Heystring Page

"Music that moves too fast for slow steps to follow a dynamic journey rushing toward its goal. A twist within the ordinary, revealing the extraordinary. Heystring unveils another face of the gayageum, inviting us into a world beyond ensemble, beyond expectation."

- Kim Sung-wook, Gugak Broadcasting Producer

"For those of us racing through everyday life, Heystring's music opens a window to dreams and beyond. Oh Ji-hyun, Kim Ji-hyo, and Park Ji-hyun have crafted a new universe through the gayageum. Meticulously prepared, beautifully built, yet brimming with unfiltered, raw energy. An unceasing pulse of life this living album offers a vivid glimpse into the boundless future of Heystring."

- Park Kyung-so, Gayageum Virtuoso.

UPCOMING
EVENTS

2025-09-20 14PM, 17PM

Jongno-gu, SEOUL

VENUE: Space by PASO

2025-06-27 8PM

Mapo-gu, SEOUL

VENUE: JEBIDABANG

2025-05-05 3PM

Jung-gu, SEOUL

VENUE: SEOUL NAMSAN GUGAKDANG

ABOUT

Hey String

A unique Gayageum trio band, has been presenting the music pushing the limits of genre with a deep understanding of traditional Korean music. The three members harmonize the rhythm and sound of the strings and woods, ideally locating its music on the map which sits on the cross-region between the tradition and the avant-garde. Through the unexpected musical progress and uniquely modern sounds, Hey String explores new possibilities of traditional Korean music and simultaneously expand the boundaries of Korean traditional music.

Members

Jihyeon Oh

25 strings Gayageum, Cheolhyeongeum

Jihyo Kim

25 strings Gayageum

Jihyun Park

25 strings Gayageum, CheolGayageum

History

2018

Released the debut album, <Salto>

2019

Performed at the K-Music Festival in London (Southbank Centre, Purcell Room)

2020

Performed at the K-Music Festival (Online)

2021

Invited to perform at the Asia Cultural Center World Music Festival

2022

Released 2nd Album, <Things that go after stay> Performed at the World Music Festival in Taiwan

2023

Invited back to perform at the Asia Cultural Center World Music Festival

MUSIC

Salto

0:00 0:00

The piled up footprints 5:52
A bottomless pit 6:45
Potancia 6:16
The shade and the sun 6:10
∞(Infinity) 9:11
The song of swan 5:33

About "Salto"

With out first full-length album, [Salto], HeyString defines the meaning of musical evolution. Under the meticulous direction of M.E.C’s executive producer, Lee Jung-seok, the band has elevated their existing repertoire, marking a significant artistic milestone. The album presents six diverse tracks, each recorded via a one-take stereo miking technique designed to capture the ensemble's breathing dynamics. The result is a rare convergence of peerless performance skills and innovative composition—delivering a unique auditory experience that defies conventional expectations.

Things that go after stay

0:00 0:00

Memory distortion 7:40
Emerald forest 5:21
Attack 4:55
Things that go after stay 5:27
Pheronmone 5:40
Exhastion 7:26
God for little things 7:27

About "Things that go after stay"

[Things that go after stay] delves into the aesthetics of transience, serving as a sonic archive for the ephemeral. It captures the essence of fleeting emotions, affection for places, and passing thoughts—moments that, while temporary, leave behind a resonance that constructs the underlying narrative of our existence. By translating these experiences into structured melodies, the album invites listeners to engage with a sound that establishes a lasting presence within the psyche.

Gajeun Hoesang

0:00 0:00

Sangnyeongsan 11:24
Jungnyeongsan 5:52
Seryeongsan & Garakdeori 5:50
Sanghyeondodeuri 3:16
Dodeuri 9:11
Hahyeondodeuri 4:53
Yeombuldodeuri 6:02
Taryeong 3:52
Gunak 5:44
Gyemyeongarakdodeuri 3:41
Yangcheongdodeuri & Ujogarakdodeuri 7:09

About "Gajeun Hoesang"

[Gajeun-Hoesang] represents the most complete rendition of Yeongsan-hoesang, a suite revered as the pinnacle of Pungnyu (Korean classical aesthetic). Expanding the original nine-track composition to thirteen movements, it stands as a definitive work of Jeongak. The piece embodies a noble spirit, characterized by its meditative pacing and restrained melodic lines. For this live album, Hey String reconstructs the suite through a contemporary sensibility. The project began with a central question: 'How must we enact tradition today?' The members are rooted in the accumulated history of Jeongak, yet they live in a rapidly changing reality. Navigating this duality, they revisit their identity to present a new artistic language—one grounded in tradition but speaking to the present.
Moving beyond standard traditional instrumentation, the ensemble expands to include flute, clarinet, piano, and cello. These instruments orbit the central pillar of the Gayageum. While the configuration shifts with each track, the Gayageum unifies the narrative, assembling individual fragments into one colossal [Gajeun-Hoesang].
Here, Hey String deconstructs the original significance of the piece, reweaving it for the modern ear. Amidst melodies that advance and recede, the roots of tradition intersect with contemporary sensibility, opening a new horizon for Pungnyu.

UPCOMING
EVENTS

2025-09-20 14PM, 17PM

2025-06-27 8PM

2025-05-05 3PM

ABOUT

Hey String

Members

History

ARCHIVE

MUSIC

Salto

About "Salto"

Things that go after stay

About "Things that go after stay"

Gajeun Hoesang

About "Gajeun Hoesang"

CONTACT

UPCOMING EVENTS

2025-09-20 14PM, 17PM

2025-06-27 8PM

2025-05-05 3PM

ABOUT

Hey String

Members

History

ARCHIVE

MUSIC

Salto

About "Salto"

Things that go after stay

About "Things that go after stay"

Gajeun Hoesang

About "Gajeun Hoesang"

CONTACT

UPCOMING
EVENTS