By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Yeoul, a fusion gayageum (12-string traditional Korean instrument) quartet, will hold a concert for teenagers at Seongnam Arts Center on Aug. 29.
Consisting of four players ― Ki Sook-hee, Lee Su-eun, Ahn Na-rae and Park Min-jung ― the quartet will venture into a variety of genres including jazz, rock, fusion and classical using their unique 25-string gayageums, as well as an electric version of the instrument.
The quartet will present various programs under the theme of ``Gayageum Story for Teenagers," using their eclectic world-music style to help teenagers better relate to the music.
The group will also perform their take on pop numbers such as ``Dreaming,'' ``Fly Me to the Moon,'' ``Together,'' ``Time in a Bottle'' and ``Stairway to Heaven."
The group members, graduates of Gukak National High School and the department of Korean Traditional Music at Ewha Womans University, formed the group in 2003.
They are also the inventors of two kinds of electric gayageum ― an 18-string gayageum (yeoulgeum) that can be hung on the shoulder, and a 25-string model that is played on a support.
The members developed the electric gayageum in order to generate ranges and tones differing from the traditional instrument. Depending on the adjustment of the keys, it can hit notes an octave lower than the normal range or sustain a long trailing note like an electric guitar, all with a distinctive and clear tone.
The group was formed with strong support from Hwang Byung-ki, a gayageum maestro, who named the quartet ``Yeoul,'' wishing it would create a ripple of change in the Korean classical music scene. Since then, Hwang, who played with a bow instead of plucking the strings and released the unconventional album, ``Migung'' in 1970s, has supported the quartet's new experiments and activities.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. at Ensemble Theater of Seongnam Arts Center. Tickets cost 22,000 won. For more information, call (02) 720-3933.