Classical Guitar Phenom Jiji and Her Polystylistic Adventures

Classical Guitar Phenom Jiji and Her Polystylistic Adventures

Jiji plops to the ground the 2d she sees there are cats. Permitting them to come at their non-public tempo, she earns their on the spot approval. She is swarmed with purrs and fluffiness as we sit down in my condominium, speaking about track, matcha, and the Steven Mackey guitar concerto that we’re each scheduled to have—Jiji with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in March, and I with the Utah Symphony in April. I hand her the Kenny Hill classical that I currently maintain on mortgage. I really maintain been dying to hear what a one-of-a-form instrument seems like within the fingers of a one-of-a-form musician. Just a few phrases, and the elegance of the tone, fluency, and effortlessness expressed in a mere handful of notes overwhelms any downhearted I might maybe feel that I don’t sound like that the least bit.

Jiji’s enjoying jogs my reminiscence that virtue and virtuoso part a fashionable Latin derivation. Though in guitar circles, the term virtuosity might maybe lift implicit associations with ostentatious displays of technical prowess, superfluous lag, and ego-driven musical one-upmanship, Jiji exerts her facility against the most realistic seemingly creative cause: allowing track to be skilled in its fullest attainable. Whether or now not she is respiratory fresh lifestyles into staples of the repertoire or introducing novel pieces, her sensitivity lets within the track to bloom in her fingers.

Jiji press photo by Marty Bra
Picture: Marty Bra

Jiji began finding out classical guitar as a baby in Seoul, South Korea, and finally persevered her education within the U.S., earning levels from the Curtis Institute of Tune and Yale School of Tune. Her pursuits prolong beyond the classical guitar, as the 31-year-archaic artist embraces the spectrum of track, gracefully navigating and integrating worlds that seem at odds with every other. She performs concertos as a soloist with orchestras all around the country, whereas being attentive to metalcore within the dressing room; sculpts otherworldly sounds with distortion and flangers on her Fender Stratocaster; is perfecting her two-handed tapping formulation in preparation for the Mackey concerto—most of which is on electric guitar; and cites influences as diverse as pop, rock, and doom metal.

As each a composer and an imply for her contemporaries, Jiji has premiered a diversity of most modern works by standard artists all over genres—three main concertos in correct the past few years by composers Natalie Dietterich (light, most fashionable2018), Hilary Purrington (Harp of Nerves2019), and Krists Auznieks (The horizon in Kamola2021). Jiji is a busy performer besides to a passionate educator, currently an associate professor of guitar at Indiana College Jacob’s School of Tune. Her upcoming album, Unboundset up for initiate this year, is a assortment of commissioned compositions.

Here, Jiji reflects on her diverse influences, shares practice methods, and previews some upcoming tasks.

When and why did you first get the guitar? Who were your lecturers and mentors?

I started enjoying guitar after I used to be eight; I really desired to play the electric guitar. My participants sold DVDs of astronomical artists for me to ogle, including Eric Clapton, Deep Red, Santana, the Assad family, and additional. I asked for an electric guitar, and so they said they’d get me one after a year of classical guitar finding out. They by no come sold me that electric guitar[[[[laughs]! My first instructor, Cho-in, really helped me plunge in relish with the guitar. It used to be incredibly precious in my early years of enjoying.

Jason Vieauxa Grammy-winning artist, used to be the cause I moved to the United States. He taught me so great, and I’m incredibly grateful. Professor Benjamin Verdery at Yale College moreover played a important role in serving to me accumulate my very non-public converse. I’m easy interested with them; they’re my mentors to today time.

The worlds of classical and electric guitar are on the general pretty separate. How attain the two work collectively and overlap for you?

There used to be continuously this craving to play to play the electric guitar, so I continuously had that world terminate to me. I really maintain great appreciation for every worlds; I do know they’re very diverse, but I relish track in all its kinds. The sound of the electric guitar and the entire effects inspire me plenty as a composer. I’m continuously attempting out the hunch-ins and the pedals that other artists are the utilize of and the plot in which they utilize them to originate chilly sounds. This track I recorded [“Touch Him When (Heavy)”] used to be impressed by [drone metal band] Sunn O))) and Robert Fripp. Polystylism is so chilly.

Contact Him When (Heavy) by Julius Eastman, arr. Jiji

You maintain a exciting fable about interesting to the U.S.

I moved to Cleveland to seek with Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Tune. On the opposite hand, I couldn’t are living within the dorms on fable of I used to be too younger, round 15. So, on fable of my participants couldn’t cross to Cleveland, I needed to get an moral guardian. I carried out up finding one through Craigslist. In hindsight, that used to be now not the supreme come to poke, but it all worked out.

Have you handled obstacles or setbacks, and the plot in which did you navigate them?

Shifting to the U.S., finding out a brand novel language, and experiencing cultural shock proved to be pretty hard. Attempting to are living on my very non-public for the key time in a brand novel country used to be very refined. Navigating it all used to be pretty a feat. I needed to battle through it; I didn’t wrestle it great. I insist all these challenges made me a higher particular person. Anyone urged me relate is a painful route of.

