Jason Kao Hwang (composer, violinist) has created works ranging from jazz, classical, "new" and world music. Mr. Hwang's new CD of his jazz quartet, EDGE (Asian Improv Records), has received glowing reviews. His chamber opera, The Floating Box, A Story in Chinatown (New World Records), was named one of the top ten opera recordings of 2005 by Opera News. Mr. Hwang's seminal ensemble (1990-2004), The Far East Side Band, released two CDs, Urban Archaeology (Victo Records) and Caverns (New World Records). They performed at World Music Institute (NYC), Jazzgalerie Nickelsdorf Konfrontationen (Austria), the duMaurier Ltd. International Jazz Festival (Canada) and many other stages. As violinist, he has performed on recordings including Anthony Braxton's 1996 Sextet (Istanbul) and 1995 Octet (NYC), Dominic Duval's The Navigator (Leo); Henry Threadgill's Come Save the Day (Columbia) and Too Much Sugar for a Dime (Axiom), Reggie Workman's Altered States (Leo) and Butch Morris's Dust to Dust and Testament:, A Conduction Collection (New World). Over the years, he has performed with numerous artists including Vladamir Tarasov, Borah Bergman, William Parker, Sirone, and Makanda Ken MacIntyre. As composer, he has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Sang Won Park (kayagum, ajang, voice) was a founding member of the Far East Side Band with composer/violinist Jason Kao Hwang, recording two acclaimed CDs, Caverns(New World Records) and Urban Archaeology(Victo Records). Mr. Park made his western debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1979, followed by a tour of both the U.S. and Europe. Les Amis De L'Orient and Sono Disc in Paris have produced an album entitled Le Kayagum de Park Sang Won. He has recorded with Henry Kaiser and Charles K. Noyes(OAO/Celluloid) and Laurie Anderson(Warner Brothers). He was featured in Rhythm of the World, a documentary produced for BBC-TV and Improvisation, a documentary written by Derek Bailey and produced by Channel 4 of U.K.. His life and music has been documented in Old Tradition and New Sound, a program narrated by Judy Collins for National Public Radio. He has also appeared in Nam Jun Paik's acclaimed satellite spectacular Bye Bye Kipling on PBS. Mr. Park, a native of Seoul, earned his B.A. and M.A. in musicology at Seoul National University. He was a member of the Traditional Music Orchestra of Seoul and a researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies. www.sangwonpark.com