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In the twenty-first century, Asia's role in American contemporary music has flourished, blending experimental American music with traditional Asian sounds through collaborative composition. This paper examines intercultural collaboration between American composers and Korean musicians, focusing on how such partnerships reflects broader global dynamics. More than mere cultural exchange, these collaborations can empower indigenous and local artists by critically reassessing traditional hierarchies and practices historically imposed by dominant cultural forces (G. Lewis 2017). This raises a critical question: should works involving traditional Asian instruments, shaped by collaborations rooted in center-periphery cultural dynamics, continue to be interpreted solely through the lens of Western-authored scores? By recognizing the creative agency of both composers and performers, these collaborations allow Korean musicians grounded in traditional music to expand their artistic scope and contribute meaningfully to contemporary music-making. This paper presents two case studies: Jungmori Blues (2021) by American experimentalist Ned Rothenberg and piri player Gamin Kang, and Yessori (2016) by Kronos Quartet and haegeum player Soo Yeon Lyuh. Through discourse analysis and ethnographic interviews, I argue that these collaborations result in new Korean music creation through interactions and negotiations of musical identities. Jungmori Blues, combining traditional Korean sanjo and American blues, explores the piri's modern potential by juxtaposing experimental techniques and Korean rhythms. By co-composing and cross-teaching their traditions, these composers experiment with the idiomatic vibratos and improvisational sounds of Korean music. This study challenges power relations in musical composition by shifting away from a composer-centered approach (Groth, 2016) and amplifying the role of the performer. This less-hierarchical music-making promotes communication between composers and performers, highlighting the potential for marginalized Asian women to reclaim their voices in American modernity. Finally, this paper proposes a new aesthetic paradigm for trans-Pacific collaborations between Korean musicians and American composers, moving beyond orientalism and nationalism.

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Two Is Better Than One: The Dynamics of Music-Making in American-Korean Collaborations

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Mingyeong Son

摘要

In the twenty-first century, Asia's role in American contemporary music has flourished, blending experimental American music with traditional Asian sounds through collaborative composition. This paper examines intercultural collaboration between American composers and Korean musicians, focusing on how such partnerships reflects broader global dynamics. More than mere cultural exchange, these collaborations can empower indigenous and local artists by critically reassessing traditional hierarchies and practices historically imposed by dominant cultural forces (G. Lewis 2017). This raises a critical question: should works involving traditional Asian instruments, shaped by collaborations rooted in center-periphery cultural dynamics, continue to be interpreted solely through the lens of Western-authored scores? By recognizing the creative agency of both composers and performers, these collaborations allow Korean musicians grounded in traditional music to expand their artistic scope and contribute meaningfully to contemporary music-making. This paper presents two case studies: Jungmori Blues (2021) by American experimentalist Ned Rothenberg and piri player Gamin Kang, and Yessori (2016) by Kronos Quartet and haegeum player Soo Yeon Lyuh. Through discourse analysis and ethnographic interviews, I argue that these collaborations result in new Korean music creation through interactions and negotiations of musical identities. Jungmori Blues, combining traditional Korean sanjo and American blues, explores the piri's modern potential by juxtaposing experimental techniques and Korean rhythms. By co-composing and cross-teaching their traditions, these composers experiment with the idiomatic vibratos and improvisational sounds of Korean music. This study challenges power relations in musical composition by shifting away from a composer-centered approach (Groth, 2016) and amplifying the role of the performer. This less-hierarchical music-making promotes communication between composers and performers, highlighting the potential for marginalized Asian women to reclaim their voices in American modernity. Finally, this paper proposes a new aesthetic paradigm for trans-Pacific collaborations between Korean musicians and American composers, moving beyond orientalism and nationalism.