An intimate and profound meeting between the guitar's Latin drive and the soulful melancholy of the cello, this fuegokoori duo, at times tender and at other times explosive, is an act made for the passionate at heart.

fuegokoori symbolizes the explosive synergy of elemental opposites like fire and ice. My name is Robert Sang-Ung Choi, the initiator of fuegokoori, and I began with a dream of performing works for cello and guitar. My first step was to outline the musical program by seeking out classical and modern music for this rare but exciting combination; even writing some of my own arrangements and original works. This concept came to its fruition at the first fuegokoori concert on October 31, 2003 at the famed Musikhalle in Hamburg, Germany.

Think about fire and ice, both are the natural representation of extreme emotions. What you see is not necessarily what you feel. Fire and ice tend to overlap, meaning you have blue fire. For example, if you make something too cold, you'll burn it. Think about the music we are playing: Spanish/Latino music is full of passion while music with Asian elements is generally calm and tranquil. These extreme emotions tend to overlap and even crossover in an exciting way, and we would like to bring this excitement to the audience.

Join us as we continually search for more repertoire and interesting new combinations. fuegokoori has even expanded to include concerts with cello + marimba and cello + guitar ensemble!
 

About the fuegokoori CD, Fire and Ice: The partnership between cello and guitar is remarkably fresh. This fuegokoori program includes music spanning across three centuries written by Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, the famous guitarist Mauro Giuliani, Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassadó (1897- 1966) and Astor Piazzolla. An original composition by Robert Sang-Ung Choi, Estampa, as well as an exciting arrangement of the famous Guantanamera by virtuoso guitarist, Marco Díaz Tamayo, and a Japanese Bunraku composed by Toshiro Mayuzumi, round out a colorful and fulfilling program of fuegokoori

The latest CD is titled fuegokoori: Beneath the Surface. As always, our focus is on music for cello and guitar, and we draw our inspiration from Spanish flamenco and dance, Chinese modern music and South American tango. What's more, we've incorporated a brand new sound into the mix, engaging the collaboration of one of the hottest guitar ensembles in Germany as our guests.