Ten gugak orchestras from across South Korea will gather from October 15 to 25 to showcase the full spectrum of Korean traditional music, ranging from faithful classical renditions to bold contemporary reinterpretations. The Korea Traditional Music Orchestra Festival, now in its third year, marks the 60th anniversary of the country's first traditional orchestra that arranged Korean instruments in the style of a Western symphony orchestra.
This year's festival places special emphasis on composers as part of ongoing efforts to broaden gugak's repertoire and reach new audiences. "Following the global success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' gugak in both original form and contemporary reinterpretation has become hot," said Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, during a press conference on Thursday. The Netflix animated film, produced by Sony, gained massive popularity by incorporating traditional Korean cultural elements including gugak music.
The Sejong Center launched the festival three years ago specifically to address the challenge of bringing Korean traditional music to broader audiences. "With Western classical music, we know that audiences can be moved by faithful performances of original works, finding them relevant and new in every age," Ahn explained. "I have come to feel that we, perhaps, have been too stingy in granting our own tradition that same generosity."
Lee So-young, a gugak critic and festival committee member, emphasized the critical importance of nurturing composers for the genre's future growth. "For K-culture to continue growing, what we need most is the steady cultivation of composers, as they provide the solid foundation for gugak orchestral music," Lee said. She highlighted that this year's festival features over 40 composers, including a strong representation of young composers in their twenties and thirties.
The festival opens on October 15 with a performance by the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, which will spotlight works by the late Hwang Byung-ki, widely regarded as the foremost master of the gayageum, a traditional 12-string zither with silk strings. Several participating ensembles have prepared special collaborative performances that blend Korean traditions with international elements.
The KBS Traditional Orchestra will present Kang Sang-gu's violin concerto "Blue Moon" featuring German-Japanese violinist Takashi Lawrence Baschkau. Conductor Park Sang-hu noted that Baschkau's cross-cultural background perfectly reflects the festival's spirit of blending different musical traditions. The Pyongtaek Korea Music Orchestra, established just last year, will perform under the theme "Sounds of Asia," collaborating with traditional musicians from China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Singapore.
Regional diversity will be prominently featured throughout the festival program. While the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra of the National Gugak Center will focus on works deeply rooted in Korean tradition, gugak ensembles representing Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, Gangwon Province, and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province have each prepared programs that showcase the unique musical characteristics of their respective regions.
The festival concludes on October 25 with a special anniversary concert by the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Their closing program includes "Heureusha," an original gugak orchestral composition inspired by Seoul's Han River, along with collaborative performances featuring Seodo, the vocalist from Seodo Band, and renowned geomungo player Park Da-wool.
All festival performances will take place at M Theater within the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. In an effort to make traditional music accessible to all audiences, organizers have set ticket prices at just 10,000 won (approximately $7.50) for all performances and seating sections throughout the 11-day festival.
