Han Terra facts for kids

Han Terra (born March 30, 1982) is a talented inventor, composer, and musician from South Korea. She was a child prodigy, meaning she had amazing skills from a very young age. She started playing the Korean kayageum at age 4 and was performing by age 6.

Han Terra also invented a special 24-string musical instrument called TeRra. This instrument even uses artificial intelligence! She was the first and youngest kayageum musician to be supported by the Blanchette Rockefeller Fund. She also made her debut at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. Han Terra is a voting member of the Grammy Awards, which is a big honor for musicians. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

People know Han Terra as a polymath, which means she is skilled in many different areas. These include music, inventing instruments, dance, languages, and even science and technology. She has mastered traditional Eastern arts like singing and dancing, and she performs all over the world.

Han Terra's Name and Family

Han Terra was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her birth name was Laesuk, which means "Advent of Goodness" or "Goddess." When she was a teenager, she received the Buddhist name 'Myeong-wol', meaning 'bright moon'. She also uses the name Dan-young. In the 2000s, she chose the name 'TeRra' after the earth goddess Terra.

Han Terra is part of the Cheongju Han clan family. This family is famous because many of its women became queens in Korean history. Her grandmother's family was involved in fashion and textiles. They moved from Japan to Korea in the late 1920s.

Early Life and Talents

When Han Terra was young, she first wanted to be a pianist. She started piano lessons at age 4 and won a national music competition at age 6. She then began studying Korean traditional music at age 6. By age 8, she won the National Music Competition of Korea.

She also trained in traditional Korean dances. These included Salpuri, the court dance Chunaeng-jeon, and Buchae-chum. Han Terra even thought about becoming a journalist or a medical doctor. In 2002, she acted in a main role for an independent film shown at a film festival.

A South Korean journalist named Byung-Wook Jang wrote a book about Han Terra called Gifted, TeRra in 2015.

Education and Learning

Han Terra studied East Asian traditional performing arts at top schools. She attended the National Gugak Middle and High School, which focuses on Korean traditional music. She earned her bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees in music from Seoul National University.

She also researched traditional arts in other countries. She studied at Tokyo University of the Arts in Japan and the Central Conservatory of Music in China. Han Terra learned to play other Asian string instruments like the Japanese Koto, Shamisen, Chinese Guzheng, and Indian Sitar. This helped her understand music from all over Asia. She can speak Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, French, and Italian.

Music Career

Han Terra started performing as a solo artist at age 12. She has played with many orchestras, including the Seoul Metropolitan Korean Music Orchestra. She has also given solo concerts at famous places like Sejong Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2003, she was a founding kayageum player for the National Traditional Music Youth Orchestra of Korea. She was also the youngest kayageum player for the Seongnam Municipal Korean Classical Music Orchestra. Today, she is a member of the Asian Zither's Association.

Korean Royal Music

Han Terra was the first kayageum soloist to record all of Korea's royal music pieces for the kayageum. This was part of her family's tradition. Her collection of recordings includes five full series. These recordings feature famous pieces like Yeo Min Lak (composed by King Sejong) and Bo Heo Sa.

Her Own Compositions

Han Terra wrote her first composition at age 8. She also used to arrange piano pieces by composers like Mozart and Bach for the kayageum when she was very young.

She started releasing her own compositions in 2016. One piece, 'Viola Code No. 1', was inspired by poets from France and Korea. It was first performed by a French violist to celebrate 130 years of friendship between France and Korea. Another piece, 'Piano Code No. 1', was inspired by an artwork.

International Performances

Han Terra began her international career with concerts in the United States. She performed at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 2008.

In 2010, she lived in Tokyo, Japan. There, she worked on adapting Japanese traditional music for the kayageum and collaborated with Japanese artists. Her fan club, the TeRras, started in Tokyo during one of her concerts.

She also visited Yanbian in China in 2011 to research North Korean and Chinese performing arts. She worked with Xingsan Jin, a Chinese National Heritage artist for the kayageum. They shared ideas and playing techniques for different types of kayageums.

In 2012, Han Terra spent time in Paris, France. She has worked with French artists like visual artist Benjamin Efrati and musician Richard Pinhas. In 2016, she had a special concert in Seoul to celebrate 130 years of diplomatic relations between France and Korea.

On September 29, 2015, Han Terra performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. This was part of a tour that also included concerts in Tokyo and Seoul. She was one of the youngest Korean traditional musicians to perform a solo concert at Carnegie Hall.

