Intersections Concert at Wickham Library on March 14
The Intersections Concert Series presents an evening of diverse cultural and creative music with professional musicians and East Hartford middle and high school students on Thursday, March 14 at 7 PM at the Wickham Memorial Library.
New York City-based Korean artist, DoYeon Kim, will share Korean music on the gayageum, a traditional instrument from Korea. Hartford-based guitarist, Michael Suddes, and rapper/poet, Ghazi Omair, will share original songs rooted in their life experiences around our local community. There will be open Q&A sessions with the artists following their sets, then the professionals will improvise with students from the EHMS Global Jazz & Creative Music Ensemble and EHHS Creative Music Ensemble. We hope you can join us for this impactful night of music, culture and community!
Artist Bios:
DoYeon Kim is a traditionally trained Korean artist who plays the gayageum, a traditional Korean string instrument, and has developed a uniquely broad approach to music, which incorporates Korean music, jazz, and improvisation, among other influences. Importantly, she introduced the gayageum into the improvisational music scene worldwide. Her recent collaborative projects have broadened to include dancers, actors and visual artists.
During her traditional Korean training, she won numerous international competitions for her gayageum performances, including the Dong-A Ilbo Traditional Music Competition (Gold Prize, 2009), and the On-Nala Korean Music Competition (Gold Prize, 2011). DoYeon is also a graduate of the Contemporary Improvisation Department at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she was the first student ever admitted to the school playing any kind of Korean traditional instrument. She joined the faculty at her alma mater (2022).
DoYeon has performed throughout the world leading the Kim Do Yeon Band, and alongside many improvisers, including Tyshawn Sorey, Joe Morris, Agusti Fernandez, Tony Malaby and Anthony Coleman. Her first album, GaPi (2017), intimately combined traditional Korean music and jazz, and was nominated for a 2018 Korean Grammy Award in the crossover album category. The same year, DoYeon released the free improvisation album Macrocosm with Joe Morris, and performed on Jim Snidero’s Korean themed jazz album Project-K (2020), alongside Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans, Linda Oh and Rudy Royston. DoYeon Kim was recognized by Grammy.com as one of 7 Musicians Pushing Ancient Asian Instruments Into The Future (2021), and is performing projects at Roulette as a Van Lier Fellow (2023).
Michael Suddes is a folk-rock performing artist devoted to his craft. A Connecticut native, Michael found his love for the guitar at the age of 13 and from that point on, set out to find his distinct musical voice. While attending music school for jazz guitar in the Pacific Northwest, he realized that he was a New Englander at heart and wanted to tell his stories through songs. After moving back East, he found his truest calling in combining his lyric writing with his love for guitar. He feels most at home as a singer/songwriter and remains a lover and student of the craft; always pushing, always stretching his limits to sharpen his skills. Michael’s songs are written from a heartfelt place of honesty, often centered around relationships and their complexities as well as his own evolution through life. He is at his best performing live and his dedication to connecting with his crowd, regardless of the venue, is evident in his keen intuition and generous warmth. Michael is currently at work on his debut full-length album.
Ghazi Omair is a Hip-Hop Lyricist/Poet from Hartford, CT. He has performed at venues throughout the Tri-State area and focuses on the musical space between Hip-Hop and Jazz. He has worked with artists such as Matt Dwonzsyk, The Lost Tribe, Cappadonna, Self Suffice, Michael Pallas and other artist throughout New York and Connecticut. Ghazi’s last release is titled “Lavender” and can be found on all major streaming platforms. Lavender is an experimental project combining Trap, Hip-Hop and Jazz while splicing conversations of social commentary between the songs. The single for the project was titled “Unarmed Black Man” ft Michael Pallas, and was dedicated to victims of police brutality. Ghazi’s objective is to use music and lyrics for social commentary while evoking emotion in the listener.
This event is free and open to the public. The Wickham Memorial Library is located at 656 Burnside Avenue, East Hartford, CT. For more information about library programs and services visit our website or call the Raymond Library circulation desk at 860-290-4330.