This day-long symposium will gather esteemed musicologists, historians, composers and musicians to explore the life and musical legacy of Isang Yun (1917-1995), a pivotal figure in the history of avant-garde classical music. Born in Korea, Yun emigrated to Germany in the late 1950s and lived in Berlin until his death. His music synthesizes his diasporic perspective; merging Western academic training with traditional Korean music techniques, as well as ancient Korean iconography and mythologies. Yun’s unique artistic voice developed through a life marked by some of the major political events of the 20th century, including the Japanese colonization of Korea, the Korean War, and the political turmoil of the Cold War, which led to his exile from South Korea in the 1960s, following a period of imprisonment.

This symposium is organized in partnership with artist Hague Yang. Celebrated for her unique abstract visual language accompanied by choreographies of sensory experience, Yang has spent over a decade engaging with Isang Yun’s legacy through extensive archival and artistic research. 

In March 2026, MOCA and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will collaborate to present Yang’s multi-sensorial installation Star-Crossed Rendezvous after Yun, 2024 at MOCA and a concert of Isang Yun’s Double Concerto, 1977 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

This program was co-organized by artist Haegue Yang; Clara Kim, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs; and Paula Kroll, Curatorial Assistant, with Michele Huizar, Performance Coordinator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Support is provided by Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism of Korea, Korea Arts Management Service, and Korea Focus Support Program.