S U N G J I H O N G
E E N S E M B L E (3 to 6 PLAYERS)
- Eplisthisan, 2023, 13 minutes - fl, cl, pf, vn, vc
- Estavrosan, 2022, 13 mins - fl, bcl, pf, vn, vc
- Lux Mundi, 2018, 9 mins - ob, vn, vc & pf
- Lucem Vitae, 2017, 9 mins - cl, vn & pf
- Lazare veni foras !, 2016, 8 mins - picc, cl/bcl, trb, pf, vn, db
- Et descendit, 2015, 9 mins - fl, va, hp
- Evlogimenos, 2015, 7 mins - cl, pf, vn, vc
- Bisbiglio, 2011, 7 mins - fl, cl, pf
- Resting in Light, 2009, 16 mins - cl, vn, va, vc
- Luminous Flux, 2008, 10 mins- fl, ob, cl, pf, vn, vc
- Shades of Raindrops, 2006, 12 mins - fl, bcl, pf, vn, vc
E N S E M B L E (7 TO 20 PLAYERS)
- Flamingly, 2023, 13 mins - fl, ob, bcl, asax, hn, 2perc, hp, pf, 2vn, va, vc
- Blue Bird, Rev. 2022 (2020), 7 mins - clarinet choir (16 performers: ecl, 10 cl, acl, 2 bcl, ccl, db)
- Elevatus, 2018, 9 mins - fl, cl, trb, perc, pf, vn, vc
- Descending Flow, 2005, 9 mins - fl/picc, ob, cl/bcl, perc, pf, vn, va, vc, db & solo gayageum (Gayageum concerto)
Flamingly
2023, 13 mins - fl, ob, bcl, asax, hn, 2perc, hp, pf, 2vn, va, vc
Hieronymus Bosch is known for his intricate and imaginative depictions of religious and fantastical themes, particularly related to heaven, hell, and morality. The work FLAMINGLY, commissioned by the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition, draws its inspiration from the painting, An Angel Leading a Soul into Hell by Bosch. It's a composition that explores the fiery depths of human existence, delving into the complexities of human emotions, struggles, and the human condition.
FLAMINGLY features a driving rhythm and flame motives that exude relentless determination, inviting the listener on a 13-minute musical journey filled with intense energy. It is written to be performed by the Grossman Ensemble under the direction of Georgia Mills on December 1, 2023, at the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago.
The Grossman Ensemble brings to glorious life four world premiere compositions by M.L. Rantala, Hyde Park Herald on Flamingly (December 5, 2023)
Igerthi - Concerto for Piano and Sinfonietta
2023, 21 mins - fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, trp, trb, 1perc, hp, strings & solo piano
IGERTHI was commissioned and first performed by pianist Jihye Chang and Ensemble Intersection, under the direction of Kelly Corcoran, on March 23, 2024, to celebrate their 10th season. The work draws inspiration from the timeless imagery of the Resurrection, depicted in Byzantine icons known as “Christ’s Descent into Hades” or “the Anastasis.” The title is a Greek word, 'Igerthi,' meaning 'he has risen,’ signifying the central theme of the composition. Sungji Hong takes a three-movement structure for her second Piano Concerto, each movement representing a different aspect of the Resurrection narrative. The opening movement of 'IGERTHI' sets a solemn tone with slow, spacious figurations, depicting Christ's crucifixion. Poignant melodies and subtle harmonies express the separation of body and soul, transitioning into a triumphant march symbolizing Christ's sacrifice. The 'Luminoso' second movement illuminates the spiritual realm with radiant melodies. The final movement, 'Gates Broken Open,' bursts with dramatic passages, vividly portraying Christ's triumph over death.
The piano concerto is dedicated to pianist Jihye Chang.
Eplisthisan
2023, 13 mins - fl, cl, vn, vc &pf
EPLISTHISAN, commissioned by Ensemble TIMF, draws inspiration from The Descent of the Holy Spirit (1546), a Byzantine icon painted by Theophanes the Cretan at the Holy Monastery of Stavronikita in Mount Athos, northeastern Greece.
