The Kennedy Center’s Lunar New Year Celebration Returns With REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea

WHAT: Free performances, fashion events, and cultural activities

WHO: Performance group G-Hwaja, I LOVE DANCE, and other

WHEN: Thursday, February 3 - Sunday, February 6 (daily evening events)

WHERE: The Kennedy Center's REACH & Terrace Theater (2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566)

HOW: REACH activities are free and no reservations are required. Free tickets for the Feb. 3 performance will be available on the Kennedy Center event website (https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/international/REACH-winter-lanterns) starting Jan. 27 (Walk Up tickets available the day of). Proof of vaccination is required for admission to the Terrace Theater and masks are required at all times for all visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. proudly present REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea, part of the Kennedy Center's annual Lunar New Year Celebration featuring four days of performance and fashion events, family activities, food trucks, giveaways, cultural experiences, and more.

The festivities kick off Thursday, February 3 with a performance by Korean fusion music group G-Hwaja alongside performers from New York-based K-Pop dance troupe I LOVE DANCE in the Terrace Theater at 6:00 p.m. Visitors can also experience a display of Korean traditional fashion on the River Pavilion, photos with Korean mascot characters, cultural activities and take-home freebies, as well as other daily evening programs through Sunday, February 6. See the complete schedule below.

Family-friendly activities offered throughout the event include fan and mask coloring kits to take home, tattoo stickers, spinning tops and traditional games such as ddakji (as seen on the movie, Squid Game), writing new year wish cards, media wall projections, and more.

Celebrated in Korea and other countries since ancient times, the Lunar New Year officially falls on February 1 in the year 2022 and is identified as the year of the tiger.

G-Hwaja's performance, entitled Sound of Korean Soul, will showcase the group's unique brand of Korean creative music that blends Korean traditional instruments like the haegeum, janggu, and gayageum with Western instruments and styles. K-Pop dancers from the acclaimed I LOVE DANCE will also perform and collaborate with G-Hwaja on a selection of their music.

Don't miss out on this exciting four-day event packed full of culture and excitement at the Kennedy Center!

For additional event information, including details on other Lunar New Year 2022 cultural events starting January 27 and help planning a visit, visit the Kennedy Center's main event website (See above).

SCHEDULE (for REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea)

Supported by Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

Thursday, February 3 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Friday, February 4 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 5 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 6 4:00-9:00 p.m.

FREE, no tickets required. Held outdoors at the REACH.

ACTIVITIES

• Performance by traditional and creative music group G-Hwaja with I LOVE DANCE (February 3 in the Terrace Theater)
• Korean traditional fashion display (River Pavilion)
• Lunar New Year wish cards to fill out and attached to the community arch
• Cultural experiences and giveaways including keychains, Korean-themed name tags, traditional patterned lamps, tattoo stickers, ddakji game kits, spinning top kits, fan coloring kits, mask coloring kits, and more

LOCATIONS

Daily activities will be available at various Kennedy Center REACH spaces including the Outdoor Plaza and River Pavilion. Please see on-site staff and signage for details. The opening performance by G-Hwaja and I LOVE DANCE will take place in the Terrace Theater on February 3 (free tickets required).

About the Performance Groups

G-Hwaja performs creative music through collaboration between Western and Korean traditional instruments, melding disparate tones and styles. The group seeks to express the emotions of the times in a dramatic way by utilizing the uniquely expressive characteristics of Korean traditional music-particularly its sense of excitement known as heung and the bittersweet sense of grief known as han-to deliver familiar music with new emotional dimensions. G-Hwaja strives to popularize Korean traditional music by delivering a dynamic and vivid image of Korea to the modern world.

I LOVE DANCE (ILD) featuring MJ Choi, Ying Dong, DJ McIver, Eunice Shin, Ness Martinez

I LOVE DANCE was founded in 2006 in New York City by lead dancer MJ Choi and has since evolved into one of the region's most in-demand schools and performance groups, galvanizing K-Pop fans and culture throughout the country. ILD offers K-Pop dance classes in Manhattan, Flushing, and Fort Lee, NJ where classes attract a fun-loving, diverse group of K-Pop fans that share a very special bond. A truly unique characteristic of the group is that despite its predominant K-Pop focus, more than 90% of ILD's membership is not of Korean heritage. Members meet not only to learn dance but to socialize and embrace each other's uniqueness within the fast-growing K-Pop fan community. I the eyes of its founders, this is a true testament to the lasting popularity of K-Pop culture and the unifying power of dance as an art form. ILD currently has approximately 500 members enrolled in dance classes each month. Beyond offering top notch classes, the organization produces professional K-Pop cover videos with aggregated views of more than 41 million on YouTube, hosts flash mobs, offers dance performances and workshops, and works to serve as an ambassador to spread K-Pop culture in the United States.

Sound of Korean Soul (music program)

Winter Song Medley

Arirang Medley

Libertango

Fly to the Moon

I Miss You (Bum-soo Kim cover)

Sarang-ga ("Love Song")

Sea ​​of ​​Hope

Permission to Dance (BTS cover)

Dynamite (BTS cover)

Amazing Grace & You Raise Me Up

Sound of Korean Soul

About the Musicians

Junghee Oh | Gayageum & Byeongchang Vocals

Junghee Oh, leader of the group G-Hwaja, is a Korean traditional music artist specializing in Gayageum Byeongchang (singing with self-accompaniment on the 12-stringed Gayageum zither) as well as Pansori, the iconic traditional story-telling art performed by a solo vocalist and percussion accompaniment. Oh is officially recognized in Korea as a holder of intangible cultural property No. 23. She has performed at major events as a featured performer in Korea and abroad. She received her master's degree in Korean music from Chung-Ang University in Korea and currently serves as music director and performing artist based in the New York City metropolitan area.

