Sungji HONG (1973, Korea)

Sungji Hong’s creative output includes works ranging from solo instruments to full orchestra, as well as choral, ballet and electroacoustic music. Her musical language is colourful with a wealth of imagery and exquisite delicacy.

    Her works have been commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation (Harvard University, USA), the Tongyoung International Music Festival (Korea), the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea), the Foundation for Universal Sacred Music (USA), the International Isang Yun Music Society (Germany) and the MATA Festival (USA), and are regularly performed at international festivals and in major concert series throughout Europe, the United States and Asia by leading ensembles and orchestras such as the Soloists of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Nieuw Ensemble of Amsterdam, the Ensemble TIMF, the Ensemble Linea, the Brave New Works, the Arditti String Quartet, Earplay, the Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra of Belgrade, the Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet, The Orchestra of Colours, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Singers and Trio Mediaeval.

Photo © P. Kokoras

Her music has been widely broadcast in more than 13 countries (in over 30 cities) around the world and has been recorded and released on the Dutton label and by ECM Records.

    She has won the European Competition of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (1st Prize), the Temple Music Composition Prize (1st Prize), the Crwth Competition (1st Prize), the international competition for original ballet music at the ISCM World Music Days – Slovenia (1st Prize), the Montserrat International Camera Music Composition Competition (1st Prize), the Theodore Front Prize (IAWM), the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize (ACL), the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers Scholarship, and several other prizes and awards.

    Her recent CD release Stella Maris on the ECM New Series (ECM 1929), performed by the vocal ensemble ‘Trio Mediaeval’, received critically acclaimed reviews and reached the top ten at Billboard Classical Chart and Itunes classics. Since it was released in September 2005, her Missa ‘Lumen de Lumine’ has been performed in over 50 cities around the world, at the International Music Festival Bath, the Festival International de Musiques Sacrées, the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Gernrode MDR Musiksommer, the David Oistfest Festival, the Venice Music Festival, the Ettiswil Festival, the Bergen International Festival, the Kuoroespoo International Choral Espoo Esbo Körfestival and others. Also the Agnus Dei from the Missa ‘Lumen de Lumine’ has been performed many times as a ballet, with choreography by Professor Kim Gibilisco, in several cities in the US.

     She studied composition with Kyungsun Suh at the Hanyang University in Seoul, where she graduated with honours in composition. She subsequently completed her MMus with Robert Saxton and Paul Patterson at the Royal Academy of Music in London and her PhD in composition with Nicola LeFanu at the University of York. She has participated in various workshops and masterclasses such as Voix Nouvelles (Royaumont) and Darmstadt where she studied with Brian Ferneyhough, Jonathan Harvey, Theo Loevendie, Tristan Murail and Toshio Hosokawa.

    Future projects include a Piano Concerto commissioned by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra as well as new works for Darmstadt New Music Festival and the Takefu International Music Festival.

Sungji Hong lives as a freelance composer in Thessaloniki, Greece.