Meet our Team
Seung Gyo Kim is the Director of the K-Art Song Cultural Bridge Project and a master’s student at George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
His research and practice focus on Korean Art Song, cultural diplomacy, and storytelling in peacebuilding. Believing in the transformative power of narrative discourse, he integrates sound and emotion-based approaches into the field of peacebuilding.
Through Korean Art Song and narrative engagement, he fosters community building and empathy across divided social contexts. His vision is to extend Korean Art Song beyond performance, positioning it as a cultural diplomatic medium that serves humanity and contributes to peace diplomacy, beyond the nation.
Seung Gyo Kim
Project Director
Claire Jung is a project coordinator passionate about fostering belonging and mutual understanding across cultures. She has coordinated community-based initiatives at the intersection of storytelling, peacebuilding, and social transformation.
As a multilingual professional raised across Germany, South Africa, and South Korea, Claire brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to her work. She has led and supported initiatives that amplify diverse voices, bridge differences, and strengthen collaboration among international and domestic communities.
Her experiences span nonprofit management, organizational development, and communication consulting, with a focus on building spaces that empower people to share their stories and connect through empathy.
Claire believes that storytelling—through art, dialogue, and music—can be a transformative tool for peace and understanding.
Suk In Claire Jung
Project Coordinator
Performance Team
Jiheon Sung finished his B.A. in Global Affairs with a Media, Communications, and Culture concentration. He is currently working at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States. He has engaged with diverse audiences through various film festivals and Korean traditional culture events.
As one of the very first members of this project, he is gaining broad experience in the arts and cultural exchange. Building on his academic background and diplomatic work, he is interested in expanding the role of the arts as a space for dialogue and mutual understanding.
Jiheon Sung
Performance Team Manager (Tenor)
Nancy McClain (she/her) graduated from George Mason’s School of Music in 2020 with a B.A. in Vocal Performance. Ms. McClain has always been drawn to music and has been inspired by how it is able to connect people all over the world. She has been fortunate enough to have been able to travel abroad to several countries, including South Korea, Kenya, Italy, Germany, and El Salvador, to witness the power of music first-hand.
She is extremely grateful to be a part of the K-Art Song Cultural Bridge Project and looks forward to exploring and learning from the stories and poetry of K-Art Song. She hopes that through her musical training and passion for cross-cultural communication and learning, she can help create spaces of inspiration, joy, and comfort through song.
Nancy McClain
Performance Team Manager (Soprano)
Josh Slutsky is a student at George Mason University studying Vocal Performance. As an artsong interpreter, he’s sung works in Russian, German, French, Italian, and English. He believes proper understanding of the language’s culture leads to a more honest, connective performance. He hopes to use the K-Art Song Cultural Bridge Project as an opportunity to discover the full depth of Korean art song — to truthfully interpret, present, and convey the meaning of the text.
Josh Slutsky
Performance Team (Bass)
Ross Calvin is a tenor and recent graduate of George Mason University, earning his Bachelor of Music in Spring 2025. Among the many wonderful opportunities at Mason, Ross had the pleasure of performing with the University Singers, serving as a Research Assistant under Dr. Lisa Billingham for the concert “Flying to the Stars: Da Vinci and Beyond,” and singing with Mason Opera such roles as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Haydn in The Classical Style, and Pablo Picasso in Ricky Ian Gordon's 27 under the direction of Dr. Gene Galvin and Professor Richard Leech.
Ross is also a passionate music educator, offering voice and guitar lessons to students of all ages since 2015. Holding a firm belief in the power and necessity of community-building, Ross is honored to contribute his voice to the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project and is excited to explore valuable perspectives and intercultural connections through the music presented at this year's conference.
Ross Calvin
Performance Team (Tenor)
Jaelin N. Mitchell, a proud native of Norfolk, Virginia, has built a legacy of service rooted in youth leadership, community engagement, and advocacy. Today, Jaelin serves as a music teacher in the Prince William County Public Schools system. Beyond his teaching role, he is deeply involved in civic and community initiatives. He currently serves as the Young Adults Director for the Fairfax NAACP, the largest branch in Virginia. Additionally, he contributes as a member of the Successful Children and Youth Policy Board for Fairfax County and serves as a diversity consultant to various boards and organizations across the DMV area.
Jaelin’s commitment and talents have earned him numerous accolades, including awards and scholarships from the Optimist Club of America, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Walt Disney, Inc., the Urban League of Hampton Roads, several branches of the NAACP, and recognition from cities across Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, and James City County.
Jaelin N. Mitchell
Performance Team (Baritone)
Julianne Kim
Performance Team (Soprano)
Julianne Kim (she/her) is a graduate of George Mason University, holding degrees in psychology and music; her studies were centered around vocal performance and clinical applications of psychology. Having grown up in both Korea and the United States, she is excited about the lens of Korean art song through which empathy and cultural discourse will be examined in this project, contributing to cross-cultural awareness of a lesser known Korean art form and a greater discourse beyond language barriers.
Austin Reed (he/him) is a PhD candidate in Climate Dynamics at George Mason University, studying observed climate change impacts to the physics and dynamics of midlatitude weather systems. Musically, Reed studied classical piano since the age of 5, jazz piano throughout high school, and was even part of an original rock band playing keyboards for a few years. He also plays bluegrass style guitar and mandolin. Formally, he obtained a Minor in Music Theory at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. He views the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project as an exciting challenge to use these skills and collaborate with other musicians to create exciting performances.
Austin Reed
Performance Team (Collaborative Pianist)
David Maeng (he/him) is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. He is highly interested in interdisciplinary exchange due to his background in chemistry, IT and radio communications.
