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The University of Arizona.

Byung-Hee Oh's Cantata Light of the East: A Fusion of Western and Korean Musical Elements.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Byung-Hee Oh (b. 1975) is a leading composer in the second generation of Korean choral composers. She has held professional positions including as a church musician, as an instructor at the Korea Choir Academy, on the faculty of Han-Sei University, as a composer and editor for the Korean publishing company Chorus Center, and as resident composer for both the Hak-Won Yoon Chorale and the National Chorus of Korea. Her compositional output includes choral-orchestral works, orchestral works, chamber music, musicals, vocal music, and a large body of sacred and secular choral works. Light of the East is a large choral-orchestral work commissioned by the National Chorus of Korea for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Korean Independence Movement, and was premiered in 2019. The work is set in three large parts. The first focuses on ancient Korean foundation myths, the second deals with the ethos of the Korean people, and the third is a remembrance and celebration of Korea’s independence from Japanese imperial occupation. In this monumental work Byung-Hee Oh incorporates traditional Korean themes, singing and playing techniques, instruments, folk materials and singing styles. She combines them with Western elements, including a Western classical orchestra, notation, and compositional techniques in her unique compositional voice in Light of the East. Knowledge of the traditional Korean elements in Light of the East will lead to deeper understanding of this work and its important place in Korean classical music.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
D.M.A.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Graduate College
Grantor dc:publisher
The University of Arizona.
Year dc:date.issued
2023

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Lee, Mirae
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Schauer, Elizabeth
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Brobeck, John
  • Vanderlee, Jeff

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/669608
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/669608

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Arizona
Base URL
repository.arizona.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Lee, Mirae. Byung-Hee Oh's Cantata Light of the East: A Fusion of Western and Korean Musical Elements.. doctoral thesis, The University of Arizona., 2023. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/669608