Jung Hee Choi
Jung Hee Choi is a South Korean-born artist and musician, based in New York City, working in video, performance, sound and multi-media installation. Since 1999, Choi has been a disciple of La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela in the study of music and art. Choi, with Young and Zazeela, is a founding member of The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, and has performed as vocalist with the ensemble since 2002.
Choi's work has been presented in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including FRAC Franche-Comté, France; Berliner Festspiele, Germany; Dia Art Foundation, Guggenheim Museum and MELA Foundation Dream Houses, NYC; FRESH Festival, Bangkok; and the Korea Experimental Arts Festival, Korea. The New York Times listed Choi's Tonecycle for Blues performed by her Sundara All Star Band as one of The Best Classical Music Performances of 2017.
Work
Choi's electroacoustic and modal improvisation ensemble, Sundara All Star Band was premiered in 2015 performing her Tonecycle for Blues Base 30 Hz, 2:3:7 Ensemble Version with 4:3 and 7:6 at Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House, Dia Art Foundation, New York. The members include La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Brad Catler, Hansford Rowe, fretless bass and Naren Budhkar, tabla. The New York Times listed Choi's Tonecycle for Bluesas one of The Best Classical Music Performances of 2017, “Heard in its latest iteration, this October, the deep groove of the work's slow-tempo 'ektal vilampit' section had a unique majesty. Heaving funk progressions from a fretless bass mingled with tabla percussion and sustained vocal tones of pristine calm.”Choi has presented series of environmental compositions with video, evolving light-point patterns, drawing, incense, performance and sound involving the concept of “Manifest, Unmanifest”. She describes the work as a “synthesis of expression" that "collectively creates an intersubjective space as a unified continuum and emphasizes the totality of sense perceptions as a single unit to create a state of immersion.”
The New York Times described her environmental composition, Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest IX at Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House, as a work wherein,
Selected exhibitions and performances
2025- Concert Performance, La Monte Young 90th Birthday Celebration, Raga Darbari, "Hazrat Turkaman" ektal vilampit, La Monte Young; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; October 11 and 14, 2025; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Video Sound Concert Performance, RICE and Harmonic Resonance Version of Composition in the Style of La Monte Young's 1960 Sustained Friction Sounds, Live Performances, Jung Hee Choi; Jung Hee Choi, instrumental performer; September 30, 2025; e-flux, New York
- Concert Performance, Pandit Pran Nath 29th Anniversary Memorial Tribute and Marian Zazeela 1st Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Raga Darbari, "Hazrat Turkaman" ektal vilampit, La Monte Young; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; June 20 and 23, 2025; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Mexico 25 V 08 Dream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; RICE in the Magenta Field, light installation; Light Point Drawings Nos. 23 and 24 in Magenta Daylight v. 3, light installation, The Tone-field: Perceptible Arithmetical Relations in a Cycle of Eight Indian Raga Scale Permutations, 25 V 08 - 25 V 25 Mexico City,sound environment, May 8 - May 25, 2025, Mexico City, MexicoDream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; Light Point Drawings Nos. 28 and 29 with still lights, light installation, Color live realization v. 2, light installation, and The Tone-field: perceptible arithmetical relations in a cycle of eight Indian raga scale permutations, 23 IX 23 - 26 VI 21 New York, sound environment; April 16, 2025 - present; Collaborative Environment, MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Jung Hee Choi, Seven on Walter de Maria Instrument for La Monte Young, and La Monte Young, Studies in the Bowed Discon Robert Morris Gong for La Monte Young, Live Performances in a setting of Imagic Light, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 #1, v2., Jung Hee Choi; Jung Hee Choi, instrument; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, bowed disc; January 18 and 25, 2025; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Richard Maxfield, Perspectives for La Monte Young, Live Performances in a setting of Imagic Light, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 #1, v2., Jung Hee Choi; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, contrabass, with pre-recorded sound ; December 14, 2024; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Video Sound Concert Performance, RICE and Harmonic Resonance Version of Composition in the Style of La Monte Young's 1960 Sustained Friction Sounds, Live Performances in a setting of Imagic Light, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 #1, v2., Jung Hee Choi; Jung Hee Choi, instrumental performer; November 10, 2024; MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkStudies in the Bowed Disc, Live Performances on Robert Morris Gong for La Monte Young in a setting of Imagic Light, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 #1, v2., Jung Hee Choi; La Monte Young, Charles Curtis, Jung Hee Choi, bowed disc; November 2 and 3, 2024; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- La Monte Young 89th Birthday Celebration, Raga Darbari, "Hazrat Turkaman" ektal vilampit, La Monte Young; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; October 17 and 19, 2024; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Marian Zazeela Memorial Tribute, Two Concerts of Evening Ragas, Raga Yaman Kalyan, "Raga Sundara" ektal vilampit, La Monte Young, and Raga Sindh Bhairavi, "Was It The Shadow of His Feet?" dipchandi tal madhyalay, La Monte Young; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; June 14 and 16, 2024; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- La Monte Young, Akash Devi Blues for Marian, Young's Dorian Blues, Live Performances in a setting of Abstract #1 from Quadrilateral Phase Angle Traversals, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 # 1, Jung Hee Choi; The Theatre of Eternal Music Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Ben Neill, just intonation trumpet; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; May 19 and 21, 2023 at 7 pm; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- La Monte Young, Birthday Blues, Young's Dorian Blues, Live Performances in a setting of Abstract #1 from Quadrilateral Phase Angle Traversals, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 # 1, Jung Hee Choi; The Theatre of Eternal Music Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Ben Neill, just intonation trumpet; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; October 14 and 16, 2022 at 7 pm; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- La Monte Young, Birthday Blues, Young's Dorian Blues, Live Performances in a setting of Abstract #1 from Quadrilateral Phase Angle Traversals, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 # 1, Jung Hee Choi; The Theatre of Eternal Music Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Ben Neill, just intonation trumpet; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Charles Curtis, cello; Naren Budhkar, tabla; June 23 and 25, 2022 at 7 pm; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Manifest Unmanifest XII; The Tone-field: Perceptible Arithmetical Relations in a Cycle of Eight Indian Raga Scale Permutations, 22 VI 08 - 22 VIII 13 New York, sound environment, RICE in the Magenta Field, multi-channel video and light installation, Color : live realization ; mixed media: incense, ashes, YouTube/Twitch live stream, video projector, wood, acrylic sheets, colored gels, Composition 2006 #3 ''; 60 x 72 in.; mixed media: graphite on paper and video, Light Point Drawings #31-1 and 31-2 ; 48 x 48 in.; mixed media: black wrap with pinholes, white diffusion gel, colored gels and LED lights; June 8, 2022 - September 15, 2022; The Sylvia Wald & Po Kim Gallery, New York
- Dream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; The Tone-field: Perceptible Arithmetical Relations in a Cycle of Eight Indian Raga Scale Permutations, 22 IV 7 - 22 VIII 7, Bonn sound environment, RICE in the Magenta Field, April 7 - August 8, 2022, COLOR AS PROGRAM, Bundeskunsthalle, Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn, Germany
- Dream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; The Tone-field: Perceptible Arithmetical Relations in a Cycle of Eight Indian Raga Scale Permutations, 21 XI 25 - 22 I 28, Lausanne sound environment, RICE in the Magenta Field, Environmental Composition 2016 #1: Light Point Drawings Nos. 23, 24, 25 and 26. November 25, 2021 - January 28, 2022; Galerie l'elac, Lausanne, Switzerland
- La Monte Young, Birthday Blues, Young's Dorian Blues, Live Performances in a setting of Abstract #1 from Quadrilateral Phase Angle Traversals, Marian Zazeela and Environmental Composition 2017 # 1, Jung Hee Choi; The Theatre of Eternal Music Ensemble; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Ben Neill, just intonation trumpet; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; October 14 and 15, 2021, 7 pm; MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkDream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; Environmental Composition 2017 No. 1 : Light Point Drawings Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30, Color live realization, and Sound Environment , TONECYCLE BASE 30 HZ, 2:3:7, The Linear Superposition Of 108 Sine Wave Frequencies Set In Ratios Based On The Harmonics 2, 3 And 7 Imperceptibly Ascending Toward Fixed Frequencies And Then Descending Toward The Starting Frequencies, Infinitely Revolving As In Circles, In Parallel And Various Rates Of Similar Motion To Create Continuous Slow Phase Shift With Long Beat Cycles ; June 30, 2021 - August 19, 