South Korean media composer Anna Kang has been gaining recognition for her outstanding work in the media industry. Her unique talent in composing music has contributed to the success of various short films, and her music has touched the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Anna Kang was born and raised in a rural village called Yulpo in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. She started playing the piano when she was five years old and fell in love with music at a young age. Anna went on to study New Media Composition at Sangmyung University in Seoul, where she built fundamental composition skills such as balancing music and getting a wide field of view which is essential for a composer in any area.
Anna's ability to analyze videos and discover dramatic motives in them became the actual starting point for her film scoring.
After graduating from Sangmyung University, Anna received The Berklee World Tour scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
Anna Kang's work as a media composer started with her first project, the short film "Robot Vacuum Cleaner, Romance" received critical acclaim in South Korea, including Mediact, the Korean Video Media Council, and the ABC award. She worked as the sole composer, supervising all the music that appears in the film, including all the source music that she didn't compose.
“I had various explorations and challenges on how to interpret the identity of Coco, a robot vacuum cleaner, through music. In addition, the proper sound was needed that did not harm director Yoo Ah-in’s unique warm sensibility and visual beauty. By researching and combining different sources, I have succeeded in creating a unique, romantic, yet futuristic sound for Coco. Director Yoo Ah-in is very strong in detail, so there were countless processes to make the final music. However, as a composer, I pursued the director’s intentions to the end and presented various musical directions, eventually creating this beautiful work. The birth of this film was introduced in various media and received positive reviews for the music from the audience. That led to my second work with director Ah-in Yoo.” -says Anna Kang
In 2022, Anna has worked on many other short films, including “Jeong-ah’s Load”, selected by the Seongnam Cultural Foundation, and nominated for the CIESFF Award, as well as "Black Swan," which won the Eco Creator Award for Audience Award.
Over the years, Anna Kang has demonstrated her unique talent in composing music that complements the mood and atmosphere of a film. Her music has a way of connecting with the audience, creating an emotional impact that resonates long after the film is over.
While her work in film scoring has gained recognition, Anna's musical talents extend beyond the realm of film.
She has also worked as a composer and orchestrator in the niche of Christian music, with recordings that showcase her exceptional talent.
Anna Kang's involvement in Christian music is rooted in her upbringing. She has been attending church since she was young and began playing music at church. This developed into a career in music composition and orchestration that is inspired by her belief.
One of Anna's notable Christian music projects is the World Remnant Conference (WRC), which was held in 2017. The festival brought together Christians from 15 countries, and nearly 200 live performers were recruited for the event. Anna worked as a composer and orchestrator with a team of eight others to stage dozens of pieces for the festival. Classical music, musicals, and pop music were also performed live at the four-day event, which was held at BEXCO, a prominent venue in Busan. The music for various videos screened at the festival was also composed and arranged by Anna's team. “This was challenging and exciting work for me as a media composer. On the massive screen on the stage, various videos for various purposes were shown to the audience. And in front of the screen, a choir and orchestra of up to 200 people performed live. The music I composed and orchestrated was played live along with the video. It was a complex work that considered the video and required a broad understanding of stage music and a diversified perspective simultaneously.”-says Anna
The performers at the WRC conference included award-winning musicians such as Jin-ju Kwak, a soprano who won first place in the prestigious Joongang Music Concours, and Haeun Jang, a classical guitarist who performed with the New York Union City Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and the Russia Philharmonic Orchestra, who won the Grand Prize for the 32nd Korea Guitar Association International Competition.
Anna Kang has taken on a new challenge as a media composer, working with Igloo Music, a production company that collaborates with major players in the media industry such as Netflix and Disney. Her experience in the industry and expertise in music software have enabled her to work on multiple projects with award-winning engineers, directors, and editors. These projects include Netflix shows Madre Solo hay Dos, Cielo Grande, The Glory, Netflix movie Tonight You're Sleeping with Me, and the Disney show Big Bet. Additionally, Anna has several other projects in the works that will soon be available for audiences to enjoy.
2023 is a busy year for Anna Kang, as she will also be composing the soundtrack for a documentary film that will be shown to audiences in 2024.
Anna has several other projects in the pipeline that are set to be released in the coming months, and she is excited to showcase her talents and bring her unique sound to audiences around the world. Thanks to her outstanding work with Igloo Music, Anna has firmly established herself as a rising star in the media industry, and she continues to inspire others with her creativity and dedication to her craft.
