Soo Yeon Lyuh

Soo Yeon Lyuh is a composer, improviser, and master of the haegeum, a two-stringed Korean bowed instrument. Lyuh draws inspiration from traditional Korean music to perform a meld of improvisatory and experimental sounds.

As a performer, Lyuh possesses flawless technique and a full command of the haegeum’s traditional repertoire. For 12 years, she was a member of South Korea’s National Gugak Center, which is Korea’s foremost institution for the preservation of traditional music. To weave authentic styles into new musical domains, Lyuh relocated in 2015 to the Bay Area and drew inspiration from its dynamic improvised music scene. In 2017, she collaborated in a series of concerts with Kronos Quartet, and this work set her on the path of becoming a composer. Lyuh currently resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

As a composer, Lyuh asks classically trained performers to think outside the box, drawing out fresh sounds that, once understood, sound organic. Although these sounds are difficult to specify with notation, Lyuh notates a lot of them and often demonstrates the parts by joining and performing with the ensemble. In her work, Lyuh is committed to making a bridge between cultures across difficult times.