More than 100 singers from the Los Angeles Master Chorale and South Korea's National Chorus of Korea will perform together for the first time Nov. 1 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The 7 p.m. concert, titled "Building Bridges," pairs 48 Master Chorale singers with 54 National Chorus members for a program of Korean and American choral music. Grant Gershon, the Master Chorale's artistic director and a 2026 Grammy winner for Best Choral Performance, will share the podium with National Chorus artistic director In-Gi Min.

The collaboration is fully funded by the South Korean government, according to Korea Daily, and is part of the Korean Consulate General's 2026 Korea Month programming in Los Angeles.

The person who pulled it together is Jenny Kim, a musicology professor at Claremont Graduate University who has served on the Master Chorale's board for more than a decade. Kim told Korea Daily she was inspired by a 2023 collaboration between the Busan Metropolitan Chorus and the Master Chorale.

"I organized this to build a lasting 'cultural bridge' connecting the LA Korean community with mainstream arts institutions," she said.

Kim spent a year securing two official commendation letters from the California state government, according to Korea Daily. She said the effort included persuading the chief of staff for Sen. Steven Choi and even teaching Master Chorale board members how to eat bibimbap at a 2023 dinner.

The program opens with the National Chorus, founded in 1973 as South Korea's first professional choral ensemble, performing traditional Korean pieces. The Master Chorale follows with American music and spirituals before the two ensembles combine for Aaron Copland's "The Promise of Living."

In the second half, the Master Chorale will sing the Korean folk song "Kaejina Ching-Ching-Na-Ne" in Korean. The National Chorus will perform modern American music. The grand finale brings all singers together for "Arirang," one of Korea's most beloved folk songs, in an arrangement by composer Hyowon Woo, whom the Master Chorale described as a longtime collaborator.

A pre-concert lecture begins at 6 p.m. featuring KUSC host Jennifer Miller Hammel, Gershon and Min, according to the Master Chorale's event page. Group discounts of 30% are available for purchases of 10 or more tickets.

It doesn't end in Los Angeles. The collaboration paves the way for the Master Chorale's return tour to the Seoul Arts Center in 2028.