classically trained and have been producing modern music on ancient instruments together since 2007. They use an impressive list of exquisite sounding Korean instruments in their work: Piri-Bamboo Oboe, Saenghwang-Mouth Organ, Yanggeum-Dulcimer, 25-string Gayageum-Zither and the steel string Gayageum.



Respiration is essential in music, especially in traditional Korean music. Sometimes a soft sigh, sometimes a gasp, and sometimes a silent holding of breath. For [su:m], music is a way to express the essence of living and the duo has been telling stories in the language of music since it was formed in 2007. The duo compose and perform their own compositions with the aim of exposing audiences to ancient sounds and traditional instruments to the dynamic influence of modern life. Lyrical and reflective passages grow into flurrying swirls of sound, form insistent rhythmic patterns evoking the breathless pace of urban living, and return to the inner space to pause and breathe again. An unforgettable Toronto debut!