Okon Hwang

Biography

Dr. Hwang is a Western classical pianist, composer and ethnomusicologist. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University, Master of Arts in Music Theory from Eastman School of Music, Master of Music in Piano Performance from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature from Eastman School of Music, and Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University. In addition to her work as a composer and ethnomusicologist of Korean music, Hwang is also a soloist and chamber musician.

Research Interests

• Korean popular music
• Intersection between Western art music and Korean cultural identity
• Piano music of Korea
• New ways to introduce music in a variety of concert settings

Of Note

As a pianist, Hwang performed at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the S.O.Y. Trio’s first-place award at the American Protégé International Competition. One of her compositions, “Bidan an-gae” was featured in Jo Gyeong-ok’s solo album Jal Jinaesinayo (2009). Hwang also took a leadership role in forming the Association for Korean Music Research.

Teaching Interests

• Piano
• Ethnomusicology
• Korean music and culture

Publications

"Kim Min-ki and the Making of a Legend," Made in Korea: The Routledge Global Popular Music Series, ed. Hyunjoon Shin and Seung-Ah Lee, 133-142. New York: Routledge, 2017.

“Korea,” Oxford Bibliographies in Music at www.oxfordbibliographies.com, 2014.

“Western Tonal Aesthetics in Kim Min-Ki’s Composition,” 대중음악 (Korean Journal of Popular Music), v.7, 99-128, 2011.

Western Art Music in South Korea: Everyday Experience and Cultural Critique. 280 pages. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2009.

“No ‘Korean Wave’ Here: Western Classical Music and the Changing Value System in South Korea,” Southeast Review of Asian Studies, v.31, 56-68, 2009.