Within the course of my 2d year of the grasp’s stage program, I encountered a left-hand wrist injury. I wasn’t caring for my body and practiced during the chance, a resolution I now realize used to be atrocious. With a astronomical competition on the horizon, I practiced through it all. The injury easy impacts me to today time if I push myself too great. I’m now extraordinarily cautious, being attentive to any danger indicators and taking shorter practice segments. It’s main to display hide that practicing might maybe easy now not resemble the film Whiplash—that’s now not a wholesome come for somebody.

Talk about about your practice routine and the plot in which it has superior. How attain you now divide and prioritize your time?

First, I figure out the left- and stunning-hand fingerings. I don’t initiate practicing till I really maintain figured this out. Then, I thought out my precedence community practice. Team A entails tasks that require the most time, like finding out novel pieces or anything that’s novel. Team B is for refining pieces which are 60 to 80 p.c accomplished. Team C is devoted to chamber track, factor in-finding out/technical workouts, and running through pieces.

On a honest day, I goal for 3 to four hours of practice, and I don’t play anything beyond that. I allocate 50 p.c of my time to Team A, 35 p.c to Team B, and 15 p.c to Team C. Recognizing that it is seemingly you’ll maybe’t attain everything in a single day, consistent practice is the key to success.

You shared with me a plot for getting refined passages in regulate. Would you picture it?

It’s known as bracket practice. JV [Jason Vieaux] taught me this—I’m succesful of’t rob credit for it. Let’s convey you are going to want a 16th-display hide passage for two bars in fashionable time. I’ll play the key three notes terminate to tempo, maybe just a few clicks below. You goal to play them perfectly seven occasions in a row, with two to three seconds between the groupings, now not like a continuous loop. Then, you add one extra display hide, etc, repeating the route of. Must always you’re making a mistake, you initiate over the seven countdown [back to one]. When you feel relaxed, then you positively initiate within the center of the passage, like the sixth or seventh display hide. The secret is that you just play staunch left- and stunning-hand fingerings after which you initiate a brand novel bracket, repeating the route of.

JiJi seated on a stool with classical guitar. Picture by Kim Cheonga
Picture: Kim Cheonga

What are some of your strategies for making ready refined track?

Attempting to now not dread, initiate by finding out during the part first. Title the most hard facets and practice these steps: 1) Work on fingerings; 2) put in power bracket practice; and 3) refine on on each day foundation foundation. Don’t inquire to play perfectly in a single day. Persistence is main, and don’t be worried to throw in just a few laughs and probably some swearing for the length of a tradition session[[[[laughs].

You design from a wide decision of styles and influences. Talk about about one of the main crucial greatest ones and the plot in which they’ve shaped you.

Pop track, electronica, and doom metal really inspire me as a composer. After I’m now not performing, I write track that is influenced by that sound world. Writing track has been instrumental in my relate as a musician, and I accumulate it incredibly precious. DJing used to be a come for me to keep a query to chilly novel track and discover. Even supposing I haven’t accomplished it in a whereas, I really must get help into it.

The Steven Mackey concerto you’re enjoying at the Curtis Institute is a beast of a part. What are the greatest challenges it gifts, and the plot in which are you making ready?

The greatest challenges were the novel technical ingredients of the part. Being largely a classical guitarist, tapping and looping were really foreign to me. It’s very, very diverse from what I’ve ever accomplished. I’m correct taking it on each day foundation, practicing, and receiving astronomical teaching from you, Gretchen! I relish the difficulty and finding out novel methods.

You maintain accomplished some glorious collaborations along with your husband, Gulli Björnsson.

The Seattle Symphony has commissioned a brand novel part by my husband, who is constructing an audio-visual part for me at their amazing venue, Octave 9. Here is decided for Might perchance perchance well 2025. I non-public blessed to work with him; he’s really one of my favorite composers. We have collectively and originate abnormal, relaxing track, exploring areas like digital actuality and digital art work track.

Cor by Krists Auznieks (UNBOUND – 21st century virtuosity commissioning challenge)

What maintain been some profession highlights up to now? One thing you’re hoping to achieve within the slay?

Getting an associate professor self-discipline at Jacobs School of Tune, a role I preserve dear alongside my colleagues Petar Jankovic and Daniel Duarte; winning Concert Artists Guild Opponents’s first prize in 2016 (I’m succesful of’t factor in that used to be eight years ago!); and signing with Kirshbaum Friends administration are my highlights.

Artistically, I really maintain premiered over 20 solo guitar pieces and three guitar concertos, which has continuously been my dream: to be working with living composers and premiering novel works. I’m astronomical furious for my collaboration with R&B singer Daniel Fears, supported by the Austin Guitar Society, a fully novel journey for me. Furthermore, I really maintain a brand novel solo guitar part written by one of my favorite composers within the entire broad world, David Lang, a Pulitzer winner, scheduled for April.

Having a ogle ahead, I’m fascinated by the chance of continuing collaborations, be they classical or otherwise. While I admit that I don’t maintain everything found out, and I’m now not entirely obvious about my future plans, I’m continuously down to discover the unknown and figure issues out as I poke.

What She Performs

Jiji plays a 2009 Gernot Wagner smartly-organized double-high guitar (650mm) geared up with a Kremona piezo pickup, and prefers fashionable rigidity D’Addario P rofessional-Arté strings. As an alternative of a archaic footstool, she uses a GuitarLift guitar toughen. —GM

Acoustic Guitar journal quilt for impart 344

This text to starting up with appeared within the Might perchance perchance well/June 2024 impart of Acoustic Guitar journal.

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