National Gugak Center Appoints Lee Geonhee, Yoo Jisuk, and Kwon Seongtaek as New Artistic Directors of the Ensemble

The National Gugak Center announced on the 2nd that it has appointed piri player Lee Geon-hoe, Seodo master singer Yu Ji-sook, and conductor Kwon Sung-taek as the new artistic directors of the Jeongakdan, Minsokakdan, and Changjakakdan, respectively.

From the left, Lee Geonhoe, newly appointed artistic director of the Jeongak Ensemble at the National Gugak Center, Yu Jisuk, artistic director of the Folk Music Ensemble, and Kwon Seongtaek, artistic director of the Creative Music Ensemble
[Photo by National Gugak Center]

Lee Geon-hoe, the new artistic director leading the Jeongakdan, completed his bachelor's degree in Korean traditional music at Seoul National University and a master's degree at Yongin University. Since 1989, he has been with the National Gugak Center's Jeongakdan for 34 years, holding key positions such as principal player, leading member, and concertmaster.

He has worked to develop Jeongak by expanding the realm of court music through restoration performances of the royal annual music and has mastered Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 46, Piri Jeongak and Daechwita.

Yu Ji-sook, the new artistic director of the Minsokakdan, completed her master's degree in Korean traditional music at Dankook University. Since 1997, she has been with the National Gugak Center's Minsokakdan for 28 years, serving as principal player, leading member, and concertmaster.

She contributed to the modern expansion of folk music by composing and arranging vocals for the National Gugak Center's representative performances such as "Kkokdu" (2017), "Red Scholar" (2019), and the Minsokakdan's planned performance "Wassguna! Wasseo! Three Baebangi" (2022). She also serves as an instructor for the transmission of Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 29, Seodo Sori, and is the chairperson of the Hyangdugyenori Preservation Society.

Kwon Sung-taek, the new artistic director of the Changjakakdan, completed his bachelor's degree in Korean traditional music at Hanyang University and a master's degree in Korean music at Chung-Ang University. From 1995 to 2013, he worked at the National Gugak Center's Jeongakdan and Changjakakdan, and from 2013, he served as the artistic director of the National Busan Gugak Center for five years. From 2019, he was the director of the Jeonbuk Provincial Gugak Orchestra for four years.

The National Gugak Center plans to complete the appointment of the vacant dance troupe artistic director through an open recruitment process in the future.

The term of the new artistic directors is two years, until May 1, 2025.

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