Six Musicians, "Five Directions," One Sound

NEW YORK, December 4, 2008 - Six remarkable musicians from Korea and New York brought their one-of-a-kind hybrid sound to Asia Society's New York headquarters for the first of three concerts.

Comprised of Yoon Jeong Heo (geomungo), Erik Friedlander (cello), Kang Kwon Soon (Korean traditional voice), Young Chi Min (daegum, chang-go), Ned Rothenberg (clarinets and shakuhachi), and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), the Tori Ensemble transcends musical borders and boundaries through its mingling of jazz, new music, and traditional Korean influences.

At the Asia Society the group performed Five Directions, an evening-length collaborative work inspired by the five physical elements of metal, wood, fire, water, and earth.

Listen to samples of the Tori Ensemble's music:

Excerpt 1 (2 min., 53 sec.)

Excerpt 2 (2 min., 22 sec.)

Excerpt 3 (2 min, 2 sec.)