The Samsung Foundation of Culture will present the "Korean Traditional Music Project" in eight performances from the 29th through September 20th at the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Seoul, and the multipurpose cultural venue Sounds S. The project aims to illuminate traditional music not as a relic of the past but as living, breathing contemporary music.
The artistic director is Jang Young-gyu, a producer and composer who leads the band "Leenalchi" and served as music director for the drama "Jeongnyeon." Jang won the Baeksang Arts Award for his work on "Jeongnyeon," and in 2022 presented "Jang Young-gyu: The Follower," a sound installation at the Leeum Museum of Art using audio from the pansori transmission process.
The performances consist of two series: "The Authority," which spotlights artists who have set the standards of traditional music, and "The Signature," which introduces contemporary musicians building their own modes of expression on the foundation of tradition.
"The Authority," held in the Leeum Museum of Art auditorium, will feature the monk Dong-hui, an eosan-eojang, meaning the highest authority in the Buddhist ritual music beompae and in ritual procedures, along with pansori master Jung Hoe-seok, gagok master Kim Young-gi, and yeoseong gukgeuk actor Cho Young-suk. Through their music, the series examines the original forms and present-day meaning of traditions passed down in each field.
"The Signature," held at Sounds S, will feature singer Lee Ja-ram, yeoseong gukgeuk actor Park Su-bin, yeochang singer Lee Hyun-ah, and beompae monk Jeong-gak. It presents the stages of artists who, rooted in tradition, have each expanded their musical domains in their own way.
The performance spaces have also been reconceived. Works by contemporary artist Yun Hyang-ro will serve as stage design, and in collaboration with lighting designer Seo Ga-young, an environment blending music, art, and lighting will be created. Jang Young-gyu and electronic music producer Hwang Hwi will add new sounds to traditional music, while visual artist Jung Eun-young and music critic Sung Hye-in will also participate to aid understanding of the program.
Ryu Moon-hyung, president of the Samsung Foundation of Culture, said, "By presenting gugak performances that reflect contemporaneity, we aim to lay a foundation on which the inheritance of tradition and new creation can continue." Applications can be made starting at 5 p.m. on the 25th through the Leeum Museum of Art website.
