Release Date: October 1, 2009
Kennesaw State hosts historical performance of traditional Korean music
For media inquiries: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Director of Public Relations,
770-499-3417 or cbrown@kennesaw.edu
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KENNESAW, Ga.—To celebrate the beginning of the Year of Korea, Kennesaw State University will host a concert by the Korean Association of Zither Musicians at 8 p.m. on Oct. 14 in the Performance Hall of the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center. The event will feature a variety of unique Korean instruments, along with epic narrative singing, in a rare performance of traditional Korean music.
Founded in 1993, the Korean Association of Zither Musicians has performed on both national and international levels to promote Korean zither music. Heeman Kim, KSU assistant professor of communication, established the necessary connections to the group and assisted in writing a grant to the Arts Council of Korea to fund the association’s travel to the United States to perform exclusively at KSU.
The association includes 22 professional musicians and teachers from major universities in South Korea. The primary instrument featured in the performance is the gayageum, a 12-silk string zither. Considered the national instrument of Korea, the gayageum has the subtlety and expressivity of the human voice. Dan Paracka, director of international programs at KSU, says, “This instrument exists in China and Japan, but the sounds and styles of the Korean performance are unique.”
The performance will also feature the geomungo, a six-string zither, and a janggu, a Korean drum. The event will feature solos, duets, and ensembles performing traditional folk music, including an epic narrative song, “The Song of Sim-Cheong.”
In addition to the evening performance, the association will also perform a free abbreviated version of the program at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 at the Legacy Gazebo Amphitheater. Min Kim, KSU assistant professor of dance, will perform a traditional Korean dance and several students will read short Korean folktales. The afternoon performance will be completed with a Tae-Kwon-Do demonstration and samples of Korean food.
To complete their visit, the leaders of the association will present a lecture on traditional Korean music at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the Nursing Building, Room 109.
To purchase tickets for the 8 p.m. performance, please visit KSU Box Office or call 770-423-6650.
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A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 21,000 from 142 countries. The third-largest university in Georgia, Kennesaw State offers more than 65 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including new doctorates in education and business.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation for all of its arts programs.