'Gugak' orchestra festival to showcase Korea's musical roots

A performance during 2024 Korea Traditional Orchestra Music Festival / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

From music by BTS, BLACKPINK and Seventeen to the soundtrack of the animated hit "KPop Demon Hunters," Korean pop music is heard everywhere. But for those curious about the roots of it — and Korean music more broadly — the upcoming Korea Traditional Orchestra Music Festival will offer a chance to explore.

Running from Oct. 15 to 25 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul, the festival will feature performances by 10 gugak, or traditional Korean music, orchestras from across the country.

“In the past two editions, we’ve seen growing interest and support for gugak among the public. This year, the popularity of 'KPop Demon Hunters' is a big boost,” Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of Sejong Center, said during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.

Gugak encompasses a wide range of traditions: music once enjoyed by the royals and aristocrats of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty; folk genres such as pansori (musical storytelling) and sanjo (solo instrumental music); court music and dance; and ritual music tied to Buddhism and shamanistic practices such as salpuri.

Reflecting on the growing interest, Ahn said he began to wonder whether Koreans had underestimated their own heritage. “Now, traditional Korean music is becoming ‘hot’ without changing anything. Through this festival, I hope people will feel even closer to gugak.”

Traditional music orchestras are a relatively modern creation, introduced in the 1960s as part of efforts to adapt traditional sounds to a new context. In this format, traditional string, wind and percussion instruments are brought together for orchestral performances resembling Western classical ensembles.

The Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra, founded in 1965 as the nation’s first such ensemble, marks its 60th anniversary this year. Today, nearly 50 traditional orchestras are active nationwide.

A performance during 2024 Korea Traditional Orchestra Music Festival / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

The festival’s programming reflects the full spectrum of Korean traditional orchestral music. On Oct. 15, the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra will open with music by Hwang Byung-ki (1936-2018), the legendary gayageum (Korean zither) player, composer and sanjo master.

On Oct. 17, the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra of the National Gugak Center will showcase works by young musicians drawing inspiration from tradition. The Gangwon State Gugak Orchestra will perform on Oct. 19 with excerpts from a traditional Korean music-style adaptation of Shakespeare’s "King Lear," while the Daegu Traditional Music Orchestra will join with a soprano soloist on Oct. 23.

International collaboration is a core feature this year as well. On Oct. 22, the Pyeongtaek Korea Music Orchestra will welcome guest musicians from China, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Mongolia. On Oct. 24, the Jinju Gugak Orchestra will present an orchestral adaptation of the contemporary band Blackstring’s "Hanging Gardens of Babylon."

The Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra will then close the festival on Oct. 25 with works by the band sEODo, known for combining traditional Korean elements with pop music.