An Introduction to Tenor Trombone Solos by Korean Composers

Abstract

This paper examines selected Korean composers and their unpublished works for tenor trombone. Their music blends unique Korean components such as folk melodies, scales, modes, rhythms, and unexpected formal structures with Western elements and styles. The music chosen for this study is from the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, specifically Ari-bone for solo trombone and piano (2011) by Moon-Seok Lee and Daechwita for solo trombone (1993) by Cheng-Iek Chang. The first section of this paper includes a brief biographical sketch of each composer. The second section explains several fundamental elements of traditional Korean compositional practices. The third section will present a detailed analysis of each selected work, focusing on the unique Korean elements and the ways they fuse together with Western tradition. Finally, this survey will conclude with a discussion of appropriate performance practices. Many Korean composers have not been published in the West. It is hoped that this paper will help to inspire a demand for Korean solo trombone music, thus finally getting this music published more widely and preserved for future generations.