Hyeonseon Baek is A New York-based Jazz vocalist/songwriter from South Korea who focuses on striving to create music that transcends cultural and generational boundaries, blending traditional Jazz with a modern approach for our diverse and vibrant audience. At the age of 8, he discovered his love for music when he sang in the school choir group. Hyeonseon was obsessed with soul and rhythm and blues musicians like Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Donny Hathaway, Ledisi, Aretha Franklin, and countless pop musicians. After some years, he listened to some jazz recordings by Mel Torme and Carmen McRae one day and was immediately fascinated by jazz. Most of the sounds from those recordings were so new to him and made him curious about to jazz music. He wanted to find out what they were doing and why it was too good for him.

 

In 2019, he completed his bachelor of music degree in the Netherlands with Holland-national excellence scholarships. He was the first vocal student who managed to shorten the four-year education track to three years and graduated one year earlier than expected. In his last year of undergraduate, he got a chance to go to New York City with travel funds from the university. He was inspired and shocked by its intense art scene and how diverse cultures can be mixed and growing together in New York City.

 

Afterward, he moved to the United States and received his master of music degree from the prestigious New England Conservatory with a merit scholarship and the beneficent Society Scholarship. He studied with Dominique Eade, and through his time at N.E.C., he had a chance to work with great jazz titans such as Dave Holland, Cecil McLorin Salvant, Michael Mayo, Jason Moran, and more.

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In 2024, He released his debut album, "Longing," with a mesmerizing band that any artist would die for, including the following artists: Kevin Hays on piano, Linda May Han Oh on double bass, Jochen Rueckert on drums, and Lucas Pino on tenor saxophone. He continues to perform around New York City.

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Hyeonseon is a recipient of the "Honorable Mention, Ran Blake Foundation Music Award," 2020, and a recipient of "the Honor Scholarship, Seoul National University Alumni Association of New England" 2021. In addition, he was a "Semi-Finalist in the Riga international Jazz voice competition" 2019 and "7 Virtual Jazz Contest" 2024