ABOUT

Sunghee Lee stands as one of the most inspiring artists in Korea today. Her remarkable ability to interpret a wide array of repertoires, ranging from traditional Korean music to contemporary compositions originating both within and beyond Korea's borders, showcases her distinctive and powerful sound, as well as her mastery of the full spectrum of tonal colors that her instrument can produce.

For many years, Lee was a prominent member of the traditional and contemporary music ensemble, Jeong Ga Ak Hoe, which is widely recognized as one of the leading contemporary ensembles in South Korea. In addition to her ensemble work, she has also been a prolific soloist, producing notable recordings such as Haegeum Jul-pungnyu (2009), The Singing Haegeum (2009), and a series of recordings initiated in 2018, titled The PAAN of Haegeum (2018: Digital) and The PAAN of Haegeum 2: Unrevealed Sounds of Shaman Rituals (2019). Lee has also delved into the world of Pungnyu (classical music in the Joseon dynasty) with albums like Haegeum Pungnyu Gajeunhoesang (2020) and Haegeum Pungnyu II: Classical Lyric Song (2022).

Her ongoing pioneering work in this series includes performing and singing alongside restored gramophone records. To Lee, “PAAN” [pan] signifies soil or sweat. She has walked the soil where "authentic" performances transpire, and has shared sweat and experiences with the people of the land upon which she treads, drawing creative inspiration from those moments of profound connection.

Her recent recital for Haegeum Etude, "Haegeum Etude & ___", underscores her dedication to discovering innovative teaching methods and establishing a comprehensive practice system for the Haegeum.

Alongside her acclaimed career as a performer and educator, Lee is also an active scholar whose research contributes meaningfully to the field of Korean music. Her academic work includes the publication of The Structure of Sandae Nori Music: Focused on Yeombul Taryeong, Heoteun Taryeong, and Gutgeori, which was selected as an Excellent Scholarly Book by the Sejong Book Program in 2020. As part of the Oriental Music Research Institute’s Academic Series (Volume 15), this publication highlights Lee’s analytical rigor and deep engagement with the structural and performative dimensions of traditional Korean theatrical music.

With a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and a Bachelor of Arts from Seoul National University, as well as a Master of Arts from Korea National University of Arts, Lee currently serves as an Associate Professor in the College of Art-Korean Music at Yeongnam University, where she continues to bridge the worlds of performance, pedagogy, and scholarship.

Haegeum

The haegeum is a traditional Korean two-stringed fiddle. It produces sound by rubbing a bow made of horsehair between two twisted silk strings, which are stretched over a small resonator crafted from bamboo root. The name Haegeum is recorded to have originated from the Hae tribe, who lived near the border region between present-day Mongolia and China and were known for playing a similar bowed instrument. The haegeum was introduced to Korea from the Song dynasty during the Goryeo dynasty(1114 ) period and was subsequently adapted and refined to suit Korean musical aesthetics.

In playing the instrument, the right hand makes a friction between the bow and the string while the left hand covers and grabs the two strings at once or release from them to tune in the height of a note. The sound is made only by the performer's musical sense without any other supplementary device. The jewel of playing Haegeum is to make charming sounds by using 'Yeokanbeop' a technique whereby the two strings are grabbed and pressed together, or release and shaken. This is different from 'Eolhu' of China, a similar instrument with Haegeum as a rubbed string with which musical notes are plucked with fingertips under the technique called 'Gyeonganbeop.'

Haegeum is the only musical instrument fully equipped with traditional eight materials - 金 (gold), 石 (stone), 絲 (silk), 竹 (bamboo), 匏 (gourd), 土 (soil), 革 (leather), and 木 (wood).

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