Department of Korean Traditional Music Hosted ROOT-ROUTE: Deep Roots, Infinite Routes

The School of Korean Traditional Arts at K-Arts held the 2026 Department of Korean Traditional Music Regular Concert at the Yeakdang, National Gugak Center, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29. Under the theme ROOT-ROUTE: Deep Roots, Infinite Routes, the concert explored the present and future of gugak by blending the deep traditions of Korean music with fresh interpretation and sensibilities of emerging artists.

The concert was divided into two parts, each showcasing a diverse range of performances. The first part opened with a wind ensemble reinterpretation of the traditional piece Sujecheon, enriched by the addition of gayageum and geomungo. This was followed by a solo performance of Gayageum Sanjo (Kim Juk-pa School) by Kim Minseong (Year 3, BA, Department of Korean Traditional Music). The program also featured gayageum byeongchang and haegeum byeongchang, highlighting the expressive combination of instrumental performance and vocal artistry.

The second part presented grand ensemble works for gugak wind and string instruments. A geomungo ensemble piece, Sound of Silence, and a haegeum ensemble piece, Blue Moon, were reinterpreted by Jeong Hongju (Year 4, BA, Department of Korean Traditional Music) and Shin Bi (Year 3, BA, Department of Korean Traditional Music). The concert concluded with the gugak wind orchestra piece The Radiant Earth, a work expressing hopes and aspiration for Dokdo.

Dean Sung Kisook of the School of Korean Traditional Arts described the concert as a passionate exploration by young artists striving to expand the future of gugak. “I hope this regular concert offers audiences a meaningful opportunity to glimpse both the present and future of Korean traditional music,” she stated.