Won Il’s Dionysus Robot
A contemporary ritual where tradition meets technology
FRI 14 NOV, 19:30 | Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Former Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Korea and Music Director for the 2018 Winter Olympics ceremonies, Won Il has been a driving force in shaping Korea’s contemporary music landscape.
Renowned for his visionary approach — most memorably through the creative direction behind JAMBINAI’s iconic Olympic Closing Ceremony performance — Won Il fuses tradition and innovation with fearless creativity. In 2025, he returns to the K-Music Festival with his latest large-scale project, Dionysus Robot.
Inspired by Nietzsche’s Dionysus and paying homage to media art pioneer Nam June Paik, Dionysus Robot is an immersive, cross-disciplinary experience where Korea’s traditional sounds, haunting shamanic vocals, electronic innovation, and cutting-edge media art converge in a powerful sensory spectacle.
At its core is master vocalist Kang Gwonsun and a dynamic ensemble of 13 leading Korean musicians — including the trio Hilgeum, fresh from their sold-out London debut — who, under Won Il’s direction, reimagine Korea’s sonic heritage for the modern stage.
This programme is presented in parntership with the EFG Lonodn Jazz Festival.
- Won Il, former Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Korea and Music Director for the 2018 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, is widely acclaimed for his influential albums Asura and Wonderful Days, which have played a key role in shaping Korea’s contemporary music scene rooted in tradition. His work moves fluidly across genres crafting a sonic language that resonates deeply today. In this sense, Dionysus Robot embodies K-Music Festival’s mission: a bold harmony between innovation and tradition.
Performers:
Won Il (composer, conductor)
Yoin Cho (gayageum)
Yerim Kim (geomungo)
Somin Park (haegeum)
Kwonsoon Kang (vocals)
Yongeun Park (violin)
Ji Park (cello)
Seonggeun Kim (ajaeng)
Hwiseon Choe (yanggeum)
Insoo Kim, Wonyoung Shin (percussion)
Ahyoung Lee (saenghwang)
Ungwon Han (bass)
Sooyu Kim (guitar)
