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| The National Gugak Center will present Jongmyo Jeryeak at the Erkel Theatre in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 21 and the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, Poland, Sept. 25. Courtesy of NGC |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
For the first time, Jongmyo Jeryeak, a traditional form of Korean court music that has a history spanning over six centuries, is set to be showcased in Hungary and Poland later this month.
The National Gugak Center will introduce this ritualistic music for Jongmyo, the royal shrine of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, to audiences in Central Europe at the Erkel Theatre in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 21 and the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, Poland, Sept. 25.
Both events will feature a full-length performance of Jongmyo Jeryeak, accompanied with special lectures, costume demonstrations and exhibitions.
This trip marks a new cultural outreach to Eastern Europe. While the ritual music has previously been performed in West European countries such as France and Germany, these upcoming performances will be the first of their kind in Central Europe.
The performances aim to establish a cultural bridge for promoting traditional Korean music, complementing the growing cooperation in the fields of economy and security.
Kim Young-woon, director general of the center, expressed excitement over the tour.
"We are pleased to be able to present Jongmyo Jeryeak, our representative intangible cultural heritage, in historic theaters in Hungary and Poland. We hope that the perfect harmony created by the music, songs and dances that have been performed for more than 600 years will resonate deeply in the hearts of local audiences," Kim said in a statement.
In Hungary, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) there invited the National Gugak Center to present Jongmyo Jeryeak as the centerpiece of its Korean Cultural Festival. Ahead of the performance, the gugak center will meet students at the KCC and donate traditional Korean instruments.
Kim will give a lecture on Korean music for Korean studies students at Eotvos Lorand University and Hungarian models will present costumes for Jongmyo Jeryeak ahead of the main performance.
In Poland, the performance is co-hosted by the KCC in Warsaw and the National Gugak Center and has been included in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall's seasonal program.
A special exhibition "Jongmyojeryeak ― The Sounds of Eternity" is also on view at the KCC through Sept. 23.
The entire tour will be portrayed in a special documentary produced by the National Gugak Center along with the KCCs of both countries and the Gugak Broadcasting Foundation. This documentary aims to capture the entire process, from preparation to performance, and the reactions of local audiences.
After the European tour, the Jongmyo Jeryeak performance will conclude with a final performance in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Nov. 11.
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