Mina Cho | 조미나 (Director)
Janggu (hourglass-shaped Korean traditional percussion) 
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Mina Cho is a Boston-based scholar, jazz pianist, and composer whose work bridges Korean traditional music, jazz, and contemporary global expression. She holds two doctorates – a PhD in Musicology from Brandeis University and a DMA in Jazz Composition with a minor in Musicology from the New England Conservatory – reflecting her sustained commitment to both scholarship and creative artistry. Her research centers on pansori, the Korean traditional musical storytelling genre, with particular focus on master singer Dongjin Park; Samulnori, the Korean traditional percussion quartet; and the evolving relationship between Korean ritual aesthetics and modern performance practice.

As founder and director of the Gugak Jazz Society, the Boston Academy of Korean Traditional Arts (BAKTA), and the International Gugak Jazz Institute (IGJI), Mina leads vibrant cross-cultural initiatives throughout the Greater Boston community and beyond. Through the Gugak Jazz Society and its project ensembles – including the Grace Beat Quartet and the Piano Percussion Duo – she presents her work across the United States, Korea, and Europe. She also performs as a Korean traditional percussionist with the Boston Poongmul Community and serves on the faculty of Emerson College.
www.minachojazz.com
​www.IGJI.org

Kyungsun Kim | 김경선 
Gayageum (Korean zither)
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Kyungsun Kim teaches traditional Korean music at the Korean School of New England in Newton. She earned her B.M. degree in traditional Korean Music (Gayageum Performance) as well as her M.Ed. degree in Music Education from Seoul National University in Korea.

Yoona Kim | 김유나
Ajaeng (Korean bowed zither), Minyo (Korean traditional folk songs)
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Yoona Kim is an ajaeng performer, composer, and educator. She studied ajaeng performance and musicology at Seoul National University. She received both a Master’s degree and a Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Musical Arts from New England Conservatory, and later earned a Master’s degree in Global Jazz from Berklee College of Music. She currently performs with the Global String Band JOOL and the Global Yiddish Orchestra. Yoona’s work blends Korean traditional music with diverse musical genres, creating innovative and boundary-crossing compositions.
www.yoonakim.com

Hanna Lee | 이한나
Korean Traditional Dance
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Hanna Lee graduated from Daejon Arts High School and Joongang University in Korean Traditional Dance. Hanna was an adjunct member of the National Dance Company of Korea and was a member of Didim Dance Company which was established by choreographer Soho Kuk in 1987. She performed in many national events such as Korean President’s inaugurations, a festival in the eve of North-South Korean Summit, and a few festivals celebrating anniversaries of diplomatic relationships with foreign countries.

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Yeyun Jang | 장예윤
Piri (Korean double-reed wind instrument),
​Danso (Korean bamboo flute)

Yeyun Jang is a piri performer and composer who bridges Korean tradition with jazz and world music. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, she has appeared at major venues including Carnegie Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and has received awards such as the Boston International Composition Competition and the World Melody Music Competition. She is joined by Tyler Donkoh-Halm, a ukulele player and multi-instrumentalist blending jazz, pop, and R&B who recently performed at the International 'Ukulele Festival of Hawaii, and Matthew Ryu, a guitarist, composer, and arranger with a multicultural background who studied at Berklee and received the Tad Dameron Award and the Guitar Department Achievement Award.