Singer’s Guide to Hak Jun Yoon’s Selected Art Songs

Authors

Sunmin Cha, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Suna Gunther

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Department

Music

Date of this Version

7-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Music (Voice Performance)

Under the supervision of Professor Suna Gunther

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Sunmin Cha. Used by permission

Abstract

Composer Hak Jun Yoon is at the forefront of popularizing Korean art songs through the combination of artistry and mass appeal, positioning him as one of the representative composers of contemporary Korea. Recently, Yoon’s songs gained significant popularity after being featured on the Korean vocal competition TV program “Phantom Singer,” playing a major role in sparking public interest in Korean art songs in general. This document aims to widen that circle to more classical singers by analyzing poetic and musical elements in four of Yoon’s representative songs: “On the Way to You,” “A Flower Blooms Alone,” “Lingering Scent,” and “The Stars.” In addition to this analysis, the document also provides translation and pronunciation guides for each song, identifies vocal challenges, and provides exercises to aid in those challenges. The methodology of this document is based on interviews with the composer, literature review, and analysis of poetic and musical elements. With this guide, Korean and non-Korean singers can feel confident in their musical, expressive, and textual understanding of Yoon’s representative Art Songs.

Advisor: Suna Gunther

Recommended Citation

Cha, Sunmin, "Singer’s Guide to Hak Jun Yoon’s Selected Art Songs" (2024). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 154.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/154