In 2015, her Japanese Koto album 'Sakura' was chosen as a special edition. It celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

Other Projects

TeRra Magazine

Han Terra launched an art and culture magazine called TeRra Magazine in New York City in November 2017. It started online in Tokyo in February 2017. TeRra Magazine is an English magazine that covers Asian art and culture from South Asia to Northeast Asia and beyond. Han Terra is the editor-in-chief of the magazine. She is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Science and Acoustics

Since 2011, Han Terra has explored the science behind the sound of Asian string instruments. She has visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study how arts and science are connected. In 2012, she gave a presentation at MIT about the Korean 12-stringed kayageum.

Fashion Design

Han Terra designs her own performance outfits. In 2013, she had her first fashion collection and exhibition in Tokyo. She designed the show with her own kayageum music, and models showcased her designs. The show was called 'from chima-chogori to court dress of Choseon'.

Media Appearances

Han Terra has appeared in many Korean and international media outlets. In 1999–2000, she was featured on Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) to celebrate the new millennium. She also appeared on other entertainment and traditional music shows. Major newspapers like The Korea Times and Le Monde diplomatique have featured her. The Korea Times called her the 'Best Korean kayageum musician' to debut at Carnegie Hall as the youngest.

Film

Television

Recordings

Han Terra's albums include traditional kayageum solo music, concertos, and chamber music. She has recorded court music, sanjo music, and modern pieces. She has also recorded Japanese and Chinese traditional music using the Koto and Guzheng. Her Japanese Koto album 'Sakura' was officially recognized as a special edition. It celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

She was the first kayageum soloist to record all of Korea's royal music pieces for the kayageum. This collection has five full series and includes pieces like Yeo Min Lak and Bo Heo Sa.

Albums

• The 1st Album of Seong Nam City Korean Traditional Performing Arts (2005)
• Album of Korean Classical Music Composition Festival (2006)
• DVD for a film score for the educational documentary "Silla Dynasty Stoneware and Koryo Dynasty Celadon" (2009)
• TeRra (Live) (2015)
• A Maestro Who Saved Girl Ginius (2015)
• TeRra Han plays 'Young San Hue Sang' (2CD) (2015)
• Korean Traditional Court Music of Kayageum 'Bo Heo Sa', 2015 Digital Recording Series of Gugak FM 99.1
• Dreams of King Sejong, Yeo Min Lak 1 (2015)
• Dreams of King Sejong, Yeo Min Lak 2 (2015)
• Terra Han, Live at the Suginami Public Hall, Tokyo (2015)
• 'Young San Hue Sang1 'Korean court music full version series 3 (2015)
• 'Young San Hue Sang2 (Pyeong Jo Hue Sang)' (2015)
• March of Thousand Years (2016)
• TeRra's Music Diaries (2020)

Singles

• "TeRra Han Plays Chinese Guzheng: Fisherman's Song" (2015)
• Japanese Koto'Sakura'variations: Korea-Japan Foreign Affairs Administrator's Official Album (2015)

Awards and Recognition

• 1989. Winner of National Students Musical Competition Special Grand Prize, Piano
• 1989. Winner of National Musical Competition, Korean Music Society, Special Grand Prize, Kayageum
• 1992. Winner of National Student Student Musical Competition of Korea, Gold Prize
• 1994. Winner of Official Commendation of UNESCO, Korea
• 1999. Winner of Dong-a Ilbo, Korean Musical Concours, Silver Prize
• 2001. Winner of Han-bat National Kayageum Competition Grand Prize
• 2004. Winner of Chung-ju National Kayageum Competition Gold Prize
• 2009. Winner of Sejong Center, Sejong Korean Music Concours
• 2010. Grantee of Blanchette Rockefeller Fund, Asian Cultural Council, USA
• 2020–Fellow of Royal Society of Arts in United Kingdom (FRSA)
• 2020–Fellow of Royal Asiatic of Great Britain and Ireland in United Kingdom (FRAS)
• 2020–Fellow of Royal Historical Society in United Kingdom (FRSA)

Other Roles

• 2002–2003. National Traditional Music Youth Orchestra, Korea
• 2005–2009. Seong-Nam City Korean Traditional Music Orchestra
• 2005–present. Asian Zither Association
• 2010. Lecturer of Korean Music at Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
• 2011–present. Asian Musicology
• 2010 Honorary Ambassador of Korean Center for International Affairs, Academy of Korean Studies
• 2015 Member of Asian American Journalist Association, USA
• 2016–present. The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards), USA
• 2019–present. New York Press Club
• 2020–present. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• 2020–present. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• 2020–present. National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), USA