$15 Admission / $10 Students (Free for Children) / 3:40 doors / 4pm start
The Boston-based global jazz ensemble The Mina Cho Quartet will present a performance titled “Passion Moves,” that reflects on both the spiritual and personal meanings of passion. Quartet members are Mina Cho on piano and traditional Korean drum, Max Ridley on bass, Matthew Ryu on guitar, and George Lernis on drums and percussion. The program features reimagined originals and new works created by Mina Cho.
Mina Cho is a Boston-based scholar, jazz pianist, and composer whose work bridges Korean traditional music, jazz, and contemporary global expression. She holds two doctorates – a PhD in Musicology from Brandeis University and a DMA in Jazz Composition with a minor in Musicology from the New England Conservatory – reflecting her sustained commitment to both scholarship and creative artistry. Her research centers on pansori, the Korean traditional musical storytelling genre, with particular focus on master singer Dongjin Park; Samulnori, the Korean traditional percussion quartet; and the evolving relationship between Korean ritual aesthetics and modern performance practice.
As founder and director of the Gugak Jazz Society, the Boston Academy of Korean Traditional Arts (BAKTA), and the International Gugak Jazz Institute (IGJI), Mina leads vibrant cross-cultural initiatives throughout the Greater Boston community and beyond. Through the Gugak Jazz Society and its project ensembles – including the Grace Beat Quartet and the Piano Percussion Duo – she presents her work across the United States, Korea, and Europe. She also performs as a Korean traditional percussionist with the Boston Poongmul Community and serves on the faculty of Emerson College.