Concert Program
World Music Concert Series
Music of East Asia
Korean Drumming Ensemble
Suwan Choi, director
Chinese Music Ensemble
Wei Yang & Jui-Ching Wang, directors
with special guest performers
Hong Da Chin, dizi
Amely Zhou, erhu & conducting
&
Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago
Hyun Chae Kim, gayageum
Deokhwan Kim, Juho Kim, Chansoo Lee, percussion
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
5 p.m.
Recital Hall
Program
| Seoljanggu | Traditional Korean |
| Korean Drumming Ensemble (KDE) | |
| Darkest Before the Dawn 柳暗花明 |
Traditional Chinese |
| Chinese Music Ensemble (CME) | |
| Two-Part Invention No. 6 E Major Transcend |
J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Matt Gilleran (b. 1994) |
| Yang Wei, pipa: Matt Gilleran, guitar | |
| Moonlit at the City 城裡的月光 |
Kah Beng Tan (b. 1964) |
| CME | |
| Variations on “Ongheya” for 25-string Gayageum | Gun-young Lee (b. 1947) |
| Hyun Chae Kim, gayageum | |
| Dosalpuri | Traditional Korean |
| Suwan Choi, Deokhwan Kim, Juho Kim, Chansoo Lee, Korean percussion | |
| Early Spring on Yang Ming Mountain 陽明春曉 |
Jung Sen Tung (1932-2012) |
| Hong Da Chin, dizi solo Amely Zhou, conductor |
|
| Samulnori | Traditional Korean |
| KDE | |
Ensemble Information
Korean Drumming Ensemble
After a semester piloting the course in Spring 2021, NIU is proud to launch the first Korean Drumming Ensemble as the foundation to initiate a traditional Korean music program with the generous sponsorship from Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, South Korea and Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KAPC). Under the direction of master percussionist, Suwan Choi, the NIU Korean Drumming Ensemble teaches traditional Pungmul style and contemporary stage performance of Samulnori. This ensemble is open to all interested, no pre-music knowledge/skills required. For more information about this course, please contact director, Suwan Choi (suwan.choii@gmail.com).
Members:
Jovana Cortez, Kacee Dugas, Vicky Gonzalez, Jacob Morgan, Breanna Negele, Liam Pummer, Abdiel Trejo, Gaylene Vieyra Olvera, Elizabeth Vieyra
Chinese Music Ensemble
The Chinese Music Ensemble was one of the first college Chinese music groups in the U.S. and currently is the only one in Illinois. Established by Professor Emeritus Kuo-Huang Han in the 1970s, it gave several national and international concert performances between 1976 and 1978. Members of the ensemble learn to play assorted authentic Chinese instruments.
Individual lessons and group rehearsals make up the major part of the curriculum, and Chinese musical instruments are available for short-term loan on a semester basis. In addition, members of the ensemble will also be introduced to basic Chinese music theory, the standard repertoire of Chinese instrumental and chamber music, and knowledge about performance practice along with the aesthetic values and symbolism of Chinese traditional music.
Members:
Dizi: Hong Da Chin*, Breanna Negele, Gabriel Roethle, Zimin Yan
Erhu: Kacee Dugas, Zachary Mahan, Gabriel Roethle, Kauthar Tawil, Jui-Ching Wang, Amely Zhou*
Pipa: Totus Tuus Keely, Wei Yang
Ruan: Brennen Nelson, Nick Nelson
Yangqin: Michael Powyszynski
Guzheng: Dave Houghton, Ke Wu
Cello: Anne Bishop*
*indicates guest performer