{"id":717,"date":"2026-05-04T02:04:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T02:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kstories.kr\/en\/cul260504001-en\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T02:51:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T02:51:35","slug":"cul260504001-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/cul260504001-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang to Host 2026 Gugak Week: ‘Sai… Sori… Sum…’ \u2014 An Exploration of Sound and Silence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang to Host 2026 Gugak Week: 'Sai… Sori… Sum…' \u2014 An Exploration of Sound and Silence<\/div>\n

Commemorating 'Gugak Day,' the Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang is set to host a special two-day event, the 2026 Donhwamun Gugak Week, featuring the performance 'Sai… Sori… Sum…' from June 5th to 6th. This unique production delves into the profound meaning of 'listening,' a concept often overlooked in modern life. It operates on the philosophical premise that all life embodies creation, sustenance, and eventual disappearance, implying that no sound endures indefinitely.<\/p>\n

Exploring Sound's Creation, Demise, and the Intervening Silence<\/h2>\n

'Sai… Sori… Sum…' is uniquely structured to allow the audience to directly experience the process of sound's birth and disappearance, and the 'emptiness' that exists between these moments. Performers respond to each other's subtle breath changes, creating a natural flow of sound, while audience members are invited to transcend mere appreciation and fully immerse themselves in the present moment.<\/p>\n

This performance prompts us to reconsider the essence of 'listening,' often forgotten in our busy daily lives. By observing the beginning and end of sounds, it is expected to offer a meditative experience where the true value of sound is discovered in silence, allowing individuals to confront their inner selves.<\/p>\n

Artistic Director Won Il and 'Sound Ritual': Pushing the Boundaries of Traditional Music<\/h2>\n

The performance is directed by Artistic Director Won Il, renowned for his continuous experimentation in expanding traditional music into contemporary contexts. Having previously served as director for the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra and the Hwaeom Music Festival, he is celebrated for developing a unique musical system that harmonizes both autonomy and collective order by merging the improvisation and collective breathing inherent in Sinawi with modern musical language. His signature 'Reverberation' series with the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, in particular, has been praised for pioneering new frontiers in audience-participatory concerts.<\/p>\n

The stage will feature 'Sound Ritual Ensemble : Cy_\u6a02', led by Artistic Director Won Il (sound making, percussion, vocals), alongside Kim Bora (vocals), Hwang Jin-ah (geomungo), and Han Ji-su (saenghwang). Adding further depth to the performance will be Buddhist monk Myeongjin, who specializes in singing bowl sound meditation based on Buddhist practice and Seon meditation.<\/p>\n

A New Gugak Experience Blending Improvisation and Meditation<\/h2>\n

The Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang stated that the 2026 Gugak Week was conceived to broaden the expressive scope of Gugak by incorporating improvisation and a meditative approach into traditional music. The intention is to offer audiences a novel sensory experience, moving beyond mere listening to explore and reflect upon themselves within moments of silence.<\/p>\n

Tickets for 'Sai… Sori… Sum…' are priced at 50,000 KRW for all seats, with a 30% early-bird discount available. Detailed information and reservations can be found on the Seoul Namsan Donhwamun Gugakdang website. For other inquiries, please contact the Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang directly.<\/p>\n

Beyond simply attending a performance, the 2026 Donhwamun Gugak Week's 'Sai… Sori… Sum…' will offer an opportunity to reflect on the essence of 'listening,' often forgotten in modern society, and to tune into one's inner voice. Through this unique endeavor, the Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang aims to explore new possibilities for Gugak and provide audiences with a profound cultural experience.<\/p>\n

English-Korean Version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang to Host 2026 Gugak Week: 'Sai… Sori… Sum…' \u2014 An Exploration of Sound and Silence Commemorating 'Gugak…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[948,945,949,239,946,395,655,947],"class_list":["post-717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-gugak","tag-gugak-week","tag-meditation","tag-performance","tag-sai-sori-sum","tag-seoul-donhwamun-gugakdang","tag-traditional-korean-music","tag-won-il"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":719,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions\/719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kstories.co.kr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}