Jaebong Rho
A composer who approaches music as a medium to convey messages and provoke thought. Inspired by contemporary social issues, he weaves these themes into musical structures that engage audiences and encourage reflection.
morii (2022) evokes a collective longing for a sense of return, a sentiment increasingly observed across global societies. “i want to go home.” (2023/24), which recently premiered and deeply connected with audiences, explores dementia and raises thought-provoking questions about aging societies. His recent piece, diorama (2024/25), delves into the interplay between truth and falsehood in the post-truth era. Focusing on how something that appears undeniably false to one person can be perceived as absolute truth—or even an ideology—by another, it examines the resulting conflicts and social divisions. This piece is scheduled to premiere in June 2025.
He received two artist grants from the Busan Cultural Foundation, which supported his portrait recitals in 2021 and 2023. He later won the commission competition of the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, resulting in the premiere of his orchestral work morii (2022). He participated in the Composers’ Atelier Program of the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, where he received masterclasses from Texu Kim, Dieter Ammann, and Aaron Jay Kernis, and was subsequently appointed Composer-in-Residence with the orchestra for the 2024/25 season. During this residency, three orchestral works and several ensemble pieces are scheduled to premiere.
Later, he was selected for the Lucerne Festival Academy, where he will receive masterclasses from Unsuk Chin and Dieter Ammann. As part of the Lucerne Summer Festival, a new work of his will be premiered by IEMA-Ensemble. He also received First Prize in the Ensemble Écoute Composition Competition, which led to a new commission to be premiered later in the year.
As a film music director and composer, he collaborated with the Busan Cinema Center and the Korean Academy of Film Arts, participating in the music production for approximately 20 short and feature films. These films were screened at major festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival, Barcelona Asian Summer Film Festival, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
He received a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Pusan National University, where he studied with Sooran Jeong. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the Yale School of Music, studying with Aaron Jay Kernis and Christopher Theofanidis.