2018 WOMEX (World Music Expo) Official Showcase Artist

2018 Mundial Montreal (North America's World Music Summit) Official Showcase Artist

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Percussion technician, performer, and composer Kim So Ra is a Master Artist of North Jeolla Province Intangible Cultural Asset No. 7-2. While the timbres and rhythms she uses in her music are fundamentally Korean, she often challenges tradition and experiments with other percussion genres in order to facilitate the globalization of Korean rhythms—a process which often leads to exciting new sounds.

 

Kim Sora is recognized in Korea and abroad as a performer equipped with the energy and artistry that is so crucial to percussion music. Her rhythmic delivery is fresh and conveys movement. Also known as the Chopin of Korean traditional percussion music, she is the first Korean solo percussionist to have been selected for the official showcase at WOMEX 18 (World Music Expo) and at North America’s World Music Summit, Mundial Montréal, in 2018. Kim So Ra is a percussionist receiving worldwide attention. She has been invited to perform at major festivals and venues in 16 cities across 5 countries during her 2019 Europe and North America World Tour. Major events and venues include WOMAD Festival UK, the Globaltica Festival in Poland, World Music Festival Chicago, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the American Folk Festival in Bangor, the Global Roots Festival in Minneapolis, Lincoln Center in New York, The Studio Theater in Washington, D.C., The Arts Center in Carrboro, and the Women in Percussion Festival in Toronto. Additionally, her first album A Sign of Rain was nominated for Korean Music Awards Best Jazz & Crossover Album in 2019. 

 

Kim So Ra is taking Korean percussion music into new territory. With a diverse range of musical experiences under her belt, Kim So Ra is not just a traditional percussionist but a world musician who is actively participating on the global stage and working to expand the scope of Korean traditional music overseas. 

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Achievement

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2019 PAMS CHOICE (Seoul art market) official Showcase Artist (DUO BUD)

2019 SXSW (south by southwest ) Official Showcase Artist (DUO BUD)

2018 WOMEX (World Music Expo) Official Showcase Artist

2018 MUNDIAL MONTREAL (North America's World Music Summit)Official Showcase Artist

2018 Seoul Music Week Official Showcase artist

2017 Ulsan Apam (Asian Pacific Music Meeting) Official Showcase artist

2016 France Babel Med Music festival official Showcase artist

 

 

Major Works

  • kim So Ra - Landscape <2020>

  • Kim So Ra Janggu Project III - A Sign of Rain <2017>

  • Kim So Ra Janggu Project II - Rhythm Connections <2014>

  • Kim So Ra Janggu Project I - Turn the Stage <2010>

 

 

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Discography

  • 2019 Kim So Ra Janggu solo album <Honam udo Nongak Jeongeup Nongak Janggu Garak>

  • 2018 Kim So Ra 1st album < A sign of Rain>

  • 2017 Duo BUD 1st album <Starlight Consolation >

  • 2017 Duo BUD Digital Single < light >

  • 2016 Numori 1st album <Guna Guna>

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  • Studied Honam Udo under Master Yu Ji Hwa, horder of Jeongup Nongak

        (Jeollabuk-do Province intangible cultural treasure No. 7-2)

  • Founder and Director of Norikkot, Women’s Traditional Arts Troupe, Korea

  • Founder of World music Duo ‘BUD’, South Korea

 

Awards

  • First Place ( KB Sori Prize) in World music Category at the Sori Frontier, JeonJu International Sori Festival in 2015 / South Korea

  • First Place in the pungmul category at the 10th National Women’s Korean Traditional Music Festival in 2012 / South Korea

  • First Place in the creative performing arts category at the 13th In-cheon Bupyeong Pungmul Festival in 2011/ South Korea

  • First Place at the 10th Anseong Baudeogi Pungmul Festival in 2010

  • First Place in the drum accompaniment category at the 11th Seopyeonje Boseong Sori Festival in 2009 / South Korea

  • First Place in the percussion category at the 11th Bupyeong Pungmul Festival in 2007 / South Korea

 

Education

Chung-Ang University, South Korea

 

2012 August, Master of Music in Korean Music, Awarded a Full Scholarship.

2012 August, Master of Music in Korean Music, Awarded a Full Scholarship.

2004 Enter percussion and performance course at Chung-ang University’s School of Korean music, Awarded a Full Scholarship.

2007 Start master course at Chung-ang University’s Graduate school of Korean music.

2007 Studied Korean music for orchestra as minor at Chung-ang University’s School of Korean music.

2007 Early graduation with honors from Chung-ang University’s School of Korean music with major in percussion and performance.

