Gumi City to Showcase Profound Voices of Master Vocalists

"2026 National Senior Gugak Festival"
To Be Held on March 21 at Gumi Culture & Arts Center Small Theater
Highlights from the Five Major Pansori Repertoires to Be Performed

Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province will host the "2026 National Senior Gugak Festival" on Saturday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. at the Small Theater of the Gumi Culture & Arts Center. The event is organized by the Gyeongbuk Pansori Promotion Association (President: Lee Sojeong).

"2026 National Senior Gugak Festival" / Provided by Gumi City

The festival will be divided into a pre-show and the main performance. The pre-show will feature the "Elegant Gugak Ensemble" performing "Let the Pungak Sound," setting an uplifting atmosphere for the audience. The main performance will showcase a variety of pansori stages with top-level vocalists and gugak artists.

Yoon Jincheol, holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Pansori Jeokbyeokga, Kim Younghwa, winner of the Presidential Award in the Master Vocalist Division at the 32nd Mokpo National Gugak Competition, Lim Hyunbin, master vocalist and certified practitioner of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Heungboga, as well as leading gugak artists and percussionists such as Kwon Hyukdae and Shin Moonbeom, will perform. They are set to present highlights from the five major pansori repertoires, including "Simcheongga," "Sugungga," and "Jeokbyeokga."

Notably, Lee Sojeong, a renowned gugak artist from Goa-eup and representative of the region, will take the stage to perform selections from "Heungboga" and "Chunhyangga." To conclude, there will be a special collaborative performance with local singer Chae Hangil, offering audiences a unique stage that blends traditional and modern styles.

Jangho Kim, Mayor of Gumi, stated, "This Gugak Festival will be a refined performance combining the profound vocals of master singers with special collaborations. I hope this event allows citizens to experience the charm of traditional culture up close and becomes an opportunity to further invigorate cultural activities for the senior generation."

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