EPLISTHISAN is characterized by recurring elements that function as the structural material for the development of the work. These include the descending glissando, the descending scales, and the repetitions of a single note. The three ideas interplay and operate concurrently, with the descending glissando gesture played slowly on strings or rapidly on the piano. The descending figures are also played either softly in a legato manner or heavily accentuated, while the repetition of a single note is presented sparsely or almost fiery tremolo-like. It is divided into three sections, and the whole piece develops around or between these gestures, turning on themselves or going through transformations.
EPLISTHISAN was first performed by Ensemble TIMF under the direction of Clement Power at Seoul Arts Center-IBK Chamber Hall on September 14, 2023.
Estavrosan
2022, 13 mins - fl, bcl, vn, vc &pf
Estavrosan is characterized by recurring elements that function as the structural material for the development of the work. It consists of four ideas: the tone cluster staccati on piano, the descending legato scales on bass clarinet, the descending tongue ram on flute, and the ghostly fleeting harmonics on violin and violoncello. The whole piece develops around or between these gestures turning on themselves or going through transformations. It is in two sections: the first focuses on the sound of a hammer hitting a nail, and the second section is a lamentation as the piece takes its inspiration from Christ Nailed to the Cross, painted by Gerard David, about 1481 (The National Gallery in London).
Estavrosan, composed between May 2020 and April 2022, was written to be first performed by SonoMania and Simona Strungaru during the International Music Week in Bucharest at the George Enescu Concert Hall on 27 May 2022. It lasts about 13 minutes and is scored for flute, bass clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano.
This piece was made possible by a grant from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.
Lux Mundi
2018, 9 mins - ob, vn, vc &pf
Lux Mundi was completed in 2018. It lasts about 9 minutes and is scored for oboe, violin, violoncello and piano.
The work was written for the Daegu Contemporary Music Festival to be performed by Ensemble Mosaik. It received its first performance on 21 June 2018 at Chamber Hall in Daegu, Korea.
In 2021, Lux Mundi was awarded to the First Prize at the 17th Kazimierz Serocki Composers' Competition in Warsaw, Poland. It was organized by Polish Society for Contemporary Music, and ISCM Polish Section. It will be performed by Hashtag Ensemble on the 6th of November, 2021 and it will be broadcast on the Polish Radio channel 2.
Shades of Raindrops
2006, 12 mins - fl, bcl, pf, vn, vc
Shades of raindrops was composed between September 2005 and January 2006 almost in parallel with the period of my pregnancy. It was the last piece I completed in Korea before I moved to live in Greece. It lasts about 11 minutes and is scored for five instruments: Flute, Bb Bass Clarinet, Piano, Violin and Violoncello.
It was first performed by the Ensemble TIMF under the direction of Uzong Choe at the First Church in Cambridge in Boston.
This piece was made possible by a grant from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.
In 2008, Shades of raindrops was awarded to the Second Prize at the Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award Competition. It is published by Da Vinci Edition, Milan/Italy (CODE: DV 10208).
Shades of raindrops has been performed by Juventas New Music, Brave New Works, Ensemble TIMF, Nepaklusnieji, Ensemble Concorde, ensemble NOISE, and Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble in Seoul (Korea), Vilnius (Lithuania), Urbana (IL, USA), New York (NY, USA), Boston (MA,USA), Jackson (MI, USA), Ann Arbor (MI, USA), La Jolla (CA, USA), Belfast (Ireland), and Dublin (Ireland).
Luminous Flux
2008, 10mins- fl, ob, cl, pf, vn, vc
Luminous Flux was completed in June 2008 in Thessaloniki, Greece. It lasts about 9 minutes and is scored for six instruments: Flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, piano, violin and violoncello.
It was first performed by Next Mushroom Promotion Ensemble under the direction of Ruediger Bohn at the Takefu International Music Festival 2008, New Horizons Concert III on 9 September 2008.
Elevatus
2018, 9 mins - fl, cl, trb, perc, pf, vn, vc
Elevatus is scored for flute, clarinet, trombone, piano, vibraphone, violin, and violoncello. It received its first performance by Ensemble Mise-en under the direction of Moon Young Ha on 17 May 2018 at The Cell in New York (NY).
