Page 6 - A JAZZ BULLETIN

NATIONAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
The National Artist in Residence
at Amersfoort Jazz 2019 is the outstanding, young and adventurous drummer Sun-Mi Hong, regarded as one of the most exceptional talents of jazz and improvised music in The Netherlands. The Korean-born- but-Amsterdam-based drummer performs five times at the festival, during the Four Days of World
Jazz in the historic city centre of Amersfoort. Among these concerts are three quintets: Alto for Two ft. Irene Reig (ESP) and Kika Sprangers (NLD), Daahoud Salim Quintet (ESP) and her own, ft. Song Yi Jeon (KOR).
RISING SUN
Born into a religious family in
Korea, young Sun had to beg for drum lessons. Inspired by American drummer Brian Blade she decided to study jazz. She moved to
The Netherlands where she was admitted to the CvA (Conservatory of Amsterdam). Soon, her talents, ambitions and skills were recognized by her teachers, fellow students and some attentive festival curators.
She played with Karel Boehlee, Jasper Blom, Xavi Torres and Daahoud Salim. With the latter, a talented prize-winning pianist, Sun gigged the festival Amersfoort Jazz in 2017 and 2018.
In 2018 she was invited to play
with the all-female band ‘Bitches Brewery’, a festival creation featuring Kika Sprangers, Hermine Deurloo, Phaedra Kwant and Corrie van Binsbergen. The following year, Sun-Mi Hong won the Dutch Jazz Competition and therefore was endorsed by Amersfoort Jazz to the Sena Performers International Jazz Laureate Festival 2019. Sun was
also elected Young VIP, resulting
in a multiform collaboration with Sanne Rambags, including series
of concerts, radio and television performances. In 2020 she releases her new album, also featuring Korean vocalist Song Yi Jeon.