Exploring the Musical Brilliance of Park Wan: From ‘The Last Empress’ to Busking in Yeongju

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By Yang Chan-hee, JoyNews24 — A busking concert by crossover tenor Park Wan and a local house band drew listeners to the north plaza of the Yeoju suspension bridge in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.

The event on the 25th featured two sets: the first at 2:00 p.m. and the second at 3:00 p.m., with performances spanning musical theater, jazz, pop and film soundtracks (OSTs).

Park Wan is one of South Korea’s foremost crossover tenors and a seasoned musical actor. For more than a decade he portrayed Emperor Gojong in the musical The Last Empress, appearing on major stages such as the Sejong Center Grand Theater and the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater.

He has also appeared in productions of Rebecca, The Sound of Music, Notre-Dame de Paris and Sweeney Todd, earning praise for both his vocal technique and his acting.

In opera, he has taken leading roles in works including La Traviata and La Bohème.

Park Wan served as the artistic director for Il Divo’s concert during the group’s visit to Korea.

He has expanded his reach with performances across the United States, Europe and Asia, and at events hosted by the United Nations and other national ceremonies.

The house band is a session group based in Yeoju.

They have performed alongside South Korean artists such as Joo Hyun-mi, Lee Eun-mi, Byun Jin-seop and Jo Sung-mo.

The band has collaborated with daegeum player Lee Saeng-gang, gayageum player Kim Gye-ok, saxophonist Lee Jeong-sik and harmonica player Jeon Je-deok, presenting a wide range of musical styles.

The lineup includes bassist Oh Jeong-taek, pianist Jeong Mo-se, guitarist 2km, violinist Lee Se-young and drummer Jang Eun-su.