2023; Collaborative Environment, MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Curator and Commentary, Live Streaming concert, Pandit Pran Nath 102nd Birthday Memorial Tribute, Concerts of Raga Darbari, Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 7 pm; New YorkDream House Sound and Light Environment, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; Environmental Composition 2017 No. 1: Light Point Drawings Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30, Color live realization, and Sound Environment , TONECYCLE BASE 30 HZ, 2:3:7, The Linear Superposition Of 108 Sine Wave Frequencies Set In Ratios Based On The Harmonics 2, 3 And 7 Imperceptibly Ascending Toward Fixed Frequencies And Then Descending Toward The Starting Frequencies, Infinitely Revolving As In Circles, In Parallel And Various Rates Of Similar Motion To Create Continuous Slow Phase Shift With Long Beat Cycles ; November 1, 2018 - March 12, 2020; Collaborative Environment, MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Concert Performance, La Monte Young 84 th Birthday Tribute Celebration, Tonecycle for Blues Base 30 Hz, 2:3:7 ; The Sundara All-Star Band; La Monte Young, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; October 13, 2019; Private Live Concert Performance at Studio of La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela, 275 Church Street, New York
- BLACK: TRANS: MAYA: LIGHT; graphite drawings on black paper: Composition 2008 Nos. 1, 2 and 5, Composition 2008 Nos. 1 and 2, Composition 2011 No. 2, Composition 2014 No. 3, Composition 2016 No. 1, Composition 2019 No. 1, multimedia installations; Composition 2006 No. 3, Light Point Drawing Nos. 31-1 and 31-2; July 25 - September 26, 2019; Artist Talk September 5, 2019. The Korea Society, New York.
- Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest Udine; Rice multichannel installation, Light Point Drawing #31, and sound environment The Tone-field: perceptible arithmetical relations in a cycle of eight Indian raga scale permutations, 19 VI 1 - 19 VI IX Udine,June 1-9, 2019. il Suono in Mostra, Galleria Spazioersetti, Udine, Italy.
- Pandit Pran Nath 22 nd Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Midday Concerts of Raga Vrindabani Sarang, July 1,7 and 15, 2018; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkDream House Sound and Light Environment by Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi; Environmental Composition 2017 No.1: Light Point Drawings Nos. 27. 28, 29 and 30 ; mixed media: black wrap with pinholes, translucent paper, and video; 23 ft x10 ft 8 in., Color live realization, Composition 2006 No. 3 and sound environment , The Tone-field: perceptible arithmetical relations in a cycle of eight Indian raga scale permutations, 17 VIII 17 - 18 X 08, New York ; Collaborative Environment, April 28, 2018 - October 8, 2018; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Marian Zazeela 78 th Birthday Tribute Celebration, Two Morning Concerts of Raga Bhairava, Live Concert Performances in a setting of Jung Hee Choi Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest XI ; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. April 15 and 22, 2018; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 99th Birthday Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of Raga Darbari in a setting of Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest XI, Jung Hee Choi; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. November 3, 10 and 17, 2017; MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkTonecycle for Blues Base 30 Hz, 2:3:7 Ensemble Version with 4:3 and 7:6, Live Concert Performances in a setting of Jung Hee Choi Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest XI ; The Sundara All-Star Band; La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; September 30, October 6 and 14, 2017; MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkAhata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest XI; Environmental Composition 2017 No.1: Light Point Drawings Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30 ; mixed media: black wrap with pinholes, translucent paper, and video; 23 ft x10 ft 8 in. , Color live realization, Composition 2006 No. 3 and sound environment, The Tone-field: perceptible arithmetical relations in a cycle of eight Indian raga scale permutations, 17 VIII 17 - 18 X 08, New York ; August 17 - April 7, 2018; MELA Foundation Dream House,New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 21 st Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of Raga Darbari, The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. June 10, 16 and 24, 2017; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 98 th Birthday Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of Raga Darbari, November 4, 12 and 18, 2016; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkTonecycle for Blues Base 30 Hz, 2:3:7 Ensemble Version with 4:3 and 7:6, live performances, The Sundara All-Star Band; La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Hansford Rowe, fretless