Han Terra

Han Terra (한테라, born March 30, 1982) is a South Korean inventor and TeRra virtuoso. She was a child prodigy and was performing by age 6 as a Korean instrument kayageum player, she is known for a polymath in the areas of music, instruments, arts, dance, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, history, literature, writing, journals, fashion, design, technology, science and aesthetics. She began her training at the age of 4 in the Western classical music and the Eastern traditional arts including singing and dancing in Korea, Japan, China, India, France, and has been performing globally since.

Han is the first and the youngest individual kayageum musician of Blanchette Rockefeller Fund and who had a debut in the Carnegie Hall in New York. She was admitted a voting member of the Grammy Awards of The Recording Academy in USA 2016 as few East Asian traditional musicians.

Han is an inventor of the music instrument TeRra as well as a software developer, known as a founder of terraviii.com

In South Korea, she was named Laesuk ("Advent of Goodness" or "Goddess"). She got the Buddhist name 'Myeong-wol' (명월, 明月), which means 'bright moon', from a Buddhist priest in her teens, Han also has the pseudonym Dan-young (단영, 澶濴). She adopted the name 'TeRra' based on the earth goddess Tellus in Latin languages and combined it with her other names in the 2000s of herself.

Han is a member of the Cheongju Han clan family. The clan is well known for a long tradition of the women members of royal consorts produced the largest numbers of 16 queens in Korean history.

Her maternal grandmother's family was in the fashion and textile business and moved from Japan to Korea in the late 1920s.

Western classical music studies

Han was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her initial ambition was to become a pianist, having taken piano lessons at the age of 4. As soon as she started piano, she amazed her neighbors with her mastery of Czerny, Mozart and Bach's pieces. She became a winner of the national competition of Korea at age of 8. She studied the various western musical instruments such as the violin, classical guitar, and the flute.

Korean traditional music

Spurred by her mother's encouragement, however, she began to study Korean classical music focused on Kayageum and dance at the age of 6. When she was 8, she became a winner of the National Music Competition of Korea in 1989. During her early years, Han had mastery of major all repertoires of her instrument, as well as her mastery of the newly improvedmodern kayageum during the 1990s.

Dance and choreography

Han trained Korean heritable dance traditions such as National intangible heritage No. 46. Salpuri, court dance Chunaeng-jeon and Buchae-chum, Ipchum under Eunhee Song age 6. She composed choreography of dance pieces as like 'Buru' which is contemporary music composition of Sukhi Kang including dance costume for the works.

Musical crisis

After training in Kayageum during her early years, Han briefly considered quitting music, instead, pursuing a career in journalism or as medical doctor.

She was also cast for a main role of an independent film which was featured in a film festival of Seoul National University in 2002.

Interview records book of The Korea Times

Byung-wook Jang, South Korean journalist, interviewed Han's music and her life including the crisis period and the records was published as a book of Gifted, TeRra by The Korea Times in 2015. Han officially resumed her careers in 11 years releasing the book and a live recording album TeRra (Live) showcasing her performances.

Han has Doctor of Musical Arts from Seoul National University, as well as holds a B.A. and M.A. degrees from Seoul National University. In addition, she was a special visiting fellow of the most prestigious arts school of East Asia such as Tokyo University of the arts in Japan, Central Conservatory of Music in China. Han graduated from Gugak National Middle and High School. Han trained kayageum under the Kim IlRyun, Chae-suk Lee, and Jeongja Kim also studied Pansori (UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity) under Yoojin Chung, Korean traditional dance under Eunhee Song.

She studied data science at Harvard University's HavradX and currently attending Micromasters of Data, Economics and Development Policy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Han speaks 6 languages and more: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, French, Italian, C++ Computer language.

