They play the violin, piano and ‘haegum’ which is a traditional Korean instrument; other instruments are often added. They went to Europe and gave foreigners the Korean sound in person. They have a dream that Korean songs will be known to many foreigners. They have a patriotic sentiment and a sense of duty to Korea. Who are they? They are Via Trio! The Chungdae Post met real K-Pop stars Via Trio and their manager Song Him.

   Who Are They?

 The Meaning of Via Trio  
   There are several meanings of Via Trio. The meaning of 'Via' is road or leading to somewhere in Latin. So, this meaning seemed to make sense because we play the music on the road. Moreover, as we started with three members at first, Via Trio is interpreted as three roads.

 The Formation of Via Trio

At first, we consisted of a Piano Trio: piano, cello and violin. We played the “Arirang and Amazing Grace.” When we finished the performance, we received an e-mail from a foreigner who felt curious about Korean traditional instruments and the Korean sound. So, we thought that we needed a Korean traditional instrument. As a result, we started to play our songs with a ‘haegum’.

 The Attraction of Via Trio

When we played music in Europe, we wore the ‘Hanbok’ which is the traditional Korean clothing. We could catch the attention of foreigners because they seemed to be interested in our beautiful ‘Hanbok’ and beautiful women. Then, we played the friendly Korean melody for them. So, we think that our attraction is all of these things.

   Via Trio, We Went to Europe!

 The Reason Why We Went to Europe

Everyone has a fantasy about going on a trip to Europe. So we did. We went to Europe because we just wanted to go. Besides, we thought that it would be very nice if we could let foreigners to hear the Korean sounds such as the “Arirang” in person.

 Glastonbury Festival

The Glastonbury Festival is a music and performance festival which is held in U.K. and the biggest open air in the world. Though we were invited to the Glastonbury Festival, we didn't receive hospitality from anyone. However, after we started to play the music, the audience started to get excited. They felt that Korean sounds were very attractive. We could communicate with audience by music, though the language is different than they were used to. Also, we had an interview after the show. Furthermore, we had to participate in the audition to perform on a much bigger stage. If we passed the audition, we could also record a song. Because we passed the audition, we could record a song and perform on a much bigger stage. We are the first Korean glories who were invited to the Glastonbury Festival.

 Hardship in Europe

As we went on a first trip, we were confused. A base camp was in German and we had to take a car for three hours in order to arrive at the place of the performance. What was worse, we went to Avignon Festival located in France for one night three days. We all got tired and were exhausted physically and emotionally.

 The Feeling When We Played Music in Europe

We lost confidence at first, when we first played music on the road. We had an anxiety about playing music on the road. However, after our performance, the audience's reactions were good. So, we could have confidence our second performance. Moreover, when the audience's reaction was nice, we were happy.

Via Trio, The World of Our Music

 To Play in ‘Hanok’

We had a chance to perform in a ‘Hanok’ which is a traditional house in Korea. We worried about whether ‘Hanok’ would absorb sounds because it is made with soil and wood. However, when we played music there, we could hear a unique sound. We thought that it was a real Korean sound. We also wanted to try a new thing. Therefore, we recorded our 4th album in a ‘Hanok’ in order to put then Korean sound on our album.

 The Special Songs for Us

Our special song is “Arirang and Amazing Grace”. “Amazing Grace” is a song which is similar to “Arirang”, a Korean traditional song, in many respects such as emotion, melody, and so on. So, we mixed the two songs together. As a result of this collaboration, a nice song was born. The audience's reactions were also really impressed. “Arrirang and Amazing Grace” was the turning point and the starting point of our current activity. On the other hand, our album contains another song which we think is difficult to play. The song's title is “Blue Bird Arirang”, an original song. Though instruments that we played in this song are western, the atmosphere and emotion of this song is Korean. It was difficult for us to play this song with western instruments because it has a traditional Korean rhythm.

 Our Goal and Dream

We want the “Arirang” to be known to many foreigners. We'll go to Europe next year because we were invited to the Glastonbury Festival again. It will be our third visit. Also, we have many performances here in Korea. In November, we will have 'Coffee and Tea Concert' with 10cm whose most famous song is “Americano.” In addition, many other performances are planned. We always want to perform for people. We hope many people will enjoy our performances.

 What Is "MUSIC"?

We think music is the best way to make the world beautiful.

 ‘Via Trio’ Recommends a Song for The Fall

It is the song “The Taste of Green Tea” which is the title song of our new album. We think that "The Taste of Green Tea" is the most suitable for the atmosphere of fall.

By Kim Min-chae / CP Cub-Reporter / minchae@cnu.ac.kr