Jenny Bae Over 4,000 people at Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul last Friday were wowed by a female violinist whose name probably was not familiar to many of them.
Her name is Jenny Bae, a Juilliard graduate who was making her musical stage debut. The Asian beauty with virtuosic talent is often mistaken for international electric violin superstar Vanessa Mae.
"It's an honor to be compared to her," Bae said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. "But my dream is to be a violinist who Vanessa Mae wants to be like." Mae's fans might feel skeptical about the idea, but Bae's talents are apparent and the sweet sound of her music speaks for itself.
Jenny Bae
At Juilliard, she studied with the late Dorothy DeLay, who also taught Sarah Chang. When she was only 20, her musical ability was already great enough to allow her to perform with Luciano Pavarotti during a peace-wishing concert at the Jamsil Main Stadium in eastern Seoul in 2000. "I had never played electric violin before, but the expressive freedom that the instrument gives captivated me momentarily," said the violinist. "In fact, the freedom led me to a deeper understanding of the charms of the sound of the violin."
Actually, Jenny Bae is not a totally unknown name on the international performing arts circuit. Throughout her rather short professional career as electric violinist she has guest-performed for many renowned star musicians such as Eric Clapton, Queen, Lionel Richie and Andrea Bocelli.
In December, she was invited to Jose Carreras Gala, a star-studded concert held in Germany to help leukemia patients. Unfortunately, however, she blew the chance because she injured her right hand a few days before the event.
"I was asked to play my own variation of the 'Gladiator' soundtrack, but I had no other choice but to watch other musicians enjoy the moment," Bae said. She said she was on her way back from a video store near her Korean home when she slipped on ice and hurt her hand.
It could have been a terrifying moment, but Bae was optimistic and said that she fully enjoyed the DVD movie "Marathon" the same day. "I enjoy movies a lot. I'm a keen reader, but more than that, I love eating," the violinist confessed.
Currently, she is working on her first album "The New Face of Asia," which will be released both here and abroad next month. The album features various oriental instruments including the haegum (traditional Korean fiddle) as well as Western rap music, for which Bae's agency is known to have contacted Grammy Award winning female rapper Missy Elliott.z
The album also contains a few of her own compositions, including "Jade Pass," the title of which came from the name of the most dangerous pass of the Silk Road, which was also the shortest way to get to Europe from the Far East. "It's sensual, exotic and full of energy. If you listen to it in your car, it's the kind of music that would make you drive fast," the violinist added.
For Bae, though, this year's World Cup finals in Germany will be a golden chance to make her name known across the globe as she is scheduled to give a congratulatory performance with such famed stars as Sting, U2 and Elton John on July 9. In fact, the chance could have come earlier for her.
"I'm glad that Korean pop culture is being so much enjoyed throughout Asia. I hope I can do my part to make it widely known in Europe as well," Bae said with a smile.
(danlee@heraldm.com)
By Lee Yong-sung