In 1967 Kidnapped With Wife By The South Korean Secret Police [SKStasi]... In 1984, The Isang Yun Music Institute Opened in Pyongyang, North Korea

"North Korea's main symphony orchestra will play in Britain in September [2008] in the communist country's largest-ever musical performances abroad, a U.S. government-funded radio station reported.

The State Symphony Orchestra of the reclusive communist regime will perform three times in London and Middlesbrough and British Broadcasting Corp. television will broadcast each concert live, Radio Free Asia reported on its Web site." ...

Hyung-Jin Kim/Associated Press "NKorean Orchestra to Perform in Britain" Washington Post January 28, 2008


















Isang Yun -- Esteemed Musical Colleague of Igor Stravinsky and Herbert Von Karajan (but just don't expect to hear any of his music on reactionary Classical WETA-FM, in Washington, D.C.).

His life-long concern with his native country and culture was expressed in several of his compositions, including the Exemplum in Memoriam Kwangju which he wrote in 1981 to the memory of the Gwangju massacre.

In 1998, State Symphony Orchestra of [North] Korea played Arirang under South Korean conductor Beom-Hun Park in the 'Isang Yun Reunification Concert'.

*

Yun, Isang: "Teile dich Nacht" (1980) 12'
for soprano and chamber ensemble [Text by Nobel Prize Laureate Nelly Sachs]

Yun, Isang: Symphony V in five movements for full orchestra with baritone solo nach Gedichten von Nelly Sachs (1987)

1 Memory 11'36
2 We the Saved - You who Watch (1) 12'14
3 Appeal 13'14
4 We the Saved - You who Watch (2) 7'36
5 Peace 11'43

Yun, Isang: An der Schwelle. Sonnets by Albrecht Haushofer
for baritone, female choir, organ, winds and percussion (1975) 17’14
Ernst Gerold Schramm (baritone), women of the RIAS-Kammerchors,
Zsigmond Szathmáry (organ), Solisten-Ensemble Berlin, Uwe Gronostay

Photo credit: (c) Copyright controlled. Publicity photo of the composer contributed to Wikipedia by Rizzleboffin. With thanks.