Han was trained other Asian zither traditions including the Japanese Koto, Shamisen, the Chinese Guzheng, and the Indian Sitar. Through her research stints in Japan and China, Han acquired deeper understanding of the pan-Asian musical heritage. She took lessons of Japanese Koto of Ikuta school under the professor Ando Masateru at Tokyo University of the Arts and Chinese Guzheng, North Korea and Yanbian province Kayageum under Xingsan Jin, China National Intangible Cultural Heritage No.1083 at the Yanbian University and studied their traditional other performing arts forms such as Japanese traditional dance and singing. In addition, she studied Indian Sitar with Daisy Paradis in New York.

Presently, she is a member of Asian Musicology.

Han recorded Korean all royalty's music repertoires of kayageum solo version as the first kayageum soloist. The recording collection is composed of 5 series of full version, published by separately Korean Broad Casting FM, Poly Music and distributed by Recording Industry Association of Korea. The music collection includes Yeo Min Lak (People of the joy composed by King Sejonog), Chuita, Ut-dodeuri, Mit-dodeuri, Bo Heo Sa, Young San Hue Sang, Kagok, etc.. TeRra Han trained Korean royalty's music, all pieces under Jeongja Kim at Seoul National University and National Gugak middle and high school in Korea.

Collaborations

Active as a concert soloist since age 12, Han collaborated with music orchestras such as Seoul Metropolitan Korean Music Orchestra, National Orchestra of Korea, Jeonju Korean Music Orchestra, Daejeon Korean Music Orchestra with conductors such as Jaewon Lim, Pyeonryong Lim, and Sangil Han.

Recitals

Han has been performing solo recitals in venues such as Sejong Center, National Korean Music Center, Suginami Public Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Chamber music and orchestra

Han was a charter Kayageum player of the National Traditional Music Youth Orchestra of Korea in 2003, became the youngest Kayageum player of the Seongnam Municipal Korean Classical Music Orchestra. Presently, she is a member of the Asian Zither's Association.

Han's beginning composition was happened at age of 8, it was published on her elementary school's annual journal. She was already arranging piano pieces to kayageum when she was early child ages such as by Mozart, Bach. TeRra Han started release of her own compositions since 2016, the composition is 'Viola Code No. 1', it wasinspired by the French poet Charles Baudelaire & Korean Sanghwa Lee, it was world premiered by French violist Erwan Richard on her recital celebrating 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea. The second composition is 'Piano Code No. 1' inspired by arts work 'Wind of the Ancient Times' (2010, terra cotta) by Insu Choi, the piece was worked premiered by herself with kayageum arranged gallery art link 2016.

She learned composing by herself, however influenced by Sukhi Kang, Pierre Boulez, she mentioned composing was devotion, not intended.

United States

Han debuted internationally through series of recitals in the United States at venues such as Sam Sung Hall of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and the Doris Duke Hall at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Seattle and invited recital at Brown University in 2008. She was billed as the 'latest music young prodigy of Korea'.

Carnegie Hall debut

On September 29, 2015, Han had debut stage at the Carnegie Hall, in New York. It was actually internationally tour concert starting from at the Suginami Public Hall in Tokyo, Japan and National Gugak Center in Seoul, South Korea. She played Kayageum Sanjo full version of Choi Ok Sam which is a National intangible heritage No.23 of South Korea, it was world premier that Choi Ok Sam sanjo full version performed and she was the youngest Korean traditional musicians of a few who ever had a recital at the Carnegie hall, even at the Suginami Public Hall, either.

As the first individual kayageum musician of Blanchette Rockefeller Fund since 2010, she widened her musical presence in New York City where she began collaborations with various experimental, improvisational and other avant-garde groups, exchanging musical heritage with a variety of artists, especially in minimalism and improvisational style of music as represented by eminent composers Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Zorn.

Moving work of art

During her stay in New York City in 2012, she performed the "Sonnet of an Innocent Flower" at the Korea Society. During the performance, musicologist Robert. C Provine accompanied her performance with segments of lectures on each piece. The event encompassed kayageum music, song and dance which replicated the Chosun Kisaeng tradition.

Han stayed Yanbian in Northeast China in 2011 to research performing arts forms of North Korea, Yanbian province and China with the Xingsan Jin who is a Chinese National Heritage of Kayageum of China. Their collaboration included exchange of musical concepts and playing techniques of 21,22 and 23 stringed kayageums. Han studied guzheng in the Central conservatory of music, Beijing under professor Zhou Wang.

