This is the first solo piece I have written for a Korean instrument.
I am always excited to learn about instruments I didn’t know before and I am especially delighted I got the opportunity to write for the Korean instrument, the daegeum.
The material of Hwanhui is derived from an ensemble piece called Bliss, which I wrote for daegeum, sheng, koto and strings.
It was so much fun discovering the daegeum, thanks to the amazing musician Hong Yoo, who guided me while I was composing Hwanhui. The daegeum seems to me to be some kind of super-flute, like a flute with special powers. It has at least two personalities in terms of its sonority.
Dai Fujikura