National Gugakwon Orchestra Festival [Gongju]

About this show

When the rhythm strikes, the stage becomes a celebration. **Festival**, an orchestral concert presented by the National Gugak Center's Creative Orchestra, reimagines the deep roots of Korean traditional music through a contemporary lens — breaking the boundaries of gugak orchestra and showcasing the vibrant essence of Korean sound. Within the grandeur of the full orchestra, the delicate melodies of the daegeum (bamboo flute), piri (oboe), and haegeum (fiddle) come alive. The program journeys from Yang Bang-ean's beloved "Frontier" — familiar to many through television — to the soulful resonance of Seodo folk song, the dazzling virtuosity of the mysterious saenghwang (mouth organ), and the profound pathos of "Bompijungnyu" from the pansori epic *Simcheongga*. Together, they trace a dramatic arc from han (deep sorrow) to shinmyeong (joyful exuberance). Layered rhythms build like rolling waves, revealing the very soul of Korean music. The concert's breathtaking finale, **"Pannoreum"**, fuses samulnori percussion with the full orchestra in an explosive celebration that unites performers and audience as one. Designed to shatter the myth that traditional music is dull, this concert weaves in accessible, crowd-pleasing arrangements to ensure that even first-time listeners are swept up in its energy — an electrifying festival where the spirit of Korean music is felt with every beat. --- **Program** - Orchestra — *Frontier* (composed by Yang Bang-ean) - Seodo Concerto — *Poem of Wind, Trees, and Earth* for Seodo folk voice and orchestra - Saenghwang Concerto — *Fantastical* (composed by Lee Jeong-ho) - Pansori Concerto — *Bompijungnyu* (arranged by Lee Yong-tak) - Percussion & Orchestra — *Pannoreum* (composed by Lee Jun-ho) *Program is subject to change.*

🎫 Book Tickets

These promotional images from the organizer are in Korean, shared here for visual reference.