Grace Leekyung Kang | Haegeum

Grace Leekyung Kang is a professional musician specializing in the haegeum, a traditional Korean vertical two-stringed instrument similar to a fiddle. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Music majoring in the performance of Korean traditional music from Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. She has performed at major events and venues including at The Korea Society and other throughout New York City, where she also teaches haegeum.

You Shin Kim | Composer & Keyboard

You Shin Kim is the composer of the song "Mother" performed by the iconic Korean singer Seung Chul Lee. Kim also has two of his own albums, Thankfulness and The Road, and works as a producer, songwriter, lyricist, arranger, and performer. He is active in the fusion music scene, combining various genres including classical, pop, jazz, and traditional Korean music.He was the main host of the AM 1660 radio station "New York Arirang" for two years and guest hosted FM 87.7 "K-Radio" for several months. He is also a composer, arranger, and keyboardist for the fusion group G-Hwaja.He is currently working as composer and arranger for the musical King David, which will be staged in Los Angeles in June 2022. Among his work with various artists, he arranged and performed music for Michelle Kim, vice-concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and arranged, played piano, and produced music with Jennifer Jeon, whose videos surpassed 64 million views on YouTube. Kim graduated from Berklee College of Music majoring in Film Scoring.

Song Eun Shin | Gayageum

Song Eun Shin established her reputation as an outstanding performer of the 25-string traditional Korean Gayageum zither characterized by her detailed expressions of musical language. She has been a pioneer in introducing her instrument and its unique sound worldwide. She started playing Gayageum at age 10 and later graduated from Korean National Traditional Arts High School before receiving bachelor's and master's degree from Chung-Ang University with top honors. She is a winner of the prestigious Seoul Gayageum Competition and has continued to advance her career through concerts and performances, including at the Shanghai Expo, the G20 Summit, and Hong Kong national holiday events.

Soowon Chung | Guitar

Soowon Chung is a K-Pop recording session guitarist and music producer who has worked with some of the industry's top stars, including BTS, IU, EXO, AKMU, Girls Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, Ailee, Lee Seung-Chul, Shin Seung-Hoon and others. Since 2002 he has contributed to K-Pop songs, K- drama soundtracks, and film OSTs, recording more than 6,000 songs and producing more than 90.

Jason Yoo | Drums

Jason Yoo fell in love with playing drums at age 14 after experimenting with guitar, bass, and piano. Following his service as a member of one of South Korea's military bands, he flew to New York City where he studied jazz at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. His musical maturity is attributed to studying with Jimmy Cobb, Carl Allen, Herlin Riley, and the late Elvin Jones, as well as with top musicians including multi-Grammy-winners. He has worked with The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Chris Tomlin, and BMK, among others.

Jennifer Jeon | Violin

Jennifer Jeon is a bright young classical music talent who began playing violin at age six. Jeon has been awarded by the New York Music Competition, the International New Praise Academic Support Society, LISMA International Music Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition, and IVC Competition, awarding her to perform at top venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. Jeon has performed throughout the United States as well as in Portugal, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, and Canada during music tours and missionary concerts. She has performed for talk shows hosted by CTS, a Korean Christian Broadcasting Station, and was featured on Healing Talk Show (Danbi Broadcasting Station), Love New Jersey, and CTS Radio, as well as being interviewed and covered by media in New York and Virginia, including AmenNet, Christian Yonhap News, Gospel news, and The Korea Times. Her YouTube channel featuring Christian, chamber, beginner, pop, and classical music has attracted more than 64 million views and 195,000 subscribers. She attended Taft School in Connecticut and graduated from Brown University in May 2021.

Jamon Maple | Vocals

Jamon Maple, tenor, voice specialist, recording artist, music director, and choral conductor, enjoys an international teaching and performance career. A native of Beaumont, TX, he most recently made his television debut in South Korea, performing on the singing competition show Fantastic Duo, and later appeared in the season 7 premiere of the award-winning television mystery music game show I Can See Your Voice. He has co-written songs for multiple Korean hit dramas with famed OST composer Kang Dong-yoon and recently celebrated the international release of his Korean single, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Jamon maintains a robust private voice studio in New York City, South Korea, and mainland China, teaching singers across genres. His students are NATS national competition winners in opera and musical theatre, finalists in the New York Lyric Opera Theatre national competition, professional pop and indie recording artists, and Broadway performers. He regularly gives masterclasses on classical and pop vocal techniques and interactive singing workshops entitled "Kpop for Foreigners" and "A Practical Guide to Vocal Pedagogy." He holds a BM from Boston University and an MM and an advanced certificate from NYU Steinhardt.

Daseul Kim | Bass

Daseul Kim is a jazz bass player and instructor based in New York and New Jersey. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance and a Master's Degree in Jazz Arranging from William Paterson University.

Woosung Jung | Daegeum

Woosung Jung is the Director of Instrumental Music at the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago and specializes in Korean traditional wind instruments, including the Daegeum (large transverse bamboo flute), Danso (vertical bamboo flute), and Sogeum (short bamboo flute). He is a designated master in Korea of Daegeum Court Music, an official Intangible Cultural Asset.

Sebastian Wang | Janggu

Sebastian Wang was born in Washington, D.C. and has lived in Maryland most of his life. He encountered Samulnori, the energetic and iconic Korean percussion ensemble, when he was six years old and started taking private lessons at age nine. He began performing at age 14 at various local universities as well as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. After graduating high school, he continued his studies at The Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, Korea under renowned Samulnori founder and master Kim Duk Soo. Wang then returned to the states and began teaching and performing in the Washington D.C. area, where he remains an in-demand performer with deep cultural insights specializing in the janggu, an hourglass-shaped double-sided drum.