Film screenings with a live score accompaniment have always been something I’ve wanted to highlight on Marquee Mixtape since the beginning because I’ve been listening to film scores obsessively on the regular since I was a teenager and it always seems like kind of a miracle to perform a perfectly synced live score for a feature length movie. In previous episodes of the pod I’ve been fortunate enough to speak with some artists in that scene. Last year Dede Lovelace was on the show to talk about her Live DJ set accompaniment to Special Agent X-7 at Film at Lincoln Center, and The Flushing Remonstrance chatted with me about their live score to A Page of Madness at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. I love seeing an artist perform their own musical interpretation on a movie. It’s like witnessing a conversation had between the musicians and the art they’re playing to.
I’m so thrilled to share the next event I’m covering on Marquee Mixtape which is the specially curated double feature presented by Town Hall:
BYEONG WOO LEE Guitar Concert + BONG JOON-HO’S MOTHER LIVE
A ONE NIGHT ONLY event at Town Hall to celebrate the innovate Korean Guitarist and Film Composer Byeong Woo Lee. Lee has composed 27 original soundtracks for film and collaborated with director Bong Joon-Ho on three films: The Host, Tokyo!, and Mother. Lee also is know for playing with a custom-made guitar with double steel/nylon necks plus two soundboards which is a method he’s very excited about performing on stage in NYC. This will be the first live score of Mother and it will be Byeong Woo Lee’s NY debut concert. If you’re unfamiliar with Lee’s work then I urge you to start by listening to his film score to A Tale of Two Sisters. This episode of the pod includes excerpts from some of his film score music.
In this episode I’m joined by Town Hall’s artistic director Melay Araya. We had a great conversation about her role as an artistic director and how she is working towards creating bridges between online audiences and live shows. She’s making big swings at Town Hall by showcasing the music from video games, anime and movies with events like the Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Concert, Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons, and the upcoming A New World: The Intimate Music of Final Fantasy. We dive deep into the international village it has taken to produce this double feature event coming to Town Hall on Saturday April 20. From choosing the right film for the screening to securing an orchestra via the Harlem Chamber Players, getting Pulitzer Prize-winning conductor Tania León onboard, and collaborating with concert producer Kijun Lee and Black Ink Productions.
What will make this night even more rare is having Byeong Woo Lee perform the live score alongside the orchestra. It’s not common at all for composers to do this for a live audience. He has made a titanic effort to re-orchestrate the original score and even compose all-new material for the live score to Mother. You gotta be there to experience Lee’s new take on the film.
Get your tickets to the BYEONG WOO LEE Guitar Concert + BONG JOON-HO’S MOTHER LIVE at Town Hall on Saturday April 20.
Town Hall is a 1,500-seat, 501C3 non-profit national historic landmark venue in the heart of New York City, created by suffragists in 1921 and host to countless cultural and musical milestones.
Support Marquee Mixtape by subscribing here and rating it on your podcaster of choice. Follow Marquee Mixtape on Instagram, Substack, and Bluesky.
Next week on the pod: Concert Producer KIJUN LEE!
Ep. 013: BONG JOON-HO'S MOTHER (2009) LIVE AT TOWN HALL, Pt. 1 with MELAY ARAYA