SK Innovation Successfully Hosts Korea's Largest Music Festival for People with Developmental Disabilities, 'GMF'

6th 'Great Music Festival' Held
On the 4th at Konkuk University Grand Auditorium in Seoul

At the '6th National Music Festival for People with Developmental Disabilities (GMF)' held on the 4th, participating teams and judges, among others, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by SK Innovation

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] The 'National Developmental Disabilities Music Festival (GMF),' the largest music competition festival for people with developmental disabilities in Korea, held in collaboration with SK Innovation, was successfully held on the 4th at the Grand Performance Hall of the Saecheonyeon Building, Konkuk University, Seoul.

GMF began in 2017 and marked its 6th edition this year. GMF is hosted by the Heart-Hart Foundation, which was the first to establish an orchestra for people with developmental disabilities in Korea, sponsored by SK Innovation, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and SM Entertainment, and supported by the Community Chest of Korea. It serves as a starting point for people with developmental disabilities who have a passion for music to showcase their talents and grow.

This year, 285 participants from 30 teams nationwide took part in the preliminaries. On this day’s finals, a total of six teams performed on stage: four teams in the classical category (Dasoni Chamber Orchestra, Bellus Clarinet Ensemble, Ainsbaum Wind Chamber, Console Piano Ensemble) and two teams in the practical music category (Dreamy Arts Group, Aria Nanta), all of whom passed the preliminaries.

The event was held offline for the first time in three years, making the atmosphere even more enthusiastic. Attendees included Soo-gil Lim, Vice President of SK Innovation; Ji-chul Oh, Chairman of the Heart-Hart Foundation; Cheol Namgung, CEO of SM C&C; and Kyung-hee Kim, Head of Social Contribution at the Community Chest of Korea. Broadcaster Su-geun Lee hosted the event, and Girls' Generation member Hyoyeon performed a congratulatory stage. The judges were Professor Kyung-sun Lee from Seoul National University College of Music, Chairman Hyung-hee Kim of the Korea Disabled Culture and Arts Institute, Professor Moo-sung Jung from Soongsil University Department of Social Welfare, and Jea from Brown Eyed Girls.

The grand prize of the 6th GMF was awarded to 'Ainsbaum Wind Chamber,' composed of 34 people with developmental disabilities, 11 non-disabled members, and one conductor. Ainsbaum Wind Chamber received the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award and a prize of 10 million KRW.

The Excellence Award went to 'Console Piano Ensemble.' The Merit Award was given to 'Bellus Clarinet Ensemble' and 'Dasoni Chamber Orchestra,' and the Encouragement Award was awarded to 'Dreamy Arts Group' and 'Aria Nanta.' On this day, a total of 21 million KRW in prize money and trophies were awarded to the six teams. SK Innovation plans to provide the winning teams with opportunities to perform at internal and external company events so they can continue to pursue their dreams in music.

The grand prize-winning team Ainsbaum said, "It was a happy time to be able to present the performance we prepared hard on stage," adding, "Although we were very nervous to be on such a big stage, we are very pleased to have achieved good results as all team members prepared together for a long time."

Professor Kyung-sun Lee, chair of the judging panel, said, "All six teams participating in the finals delivered moving performances," and added, "I believe that the process of growing and healing through music creates beauty, and I hope GMF will continue to become a venue for more performance opportunities for people with developmental disabilities."

Soo-gil Lim, Head of the Value Creation Center at SK Innovation, said, "I think it is meaningful that GMF has created a place where people with developmental disabilities can demonstrate their musical talents and communicate with society," and added, "I thank the participants who delivered moving performances with their passion for music and will continue to support them in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.