Since 2010, Han resided for some time in Tokyo, Japan during which she tried to adapt Japanese traditional music for Kayageum and collaborated with Japanese artists Korean Cultural Council in Japan sponsored. Her fan club, the TeRras, was established in Tokyo during the concert.

In 2015, her Japanese Koto album 'Sakura' was officially appointed as the special edition celebrating 50 years of the diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan by the Japan-Korea foreign ministry's. As well as,It was actually internationally tour concert starting from at the Suginami Public Hall in Tokyo, Japan and National Gugak Center in Seoul, South Korea.She played Sanjo which is National intangible heritage No.23 of South Korea.

TeRra Han stayed in Paris 2012, since then she has been collaborating with French artists such as visual artist Benjamin Efrati, electronic musician Richard Pinhas. In 2016, celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations of France and Korea, she had a recital, REVELATION series ${\displaystyle \Pi }$ at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul supported by the Institut Français. For this recital, Terra Han revisits the music at Kagayeum and has a France-Korean version of this traditional instrument, with the participation of Erwan Richard, French violist. Through the solos and duets of the artist and one can see the genius of Baudelaire, the Korean court music of the 11th century, but also the French and modern classical music.

She tried a scientific approach to the acoustics of Asian string instrument. Since 2011, she has been visiting the acoustics department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and North Bennet School in a scientific approach to relationship between arts and science.She presented 'Introduction to the Asian Zither through the 12 stringed Korean kayageum' at the room 3-207 MIT 2012.

Han has developed music software and building online websites of arts and cultures. On 2017, she founded TeRra VR museum of arts and science and she built TeRra (terraiviii.com) in November of the same year. TeRra is a search engine platform optimized to art and cultural contents and products enabling users to search and book the tickets of the events, as well as, guide how to experience arts and cultural world heritages.

Han launched the art and cultural magazine, TeRra in New York City 2017 November. It was founded in 2016 in Seoul, and online service launched first in Tokyo 2017 February. TeRra magazine is an English magazine dealing with Asian art and culture geographically covering from based on South Asian to Northeast Asia to all over the world. As being a writer of Journal of Seoul National University, Business Journal of South Korea, as well as a member of Asian American Journalist Association in USA, she is a currently editor in chief of the magazine.

Han acquired NYPD media credential as a journalist by the City of New York Police Department, Deputy Commissioner, Public Information.

Han has been designing her dress for performance at the stage, she had a first fashion collection and exhibition in Tokyo, gallery Pam-a 2013. She designed the show with her own kayageum music, about 10 models had a show at the stage. The title was 'from chima-chogori to court dress of Choseon', as reported by Tokyo Times (Tokyo Shimbun).

Film

Television

Han has appeared in major media and broadcasting both of Korean domestic and overseas.s In 1999–2000, Han has appeared in Korean Broadcasting System for giving new message celebrating new millennium years 2000. In addition, she appeared in some entertainment programs of the KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) and traditional music programs. Also she had interviews music radio, Gugak FM.

TeRra Han made headlines and full cover of major newspapers such as the Korea Daily, The Korea Times, Le Monde Diplomatique, Tokyo Shinbun (Tokyo Times) and The Korea Times published a book of her, TeRra written by Byungwook Jang, Korean columnist 2015.

The Korea Times reported her as 'Best Korean kayageum musician have a Carnegie Hall debut as the youngest kayageum musician'.

Han's albums include recordings of traditional kayageum solo music, concertos and variety of chamber music including court music, sanjo music and contemporary music. She has also recorded in non-Korean kayageum music styles, in Japanese and Chinese traditional music with Koto or Guzheng. Her Japanese Koto album 'Sakura' was appointed officially as the special edition celebrating 50 years of the diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the both governments.

