In collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.
The Korean drumming collective GongMyoung is renowned for its innovative reinterpretations of time-honored Korean music—with a modern jam-session flair, unconventional improvised instruments, and an effortless sense of cool. Formed in 1997, the group has the unique ability to recreate & rearrange traditional Korean music, showcasing the versatility & diversity of Korean culture through surprisingly approachable works. Their performances often feature their namesake—a distinctive bamboo instrument they created, called the GongMyoung—plus a variety of wind & percussion instruments. As an ensemble, GongMyoung transcends genres in both their style and musical application, which includes major concerts, stage musicals, plays, dance performances, & films. GongMyoung’s global impact extends to over fisty countries and 130 international festivals. The group has been selected for some of the world’s largest art showcases & festivals, including performances at AAM 2001 in Singapore, GATEWAY 2006 in Mexico, APAP 2007 in New York, WOMEX 2008 in Spain, MIDEM 2009 in France, SXSW 2010 in Texas, and CINARS in 2007 and 2014 in Canada. They have performed at numerous international festivals including in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney), Norway (Ford), Sweden (Malmö, EBU Folk Festival), Italy (San Marino), China (Guangzhou), Germany (Pina Bausch), Canada (Vancouver), the Philippines, Zimbabwe (Harare), Mongolia (Playtime), Belgium (SFINKS Mixed Festival), and Taipei (WMF). Their performances in international diplomacy and cross-cultural exchange has taken GongMyoung across the globe as well, to India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai), Portugal, Greece, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China (Guangzhou), New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch), Chile, the United States of America (Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston), Vietnam, Japan (Tokyo), Brazil, Pakistan, the UAE, the United Kingdom (London), Germany (Wuppertal), Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canada, Cambodia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, France, Belgium, Taiwan, Romania, Nauru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and many more. Their performances continue to expand globally, further cementing their place as a prominent cultural ambassador group.
Members:
Director: Seo Hyungwon
Planning: Jeong Wooin
Musicians: Kyongkeun Song (sogeum, daegeum), Youngju Lim (percussion), Sunil Kang (janggu, gayanggeum), Seungwon Park (guitar, string bamboo)
