Largest traditional music festival to be held offline this year

Festival director Park Woo-jae speaks during a press conference held at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of NTOK

By Park Ji-won

Poster for 2021 Yeowoorak Music Festival / Courtesy of NTOK

Yeowoorak Music Festival, the largest gugak-themed music festival, is coming back to in-person events this year after being held online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 12th festival will present up to 13 Korean traditional music-based performances in four categories ― "Director's Pick," "Yeowoorak Collaboration," "Yeowoorak Choice" and "Director's Lab" ― at the National Theater of Korea from July 2 to 24.

"I gathered artists who create original music. We themed this year's festival with three keywords: line, irregularity and hyper-connection. We gathered artists who break existing boundaries and create something original as they expand their creative territories," creative director and geomungo player Park Woo-jae said during a press conference held at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul.

The "Director's Pick" category presents "The two eyes," a new interpretation of "Simcheongga," a traditional narrative pansori work, performed by Muto and MNHstudio with LED media art on July 2 and 3. "Goh Goh Goh," a performance by three geomungo soloists Shim Eun-yong, Hwang Jin-ah and Park Da-ul, will present a collaboration stage on July 8. "Great Journey of Namu" will be staged by Music Group Namu on July 16 and 17 to remember their gugak-based group Baramgot.

The "Yeowoorak Collaboration" features collaborative performances: "I and my Fellow Traveler" by Kang Kwon-soon, Song Hong-seob Ensemble, SINNOI (July 4); "GONGTAPE_Antinode" by Gong Myoung and IDIOTAPE (July 23 and 24); "Anxious New World" by SB Circle and Yun Seok-cheol (July 22) and "Hwanghaedo Daedonggut" by shaman Lee Hae-kyoung and photographer Kang Young-ho (July 11).

The "Yeowoorak Choice" category presents: "become radiant" by gayageum player Park Soon-ah and her band (July 14), "Shaman Tree" by Chudahye Chagis (July 9 and 10) and "Deep Sea Creatures" by Haepaary (July 17 and 18).

"Director's Lab" will provide unique experiences for an audience limited to only 32 people. In "Silmary" (the clues) by Kim Yong-seong (ajaeng) and Park Seon-ju (gayageum) and Institute for Mongolian Studies professor Kim Kyung-na, the artists pull a thread directly from a cocoon in front of the audience while playing music (July 13). In "NADEUL I+I," Koh Myung-jin (percussion) will play percussion as if a full-set band (July 16). In "The tempo of tofu," Dal:um, consisting of Hwang Hye-young (geomungo) and Ha Soo-yeon (gayageum), will make tofu while performing (July 21).

As a side event for the festival, a mentoring class called Yeowoorak Academy will be offered by festival creative director Park Woo-jae (geomungo) and the festival's former music director Lee A-ram (daegeum), for students majoring in traditional music.

The festival has been presenting gugak performances to audiences on the Korean slogan of "Yeogi Woori Eeumagee Itda," meaning "our music is here" since 2010.

A scene from "I and my Fellow Traveler" by Kang Kwon-soon, Song Hong-seob Ensemble, SINNOI performed in 2020 / Courtesy of NTOK

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