Throughout the history of Western art music, the Bible has been a rich source of inspiration for many composers. Driven by their own spiritual beliefs, they create faith-inspired pieces, conveying the meaning of the texts. Shinuh Lee (b. 1969) approaches biblical texts to not only express her profound Christian faith, but also reflect the origins and nature of human existence, pondering the universal pain and emotions that humans suffer in the world, providing a consoling message. This dissertation explores the beliefs Lee holds, and studies the unique compositional language used to express her own faith and a Christian message. The first and second chapters provide an overview of Lee’s biography and compositional background and style, dividing it into two periods that reflect this shift in her approach. The third chapter explores several composers who took inspiration from the Bible and Christianity, and how they drew inspiration from, and expressed belief in, their music, examining their influence on Lee and her compositional style. The fourth chapter includes a brief presentation of Lee’s selected works for solo instrument and piano. The fifth chapter presents a detailed analysis of Lament, O–the Daughter of Zion, exploring the interrelationship between text and music, and musical form and motives, facilitating a more authentic and well-rounded performance.

Isang Yun (1917-1995), one of the most important avant-garde German-Korean composers, is perhaps best known for his success at integrating Korean musical elements into traditional Western styles. His Concerto for Oboe, Oboe d'amore, and Orchestra incorporates many traditional Korean elements, and uses techniques such as Hauptton, Hauptklang, and Umspielung to blend these elements into a Western musical style. This study explores the elements of traditional Korean music and instruments present in Yun's score, examines his compositional techniques, and makes practical performance suggestions that allow performers to properly convey his intentions. This dissertation includes six chapters. The first chapter discusses the purpose and importance of the study. The second chapter reviews Isang Yun's biography and works, based on a published interview with Yun and a biography written by his wife of many years. The third chapter introduces the characteristics of traditional Korean woodwind instruments relevant to the work. The fourth chapter examines Yun's compositional techniques of Hauptton, Hauptklang, and Umspielung in the work and their relationship with the main-tone and Sigimsae techniques. The fifth chapter introduces and explores different types of Sigimsae in the work, with suggestions for quarter-tone performance techniques. The sixth and last chapter is a conclusion.

Jihoon Park (b.1973), a South Korean composer with over 500 compositions spanning multiple genres, is treasured in his motherland as the most noteworthy composer of his generation. This study provides an in-depth introduction of the gagok (Korean art songs) of Park to Western teachers and students of singing, discussing his compositional techniques and their application to the interpretation of his selected songs. Moreover, the introduction to International Korean Phonetic Alphabet (IKPA) to supplement the traditionally used International Phonetics Alphabet (IPA) serves as the foundation and model for further exploration into Korean art song literature by Western scholars.