Dal:um explores the capacity and sonic possibilities of the well-known and ancient Korean traditional instruments, gayageum and geomungo. Between the two, the talented Seoul-based duo creates a patient minimalism and a loving conversation that is deeply fascinating to listen to. Look forward to an exceptional concert experience when Dal:um performs at ALICE.

NOTE: The concert is seated.

The Seoul-based duo Dal:um explores the sonic possibilities of two of Korea’s most renowned traditional string instruments, the gayageum and geomungo. In Dal:um’s ethereal and almost otherworldly soundscape, they linger on dynamics and the space between the notes in a constant dialogue between traditional and experimental practices. The first seeds of Dal:um were planted in 2018 when Ha Suyean and Hwang Hyeyoung, both of whom had performed Korean traditional music since childhood, played together in the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Traditional Music Ensemble. The two musicians quickly discovered they shared a common curiosity and a desire to explore both the techniques and boundaries of their instruments and to develop their own distinctive repertoire. In Korean, Dal:um means “to keep pursuing something,” and it is precisely this passion and curiosity that can be felt in Dal:um’s impressive compositions.

Dal:um’s traditional instruments, the geomungo and gayageum, are ancient. Both have silk strings that are plucked to produce melodic tonalities as well as percussive resonances. However, their size difference and varying number of strings give each a distinctive musical character, complementing each other in an exquisite manner. Their debut album, “Similar & Different” (2021), describes this duality, and the beautifully balanced and expansive music subtly explores the relationships between silence and sound, contemporary and traditional, fullness and emptiness, and similarities and differences. Look forward to an exceptional concert experience when Dal:um performs at ALICE.