Gayageum Performer Kim Ilyun to Present Complete Solo Works for Gayageum by Hwang Byungki

May 3 at Umyeondang, National Gugak Center

Gayageum performer Kim Ilyun will present the complete solo works for gayageum by the late Hwang Byungki on May 3 at 4 p.m. at Umyeondang, National Gugak Center.

This will be the first time Hwang Byungki's entire collection of creative solo gayageum pieces will be performed on a single stage. The concert is expected to last approximately three hours.

At the end of last year, Kim Ilyun demonstrated her years of dedication and profound musical depth through her first “Kim Ilyun Keep Going” concert, in which she performed all six gayageum sanjo styles in a single day with her program “Six Gayageum Sanjo Styles – Small Stage.” In this upcoming concert, she takes on the challenge of performing all of Hwang Byungki’s creative solo pieces, which pioneered a new idiom for contemporary gayageum music.

This concert also serves as a tribute from Kim Ilyun to her mentor Hwang Byungki’s musical world. For 15 years, she has led the “Hwang Byungki Works Preservation Society,” consistently highlighting the value and significance of his works. The performance will feature all 15 pieces, performed in reverse chronological order from his final work “Hamadan” (2000) to his first gayageum solo “Forest” (1962). The concert will trace the evolution of Hwang Byungki’s music, showcasing his unique experimentalism, delicate musical language, and the expansion of contemporary Korean traditional music.

Hwang Byungki was a master who expanded the horizons of gayageum music and opened new directions in modern Korean traditional music. His major works, including “Chimhyangmu,” introduced innovative playing techniques and opened a new chapter in creative Korean traditional music, remaining an essential repertoire even today.

For this recital, longtime collaborator and janggu performer Kim Woongsik will join Kim Ilyun on stage. In addition, Kim’s university classmate and musical colleague, Professor Song Hyejin of Sookmyung Women’s University, will provide commentary to help the audience’s understanding.

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