Gwangju Seo-gu to Host March Thursday Gugak Hanmadang at Bitgoeul Gugak Training Center

Published 12 Mar.2024 13:09(KST)

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) announced on the 12th that it will hold the ‘March Thursday Gugak Hanmadang’ at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of March at the Bitgoeul Gugak Transmission Center Performance Hall.

Pungnyu Hoe Jukseonbang · Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu Preservation Society. [Photo by Seogu]

The opening performance on the 14th will feature Pungnyu Haejukseonbang and Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu Preservation Society, allowing audiences to experience the elegance of traditional music.

This performance, under the theme ‘Pungnyu & Yullyeo,’ will present Pungnyu music based on Jeongak and the stage of Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu, which has almost disappeared and is difficult to find traces of today.

In particular, Master Cho Changhoon, a holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property Daegum Jeongak, along with Pungnyu Haejukseonbang and Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu Preservation Society, restored Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu.

On this day, the program will begin with ‘Dodri,’ a widely performed orchestral ensemble piece used as accompaniment music for national banquets and court dances, followed by ▲ ‘Hamnyeongjigok’ (a wind ensemble piece led by the main melody of the piri, meaning “a piece that spreads comfort”) ▲ ‘Hahyeon, Yeombul, Taryeong’ from the string Yeongsan hoesang ▲ Daegum solo piece ‘Cheongseong Jajin Hanip’ ▲ and the latter Pungnyu pieces of ‘Gwangju Hyangje Pungnyu’ including Gyemyeon, Yangcheong, Ujo, and Gutgeori, performed at a relatively fast tempo.

Especially, the latter Pungnyu features both string and wind instruments, with the addition of the bipa and saenghwang to enrich the fragrant scent and elegance of Pungnyu.

On the 28th, the fusion gugak group Hwayangyeonhwa will take the stage. Meaning ‘The Most Beautiful Moment of Life,’ Hwayangyeonhwa is a crossover band composed of musicians active in traditional gugak, classical, and jazz genres, arranging and creating gugak, which is usually perceived as difficult, to suit modern sensibilities and bring it closer to the public.

This performance will showcase pieces such as ‘Flower Road,’ ‘All Twelve Months Are Good,’ ‘Carousel of Life,’ and ‘Sangsahwa.’

The crossover stage will feature gugak and Western instrument performers including pansori singer Lee Yujin, gayageum player Kim Boram, daegum player Lee Seungho, violinist Lee Susan, pianist Kang Yunsook, contrabassist Han Sujung, and drummer Yoon Younghoon.

The performances are free and open to all, and each show will be live-streamed on the Bitgoeul Gugak Transmission Center’s YouTube channel.

A representative of the Bitgoeul Gugak Transmission Center said, “We hope that the March Thursday Gugak Hanmadang, featuring different genres, will be a performance where anyone can enjoy the beautiful melodies of gugak along with the warm spring atmosphere.”

For more details, contact the Culture and Arts Division of Seo-gu, Gwangju, or the Bitgoeul Gugak Transmission Center.