DESCRIPTION:
One World Symphony, Concertus, and live audience
Sung Jin Hong, composer-conductor

Sung Jin Hong: from DEFIANT (2017, world premiere)
a symphonic poem with four interconnected movements

I. “The River” (Hangang, 한강)*
II. “Dream Deferred” (inspired by the Langston Hughes poem)
III. “New World” from Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator*
IV. “Michelle Obama: Shaken me to my core” (with live audience chanting MLK Jr.'s words)*

*selections featured on 7-minute video. Length of complete DEFIANT is 26 minutes.

Recorded live Jan 22, 2017, NYC
Video conception and direction: Sung Jin Hong
Video design and production: Adrienne Metzinger

http://oneworldsymphony.org

I. “The River” (Hangang, 한강)
Freedom and “a land flowing with milk and honey” were promised to Moses and the Israelites, according to the Hebrew scriptures. Uprooted Koreans who survived the Asian Holocaust; the systematic destruction of language and cultural identity; sexual violence; and the silenced atrocities during Japanese imperialism and World War II believed in reclaiming their heritage by returning to their homeland. My grandmother, after the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and recent bearing of her third child (my mother), led the exodus of her family out of Imperial Japan’s oppression through her unshakable faith in the Mosaic covenant.

In the midst of desolation and shattered dreams, the only sign of life for the Korean refugees was the flowing Hangang (한강). Considered the soul of Seoul, the Han River gave my grandmother strength to continue her journey to re-plant her family roots in Korea. She also taught me the importance of etymology and to never allow oppressors and imperialists to control the narrative of our language, such as Han (한). After more than quarter of a century of contemplation, I discovered clarity in the genesis of the word Han. Our contemporary culture encourages a concept of nonattachment and "liberatingly" unsentimental worldview. Deeply rooted in humanity, empathy, and tears that flow like an underground river due to centuries of atrocities, 한 (Han) is a bridge to one’s provenance and soul, with hope for shared defiance and fulfillment...

Read more: http://oneworldsymphony.org/news13BreakingBlog.shtml#Mar2817

II. “Dream Deferred” (inspired by the Langston Hughes poem)
More than a decade before the visionary and non-violent defiant Martin Luther King, Jr. gave hope to the oppressed, Langston Hughes realized the obstacles to true emancipation, acceptance, and opportunity in America…

III. “New World” from Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator
The last speech from The Great Dictator is about humanity — or more specifically, a return to humanity. A return to feeling and kindness. Chaplin’s emotionally-charged words don’t just serve to condemn the failings of our world, but to deliver hope…

IV. “Michelle Obama: Shaken me to my core” (adapted from Michelle Obama’s speech on October 13, 2016)
Michelle Obama’s powerful words highlight the double bind contemporary women face: speak out about the ongoing and systemic violence, harassment, and degradation we face and risk retribution, or swallow the shame and the fear. Either experience can be humiliating, terrifying, and isolating. It can shake you to your core…

Read more: http://oneworldsymphony.org/news13BreakingBlog.shtml#Mar2817

One World Symphony
Michael Mandrin, Lily Holgate, Adrianne Munden-Dixon, Willie-Ford Smith, Elizabeth Lee, Justin Lee, Chia-Ying Wu, Hyunju Ji, Chaeyoung Son, Megan Yee, Michelle Kohl, Caroline Abberger, Se Yoon Eom, Ling Dahiana, Rachel Alexander, James Eng, Charlie Sharzer, Hui Wang, Jin-Kyoung Park, Iymaani Abdul-Hamid, Cindy Lan, Ruth DeMarco-Conti, Alfrida Tozieva, Rose Moskowitz, Deborah Schaeffer, Jeannette Gilfedder, Marguerite Iskenderian, Kurt Behnke, J. Grace Bruni, Peter Howard, Lish Lindsey, Emily Wespiser, Craig Devereaux, Kim Lewis, Patricia Cardona, Jim Ferraiuolo, Jasmine Daquin, Allison Smagin, Liz Ramirez, Kevin Tang, Bradley Bloom, Ansy Francois, Enrique Hernandez, Mitchell Martin, Gary Schultheis, Barnaby Kendall, Meredith Moore, Dan Remme, Emma Reber, Val Kuntz, Jerome Burns, Andrew Scheurich, Malec Heermans, Kevin Munroe, Mike Mulligan, Gerard Gordon, Scott Still, Ryan Jaccoi, Alice Tsui

One World Symphony Concertus
Lindsey Blackhurst, Sharon Cheng, Laura Farmer, Melissa Gerstein, Sonya Headlam, Adrienne Metzinger, Lauren Porsch, Allison Waggener, Abigail Wolff, Cameron Wright, Andrea Pinyan, Teri Wade, Michael Mariani, Peter Schmitz

Canada - Schmopera preview by Jenna Douglas: http://www.schmopera.com/one-world-symphony-gets-defiant/

NYC - I Care If You Listen review by Rebecca Lentjes: https://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2017/03/one-world-symphony-defiant/

Turkey - BThaber feature by Edip Emil Öymen: http://www.bthaber.com/edip-emil-oymen/michelle-obama’ya-senfoni/1/19950

Korean - NYCulture Beat interview by Sukie Kim: http://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?document_srl=3535784&mid=Music