bass; Naren Budhkar, tabla; September 23, October 1 and 7, 2016; MELA Foundation Dream House, New YorkTonecycle for Inferno Base 30 HZ, 2:3:9, Sound installation with projection mapping performance, October 7, 2016; Ulsan Art Performance Festival 2016, Ulsan Culture & Arts Center, KoreaA Raga Lesson, performance September 28, 2016; Asia Contemporary Art Week Mid-Season Celebration at Sylvia Wald & Po Kim Foundation, New YorkTonecycle for Inferno Base 30 HZ, 2:3:9, Sound installation with projection mapping performances, 2016 JEJU International Experimental Arts Festival, Jeju Island, KoreaAhata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest X, Environmental Composition 2016 #1: Light Point Drawings No. 23, 24, 25 and 26 ; mixed media: black wrap with pinholes, translucent paper, and video; 23 ft x10 ft 8 in. , Color live realization, Composition 2006 No. 3 and Sound Environment , TONECYCLE BASE 30 HZ, 2:3:7, The Linear Superposition Of 108 Sine Wave Frequencies Set In Ratios Based On The Harmonics 2, 3 And 7 Imperceptibly Ascending Toward Fixed Frequencies And Then Descending Toward The Starting Frequencies, Infinitely Revolving As In Circles, In Parallel And Various Rates Of Similar Motion To Create Continuous Slow Phase Shift With Long Beat Cycles and Tonecycle for Blues Base 30 Hz, 2:3:7 Sine Wave Version ''with 4:3 and 7:6, August 18 - October 8, 2016; MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 20 th Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Four Evening Concerts of Raga Darbari, June 3, 11, 17 and 25, 2016; The Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 97th Birthday Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of Raga Darbari,
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices; Jon Catler, fretless guitar; Brad Catler, fretless bass; Naren
Budhkar, table, La Monte Young Marian Zazeela Jung Hee Choi Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22
Street Dream House, Dia Art Foundation, New York
Sound Environment, TONECYCLE BASE 30 HZ, 2:3:7, The Linear Superposition Of 77 Sine
Wave Frequencies Set In Ratios Based On The Harmonics 2, 3 And 7 Imperceptibly Ascending
Toward Fixed Frequencies And Then Descending Toward The Starting Frequencies, Infinitely
Revolving As In Circles, In Parallel And Various Rates Of Similar Motion To Create Continuous
Slow Phase Shift With Long Beat Cycles; June 13, 2015 to October 24, 2015; La Monte Young
Marian Zazeela Jung Hee Choi Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House, Dia Art
Foundation, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 19th Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House,
Dia Art Foundation, New York
2014
- Pandit Pran Nath 96th Birthday Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, voices, sine wave frequencies. MELA Foundation Dream House, New
York
Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 18th Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
2013
- Pandit Pran Nath 17th Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
2012
- Pandit Pran Nath 94th Birthday Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Jung Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
- Pandit Pran Nath 16th Anniversary Memorial Tribute, Three Evening Concerts of
Hee Choi, voices; Naren Budhkar, tabla. MELA Foundation Dream House, New York
2011
performance; December 6, 2011 – January 20, 2012;
Resonant Bodies, ERBA de Besançon, France
Faces & Facts: Korean Contemporary Art in New York, Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of
Korean Cultural Service; December 10, 2009 – February 19, 2010; Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Art
Gallery, New York
- ACAW Artists Portfolio 2009, online presentation, May 10 – 18, 2009; Contemporary Art Week
- Tribute to Pandit Pran Nath, Two Evening Raga Concerts, March 14, 21, 2009;
Ensemble, La Monte Young, Marian Zazeela, Jung Hee Choi, Da’ud Constant, voices; Jon Catler,
electric sustainer guitar; Charles Curtis, cello; Naren Budhkar, tabla. Dream House
in The Third Mind exhibition, Guggenheim Museum, New York
Exhibition curator and co-curator
2006- Syn-Aesthetics, the Media Mavericks 1st Experimental Film Festival,
Honors, grants, and commissions
- Honor, The 10 Best of 2003, Artforum, New York
Collections
2015- Ahata Anahata, Manifest Unmanifest IX; Light Point Drawings #19, #20, #21 and #22; RWV for
77 Sine Wave Frequencies Set In Ratios Based On The Harmonics 2, 3 And 7 Imperceptibly
Ascending Toward Fixed Frequencies And Then Descending Toward The Starting Frequencies,
Infinitely Revolving As In Circles, In Parallel And Various Rates Of Similar Motion To Create
Continuous Slow Phase Shift With Long Beat Cycles; La Monte Young Marian Zazeela Jung
Hee Choi Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House, Dia Art Foundation, New York
2013
- Environmental Composition 2011 #2; Light Point Drawings #5 and #6, RWV for LPD v.2,
2000
- Transition, Rubber & Design Cast Sculpture
Instructor and lecturer
2008–present- The Kirana Center for Indian Classical Music, North Indian Raga, New York