 

Thesis: The Development of and Performance of Janggu Nori of Jeoungeup Nongak: with a Focus on Yu-Ji Hwa Janggu Nori.

 

Bachelor of Music in Korean Music, August 2007. Awarded a Full Scholarship

2020

  • 5/8/2020 @National Gugak Center, Seoul, Korea, 

  • 3/4-17 /2020 @WOMADelaide, WOMAD NZ , KIM SO RA 

  • 2/9-17/2020 @World Sacred Spirit Festival DUO BUD  (India)

2019 

 2019 KIM SO RA WORLD TOUR Europe & North America

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2018 ​

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2017

  • Nov. 'Starlight Consolation’ Duo Bud concert , Seoul. Korea

  • Nov. ‘Color of the original Yeon Hee’, Wednesday Dance official selection, Seoul. Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Nov. ‘Great to see you’, Seosan. Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Nov. ‘A sign of Rain’, Gyeonggi Media performance festival, Yongin. Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Oct. ‘ Starlight Consolation’ Duo Bud Concert, Cuba

  • Oct. ‘Pungmul Korea’ Hyun Seung Hun x Kim So Ra Concert, Fukuoka.Japan

  • Sep. ‘Color of the original Yeon Hee’ Wednesday Dance official selection , Seoul. Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Sep. ‘Great to see you’  Asan, Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Sep. ‘Gojip’ Jeonju international Sori festival official Concert, Jeonju. Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Sep. ‘B3 Paradigm’ Jeonju international Sori festival official Concert, Jeonju. Korea - DUO BUD

  • Sep. ‘A sign of Rain’ Ulsan World Music Festival A-pam music showcase official Selection, Ulsan . Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Sep. ‘<Heart to Heart> Norikkot and Duo BUD, The Beauty of Janggu _ Kim So-ra
    Creating the Sounds of Korea through Diverse Medium, Percussionist Kim So-ra Arirang TV HEART TO HEART talk show Special Guest 

  • Aug. ‘A sign of Rain’ Manpan- taste for the arts Program, < sponsord by the Excellent Traditional performing Arts for Seoul & Noreum Marchi Art Company> Seoul. 

  • July. ‘A sign of Rain’ Selected General Art program <sponsored by the Traditional performing arts forJeju Foundation for Arts and Culture. - KIM SO RA

  • July. ‘ Starlight Consolation’ 2017 Okarina music Festival official selection, Bled lake. Slovenia - DUO BUD

  • July. ‘Starlight Consolation’ Vienna 

  • June, ‘ MUPUNG’ Seoul. Korea - Norikkot

  • June, ‘ The Magazine Gaeksuk'

  • May, ‘Color of the original Yeon Hee’ 2017 Korean Traditional performing Arts Festival official selection, Seoul, Korea - KIM SO RA

  • May, ‘ Starlight Consolation’ Seoul. Korea - DUO BUD

  • April, ‘A sign of Rain’ Friday Empathy Concert, Seoul . Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Feb, KBS GUKAK HANMADANG,- KIM SO RA

  • Jan, ‘A sign of Rain’ Showcase in Mullae Art theater , Korea - KIM SO RA 

 

2016 

  • Selected artist of Mullae Arts Plus <Map> KIM SO RA  - <Sponsored by the Traditional performing arts for Seoul foundation for arts and Culture>

  • Dec. ‘ Hope’ Namsan Choice program official selection - Norikkot

  • Dec. 'Starlight Consolation’ Anyang Pung Ryu talk Concert, Anyang . Korea - DUO BUD

  • Nov. ‘Kim So Ra JANGGU Workshop’ New York. USA

  • Nov. ‘Starlight Consolation’ Chicago. USA

  • Nov. ‘Starlight Consolation’ Monterrey. Mexico

  • Oct. ‘Starlight Consolation’ Budapest. Hungary

  • Oct. 'Color of the original Yeon Hee’ 2016 Korean Traditional performing Arts Festival official selection, Seoul, Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Oct. 'Color of the original Yeon Hee’ Changdong Platform61 Sinawei & ragtime Concert , Seoul, Korea - KIM SO RA

  • Sep. ‘ 2016 Feel the Wind’ Ullanbatore, Mongola - KIM SO RA

  • Agu. ‘2016 Glden Melody Award’ , Ilan. TAiwan - DUO BUD 

  • Mar. ‘2016 Babel med Music festival’ official selection - DUO BUD 

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