[KCC On Stage] Shamanic Sensibility of Gayageum

12 May. 2026 (Tue) 20:00 @ Korean Cultural Center

Free admission / Reservation required

Reservations will open at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, 28 April via the link. 

KCC On Stage 2026: Discover Korean Performing Arts at the KCC!

The Korean Cultural Centre presents Shamanic Sensibility of Gayageum, an experimental concert that moves between the tradition of Korean shamanic music and the frontiers of contemporary composition.

Shamanic Sensibility of Gayageum brings together the artistic vision of gayageum performer Seyoun Park, the bold imagination of composer Jaein Hwang, and the refined sensibility of Hawai'i-based composer Donald Reid Womack, whose work reflects a deep engagement with East Asian musical traditions. The three artists' musical languages converge in a shared exploration of mu-ak — Korean shamanic music — presenting new works for gayageum rooted in the rhythmic vitality and emotional depth of shamanic ritual.

The title carries a dual meaning drawn from the characters 巫 (mu, shamanism) and 無 (mu, nothingness). Through this ritual-inspired musical journey, the performance invites the audience to step away from the sensations of everyday life and drift — as if the boundary between dream and reality dissolves — into a state of immersive absorption. The archaic emotions and structures of shamanism are expressed through an avant-garde yet refined musical language, reinterpreting the essence of the shamanic tradition: healing. This work received the Special Jury Prize at the Seoul Arts Awards in 2025.

Seyoun Park, 25-string gayageum, sanjo gayageum, steel gayageum, kkwaenggwari

Hwayeon Lee, ajaeng

Jooho Kim, percussion

[Program]

1. Cosmos of the Sea (composed by Seyoun Park)

    * 25-string gayageum | Seyoun Park

2. Ollim: An Offering for sanjo gayageum and percussion (composed by Jaein Hwang)

    * Sanjo gayageum | Seyoun Park

    * Jing | Jooho Kim

3. Mu 巫 (composed by Donald Reid Womack)

    * Sanjo gayageum | Seyoun Park

    * Janggu | Jooho Kim

4. The Shamanistic Numbing Sequences — Deureonggaengi Etude for steel gayageum (composed by Jaein Hwang)

    * Steel gayageum & kkwaenggwari | Seyoun Park

5. Woven Sound (composed by Donald Reid Womack)

    * Sanjo gayageum | Seyoun Park

    * Ajaeng | Hwayeon Lee

    * Janggu | Jooho Kim

6. Saedarim (composed by Seyoun Park)

    * 25-string gayageum | Seyoun Park

[Artists]

Seyoun Park

Seyoun Park is a gayageum performer recognised for the depth of her musicianship across both traditional and contemporary repertoire. She holds bachelor's, master's, and doctoral (DMA) degrees in gayageum from Seoul National University and is currently a member of the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra at the National Gugak Center. She has drawn wide attention in the Korean traditional music world for her work restoring forgotten old-style gayageum sanjo from early gramophone recordings. She is the recipient of the String Instrument Award at the KBS Gugak Awards (2020), the Palgongsaya Gugak Award (2025), and the Special Jury Prize at the Seoul Arts Awards (2025).

Hwayeon Lee

Hwayeon Lee is an ajaeng performer who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the Korea National University of Arts and currently serves as a guiding member of the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra at the National Gugak Center. She is a founding member of the ajaeng ensemble Bow+ing and a designated holder of Korea's Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jongmyo Jeryeak and Seoul's Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Bak Jong-sun style Ajaeng Sanjo.

Jooho Kim

Jooho Kim is a percussionist who graduated from the Department of Korean Traditional Music at Seoul National University. He has distinguished himself in the contemporary Korean music scene, receiving the Silver Prize at the 14th 21C Korean Music Project and the Bronze Prize at the 8th Youth Challenge Competition (2023).

[Composers]

Donald Reid Womack

A Guggenheim Fellow and Professor of Composition at the University of Hawai'i, Donald Reid Womack has composed over 100 works, including more than 60 for Korean, Japanese, and Chinese instruments. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center by ensembles such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and the National Orchestra of Korea. Recognised as a pioneer of intercultural composition, he has been composing for Korean traditional instruments since 2008.

Jaein Hwang

Jaein Hwang is a composer and haegeum performer who graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He is the recipient of the Grand Prize at the 16th 21C Korean Music Project and a member of the neo-traditional ensemble Maegandang, which has appeared at WOMEX (Manchester), Small World Music (Toronto), and the International Mugham Festival (Baku).

※ This program was supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) as part of the “Touring K-Arts” project.