The inspiration for this piece is based on the fresco L'Ascensione (c.1305, The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy) by Florentine artist Giotto di Bondone.
Descending Flow - Gayageum Concerto
2005, 9 mins - fl/picc, ob, cl/bcl, perc, pf, vn, va, vc, db & gayageum
Descending Flow is scored for Gayageum and ensemble (flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass) and was composed during the spring of 2005. It was commissioned by the International Isang Yun Music Society in Germany and was first performed by the Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin and Jiyoung Yi under the direction of Roland Kluttig on 24 September 2005 at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Germany. It lasts for 9 minutes.
I would like to express my gratitude to Jiyoung Yi for her encouragement and support over the composition of Descending Flow.
The work was performed at Konzerthaus (Berlin/Germany), Gewandhaus (Leipzig/Germany), St Andrew’s on The Terrace (Wellington/New Zealand), Keumho Art Hall (Seoul/Korea), and Danube University Krems (Krems/Austria).
In 2010, Descending Flow recorded by Extraordinary Stroma, is included in a Aurora Australis’ CD on Atoll label by Asia Pacific Festival 2007.
Bisbiglio
2011, 7 mins - fl, cl, pf
Bisbiglio was completed in July 2011 in Thessaloniki, Greece. It lasts about 7 minutes and is scored for flute, Bb clarinet and piano.
The work was written for The International Contemporary Music Festival in Cyprus to be performed by Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble.
The work has been performed by Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, The Boston New Music Initiative, QUARTZ ensamble, Group for New Music of Brigham Young University, and Ensemble TIMF.
Lazare veni foras !
2016, 8 mins – picc, cl/bcl, trb, pf, vn & db
The inspiration for this piece is based on the painting The Raising of Lazarus (about 1519) by Sebastiano del Piombo, Italian painter (of the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods).
Lazare veni foras! was completed in August 2016 during the I-Park’s Composers and Musicians Collaborative Residency, with the Ensemble MISE-EN. It lasts about 8 minutes and is scored for piccolo, clarinet (bass clarinet), trombone, piano, violin and double bass.
It was premiered by Ensemble MISE-EN under the direction of Moon Young Ha on August 30 2016 at the National Opera Center in New York.
Evlogimenos
2015, 7 mins - cl, pf, vn, vc
Evlogimenos for clarinet, violin, violoncello and piano was written in 2015 for TrioPolis. The inspiration for this piece is based on the painting L'entrata di Cristo in Gerusalemme of Pietro Lorenzetti, an Italian painter (active between c.1306 and 1345).
The work was first performed by TrioPolis on 8 February 2016 at the Recital Hall, UNT in Denton.
Et descendit
2015, 9 mins - fl, va, hp
Et descendit for flute, viola and harp was written in 2015 for Sounds Modern Trio. The inspiration for this piece is based on the painting Battesimo di Cristo of Piero della Francesca, the Italian Renaissance master.
This piece was made possible by a grant from Ms Yeonju Kim and it was first performed by Sounds Modern Trio on 4 February 2016 at the Voertman Hall, UNT.
Resting in Light
2009, 16 mins - cl, vn, va, vc
Resting in Light was completed in November 2009 in memory of my mother and the piece is dedicated to her. It lasts about 16 minutes and is scored for four instruments: clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello.
It was first performed by Laboratorio de Interpretacion Musical under the direction of Jesus Villar-Rojo at the Los Remedios Church in Guadalajara, Spain on 4 May 2010.
In 2010, Resting in Light was awarded to the First Prize at the International Composition Competition 'Jesus Villa-Rojo' in Guadalajara, Spain. It was organized by Fundación Siglo Futuro and sponsored by BBK.
Resting in Light for clarinet and string trio recorded by LIM (Laboratorio de Interpretacion), is included in a limited edition ‘Innovaciones de vanguardia’ by BBK (Fundacion Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa Fundazioa) for the 30th anniversary of the BBK Festival in Madrid.