Albums

• The 1st Album of SeongNam City Korean Traditional Performing Arts (2005)
• Album of Korean Classical Music Composition Festival (2006)
• DVD for a film score for the educational documentary "Silla Dynasty Stoneware and Koryo Dynasty Celadon" in the USA (2009)
• TeRra (Live) (2015)
• A Maestro Who Saved Girl Ginius (2015)
• TeRra Han plays 'Young San Hue Sang' (2CD) (2015)
• Korean Traditional Court Music of Kayageum 'Bo Heo Sa', 2015 Digital Recording Series of Gugak FM 99.1
• Dreams of King Sejong, Yeo Min Lak 1 (1st Mov.-3rd Mov.), Korean Court Music Series(2015)
• Dreams of King Sejong, Yeo Min Lak 2 (2nd Mov.-7th Yeoeum), Korean Court Music Series (2015)
• Terra Han, Live at the Suginami Public Hall, Tokyo (2015)
• 'Young San Hue Sang1 'Korean court music full version series 3 (2015)
• 'Young San Hue Sang2 (Pyeong Jo Hue Sang)' (2015)
• March of Thousand Years (2016)
• TeRra's Music Diaries (2020)

Singles

• "TeRra Han Plays Chinese Guzheng: Fisherman's Song" (2015)
• Japanese Koto'Sakura'variations: Korea-Japan Foreign Affairs Administrator's Official Album, Celebrating the 50 years Anniversary of Diplomatic Normalization between Korea and Japan (2015)

• 2015 TeRra: Memoir of TeRra Han, written by Byung-Wook Jang (published by The Korea Times)
• 2017 TeRra Magazine, Preliminary Issue (Japan)
• 2017 Shiva of New York (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2017 Ando Masateru, Japanese Koto Master (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2018 Composer who Awakened Asia with New Music, Sukhi Kang (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2018 Xingsan Jin, 3 Stars of China and Two Korea (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2018 Zhou Wang, Chinese Guzheng Master (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2018 6 Heroes of TeRra Asia, TeRra Gold Special Edition (Published by HBS Creatives., New York)
• 2018 The Way To Paradiso, French Fashion Designer Adeline André

• 1989. Winner of National Students Musical Competition Special Grand Prize, Piano
• 1989. Winner of National Musical Competition, Korean Music Society, Special Grand Prize, Kayageum
• 1992. Winner of National Student Student Musical Competition of Korea, Gold Prize
• 1994. Winner of Official Commendation of UNESCO, Korea
• 1999. Winner of Dong-a Ilbo, Korean Musical Concours, Silver Prize
• 2001. Winner of Han-bat National Kayageum Competition Grand Prize
• 2004. Winner of Chung-ju National Kayageum Competition Gold Prize
• 2009. Winner of Sejong Center, Sejong Korean Music Concours
• 2010. Grantee of Blanchette Rockefeller Fund, Asian Cultural Council in the USA

• 2000. National Gugak Middle and High School
• 2004. Seoul National University, College of Music (B.A)
• 2006. Seoul National University, College of Music (M.A)
• 2010. Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo in Japan (Special Doctoral Fellows)
• 2011. Yanbian University, Yanji in China (Special Visiting Researcher)
• 2014. Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing in China (International Doctoral Fellows)
• –2005. Complete the Senior Course of Korean Traditional Dance, National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts
• –2010. Complete Japanese Traditional Music Program, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo in Japan
• 2009–Present. Seoul National University, Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A)
• 2020–Harvard University, HarvardX
• 2020. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MicroMasters

• 2002–2003. National Traditional Music Youth Orchestra, Korea
• 2005–2009. Seong-Nam City Korean Traditional Music Orchestra
• 2005–Present. Asian Zither Association
• 2010. Lecturer of Korean Music at Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
• 2011–Present. Asian Musicology, member
• 2010 Honorary Ambassador of Korean Center for International Affairs, Academy of Korean Studies
• 2015 Member of Asian American Journalist Association, USA
• 2016–Present. Voting Member of the Grammy Awards of The Recording Academy, USA
• 2020–Present. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), member
• 2020–Present. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), member
• 2020–Present. National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), USA, member