David was exposed to Korean art songs in 2023 and immediately programmed a Korean set into his recital. He deeply relates to the common themes of longing and desire explored in many Korean art songs. David is excited to engage in the cultural exchange as a vocalist in the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project.
David Maeng
Performance Team (Baritone)
Narrative Design Team
Yuhyun Shin (she/her) earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Her research interests include narrative studies, trauma healing in post-conflict societies, reconciliation, social justice advocacy, and peacebuilding. Through the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project, she seeks to create spaces for reconciliation by using music and storytelling as powerful narrative tools, fostering connections across divided communities and cultural groups with untraditional and innovative approaches.
Yuhyun Shin
Narrative Design Team Manager
Leah Tudor (she/her) is a recent graduate from George Mason University, where she earned her B.A. in Global Affairs and minors in Theater Performance and Korean Studies. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason with a concentration in conflict-sensitive development and resilience. Leah’s personal love of all things creative, particularly music and theater, has deeply influenced her academic research exploring the intersection of peacebuilding and the arts. After graduation, she aspires to work internationally as an arts-based peacebuilding practitioner, utilizing creative approaches to foster conflict transformation, empower communities, and promote cross-cultural communication.
Leah Tudor
Narrative Design Team
Gabriela Martinez
Narrative Design Team
Gabriela Martinez (she/her) is a graduate from George Mason University, where she received her B.A. in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Korean and a minor in Spanish. Her appreciation for diverse cultures and enthusiasm to connect people across national borders have driven her to focus her language skills in translation, with the goal of bridging cultural and linguistic differences and strengthening intercultural understanding. Through the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project, she hopes to integrate her knowledge of Korean and American cultures to contribute to translations in order to faithfully convey writers’ intentions and ensure clarity in English.
Beana Olivia Kuntzman is a Graduate student at George Mason University studying folklore with a concentration in cultural context and performance in dance. She has an interest in how dance can be used to connect to others and found a common interest with K-Art Song Cultural Bridge Project. She has been blessed to be able to travel to a few different countries with George Mason, where she found a love of meeting new people and interacting with different cultures. Beana Olivia is excited to be a part of this project to further create connections with people and to learn more about how music can connect people all over the world.
Beana Olivia Kuntzman
Narrative Design Team
Event Design and Planning Team
Dillon Greene (he/him)is an undergraduate student majoring in Information Technology. After studying abroad in Mason Korea, he wants to help bring some of the Korean culture to the students on the George Mason campus in Fairfax. He has family who have experience in event hosting and management, so using knowledge from them, he wants to be able to help create inspiring and engaging events to help bridge other cultures through Korean Art Song.
Dillon Greene
Event Design & Planning team Manager
Venkata Sathya Gopala Krishna Chada (he/him) is a Computer Science graduate student at George Mason University with a deep interest in cultural exchange and community building. Having experienced the journey of an international student himself, he values the role of art and music in creating understanding across diverse backgrounds. Through his work on the Korean Art Song cultural bridge project, he is committed to building platforms that connect people, spark meaningful conversations, and highlight the richness of global traditions. He sees this initiative as a way to not only celebrate culture but also to inspire collaboration and foster lasting connections within the Mason community.
Jhansi Sneha Kamsali (she/her) is a graduate student in Computer Science at George Mason University. Having moved from India to the U.S., she is passionate about building connections between international and domestic students. Through her involvement with the Korean Art Song cultural bridge project, she hopes to create inspiring and engaging events that bridge cultures, foster storytelling, and encourage mutual understanding within the Mason community.
Jhansi Sneha Kamsali
Event Design & Planning Team
Gopal Chada
Event Design & Planning Team
Communication & Culture Team
Hyoin Kim (she/her) recently graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She is passionate about the Sustainable Development Goals, human rights issues, and fostering social engagement. Beginning in September, she will serve as an intern with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) Subregional Office for East and North-East Asia. Inspired by her experiences in the Art for Social Change course, Hyoin has envisioned creating projects that directly utilize art and music to evoke empathy and generate meaningful social impact. Within the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project, she serves as the Communication and PR Team Leader, aiming to connect cultures and foster empathy through music as a tool for building positive peace.
Hyoin Kim
Communication & Culture Team Manager
Mo Badawi earned his B.A. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management at GMU. Within the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project, he serves as HR/Outreach Manager and Korean Artists/Young Professional Liaison, supporting team coordination and community engagement across Mason Korea and beyond. Drawing on his background in conflict resolution and human resources, Mo is passionate about fostering cross-cultural dialogue, empowering young professionals, and building inclusive spaces where artistic expression and narrative exchange can thrive.
Mo Badawi
Communication & Culture Team
Yoonseo Cho holds a B.A. in Global Affairs from George Mason University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Environment and International Affairs at Georgetown University. She believes in the power of art not only to share cultural narratives but also to facilitate collaborative storytelling and foster mutual understanding among diverse groups. She hopes to help create culturally inclusive spaces and connect people through a pioneering, first-of-its-kind peacemaking model at George Mason.
Yoonseo Cho
Communication & Culture Team
Hana Han is pursuing her BFA in New Media Art at George Mason University. Having lived in both South Korea and the United States, she is excited to bring a bicultural perspective to her role on the Communication & Culture Team for the Korean Art Song Cultural Bridge Project. Through this initiative, she looks forward to deepening her understanding of Korean art song while supporting cross-cultural communication, community engagement, and the project’s mission to connect audiences across cultures.
Hana Han
Communication & Culture Team