Meari (메아리)

Among my favorite musical challenges is uniting instruments from seemingly disparate traditions. In searching for musical common ground, I find a thrill in discovering new sound worlds created by bringing together Korean and Western instruments. So when geomungo virtuoso Heo Iksoo invited me to compose a duo for geomungo and violin, I was happy for the opportunity to explore this uncharted sonic landscape.

The piece, as its title suggests, centers on the concept of echoes. From the outset, musical gestures repeat and decay, as if rebounding off distant mountain peaks. Elsewhere, the instruments echo one another directly, passing shared melodies between themselves. Meari (메아리) also draws on Korean traditional music, particularly in its architecture: following an energized, quick opening, the tempo pulls back before steadily accelerating in pace and intensity—emulating the dramatic escalation of Korean sanjo.

Th is work is warmly dedicated to Heo Iksoo and Clara Kim, two cherished musical friends and tireless champions of new music.