Japanese pianist Isao Sasaki, left, and actress Koo Hye-sun smile for the cameras last week at a press conference in Olympic Park, southern Seoul, to mark the release of Koo’s album “Breath.” / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
By:crisjoy hye sun
Koo Hye-sun, the heroine of the popular drama ``Boys Over Flowers,'' is an actrees, writer, movie director, artist and, now, a composer.
The 24-year-old actress fulfilled her childhood dream and released her first album ``Breath'' this month.
``I'm currently working on a movie, and I decided to bring the original soundtracks into an album prior to the movie release," Koo said at a press conference last week at Olympic Park, southern Seoul.
"I wanted to mix up the music from this album, my paintings and my novel like bibimbap and come up with a tasty movie. I never learned to compose or draw professionally, but I always enjoyed making things by myself ever since I was young, and I think that hobby led me to do so many things now.''
Next to Koo stood the revered Japanese pianist Isao Sasaki, who is one of the most popular pianists in Korea along with George Winston and Yuki Kuramoto. Koo and Sasaki held a performance last week to celebrate the release of the album Saturday.
``I was lucky enough to meet Sasaki while I was working on the album. He was my inspiration when working on it,'' Koo said.
Sasaki described his experience of working with the actress to working with his daughter.
``When I first met her, she had unique ideas and we spent a wonderful and creative time together,'' he said.
The album ``Breath'' is comprised of eight tracks all composed by Koo herself, and with the exception of the title number ``Around the Corner,'' all of them are piano instrumentals. The title track was sung by Gummy.
When asked why she didn't sing the song herself, Koo laughed and said that she actually recorded it before Gummy.
``I never thought of myself as a good singer, but I recorded it anyway. But when I heard Gummy sing my song, I realized that a professional singer had to do it. To be honest, I did think I could do well, but that was before I heard Gummy,'' she said blushing.
By adding composer to her already colorful resume, Koo has become one of the most versatile stars in Korea, but her final dream is to become a good mother.
``I'm embarrassed when people say I am talented in everything. My final goal is making movies, and everything I am doing now all winds up to acting. I think I've accomplished the dreams I had when I was young at the age of 26,'' she said. "There is no satisfaction. I always tell myself to do better next time.''
The actress' album ``Breath'' is already out in stores and Koo will see her first full-length movie hit screens later this year. The movie, which is a ``mystery music'' film revolving around a cellist, will use all the tracks in Koo's album as the original soundtrack.
