Na Yoon-sun
Na Yoon-sun (; born August 28, 1969), also known as Youn Sun Nah, is a South Korean jazz musician.

Life and career 
Na Yoon-sun was born on August 28, 1969, in Seoul. Her parents are musical: her father, Na Young-soo (), is a conductor in Korea and her mother, Kim Mi-jung (), is a musical actress. She studied French literature at Konkuk University in Korea. While she was working for a fashion company, she was scouted by Kim Min-gi (), who was the president of the Hakchon Theater Company (). There, she made her acting debut in a musical called Subway Line 1 ().

Having been exposed to many kinds of music by her parents, Na decided to study and sing jazz after her performance in Subway Line 1. In 1995, she went to Paris to study jazz and chanson. There, she studied jazz at the CIM Jazz School, the National Music Institute of Beauvais,  and the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory. After graduating, she taught students at the CIM Jazz School from 2000 to 2001. She formed her own quintet, YSN 5tet, and performed at various jazz clubs, theaters, festivals, and bars in France. Also in 2001 she released her debut album, Reflet. Her mostly self-composed 2002 album, Light for the people, was her first album to receive a wide distribution. She recorded the follow-up, Down by love, with guitarist Olivier Ode. With her 2004 release So I am, she became more known in Europe.

In 2007, she made a pop record, Memory Lane. In 2008, she signed a contract with German label ACT, and in 2009 was acknowledged for her musical contributions in France by receiving the distinction of the Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
She released her album Same Girl in 2010 and in 2013 this was followed by Lento.
From 2009 to 2015, she gave about 500 performances in many countries, including prestigious festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Vocal style 
She was not influenced by any historical jazz musicians, because she did not have any knowledge of jazz music until her late start as a singer. Even though she began studying jazz history in Paris, it was after she had already created her own vocal style. Rather, she sang various genres of music from classical music to rock music by herself before she studied jazz in Paris.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles
"My Favorite Things" (August 10, 2010)

Other contributions
Buddha Bar Volume 5 features a song named "Road" created by Refractory (a French music group) and sung by Na Yoon-sun, under the name "Youn Sun Nah".

She appears on multiple songs of the 2011 release "Songs of Freedom" by French guitarist Nguyên Lê.

Awards

State and cultural honors

References

External links 
 

1969 births
Living people
South Korean jazz singers
South Korean musical theatre actresses
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Konkuk University alumni
Artists from Seoul
ACT Music artists
Korean Music Award winners
20th-century South Korean women singers
21st-century South Korean women singers
South Korean women singer-songwriters
South Korean women composers