The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies presents: Heungboga: Exploring Korean Traditional Pansori and Folk Songs introduced by Paris K-Vox Festival and Chae Soo-jung Sound Group Experience the rich cultural heritage of Korean traditional music, as musicians bring these age-old tunes to life. Come and be a part of Heungboga! The K-Vox (Korean Voice) … [Read More]
Category: Pansori
K-music 2024: National Changgeuk Company — Lear
Discover this visionary restaging of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies into a spellbinding traditional opera from some of South Korea’s leading creatives, performers and musicians. This major new production, critically acclaimed at its premiere in 2022, retells a familiar story in the form of Changgeuk. This culturally significant and artistically rich theatrical form in Korea, blends … [Read More]
Soritgonggam: Sharing Korean Folk Music, at the KCC
The performance Soritgonggam in London, brought jointly by the Korea Cultural Heritage Administration, Korean Cultural Centre UK, and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, will be held here in London to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the UK and the Republic of Korea. Held on a special stage prepared in the Cultural Heritage … [Read More]
K-music 2023: Leenalchi tours to Nottingham and Leeds
LEENALCHI, the sensation that took the online world by storm with their unique musical creation, “Tiger Is Coming.” This unique blend of danceable groove and musical storytelling, Sugungga has garnered millions of views, captivating audiences worldwide. The bassist and producer of LEENALCHI is a highly acclaimed figure in the contemporary Korean music scene, Jang Young … [Read More]
Korean performers at the 2023 Edinburgh International Festival
Five performance programmes from Korea to celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations with the UK: three of chamber and solo instrumental music, plus the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the National Changgeuk Company. 8 August: Novus String Quartet The Queen’s Hall, 11:00am Tickets from £13.50 | Buy tickets here Schubert String Quartet in C minor D703 ‘Quartettsatz’ … [Read More]
The Coronet Theatre’s “Tiger is Coming” festival: don’t miss any of it.
How long have we all been wanting Leenalchi and the Ambiguous Dance Company to come to London? Probably ever since their Naver Onstage performance went viral on social media. The piece they were performing was Tiger is Coming, which turned out to be the opening track of their subsequent album, Sugungga, a retelling of one … [Read More]
K-Music Festival 2022: the official press release
We’re excited at the line-up for this autumn’s K-Music Festival. Here are the full details, with links to the individual gig notices. K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022: Korea across London this autumn Wednesday 5 October – Thursday 24 November 2022 This autumn, as an exhibition ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ opens at the V&A, the K-Music Festival, now … [Read More]
K-music 2022: Lee Jaram performs Hemingway
Leading pansori singer and performer Jaram Lee presents The Old Man And The Sea, inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s classic story. Pansori is the ancient art of expressive musical storytelling where a singer is accompanied by a drummer and performs a narrative that can be tragic or funny – always entertaining. It is thought to have … [Read More]
Korean performers at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Fringe is back, and this year there are nine Korean acts performing. Exciting dance performances, world music, theatre and pansori puppetry: something for everyone. Find all the details here, with booking links to the official Fringe website. Plan your Korean August in Edinburgh here! [Read More]
Festival Film Review: The Singer
As is often the case, I was out of town for the London East Asia Film Festival, so I missed the international premiere of the Director’s Cut of Cho Jungrae’s The Singer. I’m not sure if the previously available version has had a formal international premiere – probably not, given the devastation that Covid has … [Read More]
Interview: Cho Jungrae (The Singer, 2020)
I watched Cho Jungrae’s 2020 movie The Singer earlier this year online, after being told by a friend of the director that it was available on Amazon Prime. It struck me as a fresh take on the pansori movie genre: instead of telling a pansori tale more or less straight like Im Kwon-taek’s Chunhyang, it … [Read More]
K-music 2020 online: Jaram Lee
The final show in the K-Music Encounters series features leading pansori singer, Jaram Lee, where she will discuss and perform The Old Man and The Sea, based on Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece and recreated in pansori form. Lee goes back to the basics of pansori, and only with traditional Pansori linguistics and simple percussion, she brings … [Read More]
Pansori workshop at SOAS with the Korea Pansori Preservation Association
The Korea Pansori Preservation Association are in town for their K-music concert on 6 October, and they’re taking advantage of their trip to run a workshop at SOAS the day before: P’ansori workshop Saturday 5 October 2019, 2pm – 5pm Main Building, Room G52 | SOAS | 10 Thornhaugh St | Bloomsbury | London WC1H … [Read More]
K-music 2019: Celebrate Pansori, 6 October @ Kings Place
The second concert in this year’s K-music festival. K-music 2019: Celebrate Pansori Sunday 6 October 2018, 7:30pm Kings Place (Hall One) | 90 York Way | London N1 9AG Tickets £15 + booking fee | Book tickets The Korea Pansori Preservation Association preserves the rich history of traditional Korean opera, studying the art and sharing … [Read More]
The 2019 K-Music festival: the official press release
The schedule for the 2019 K-Music festival was released last month, giving everyone the time to plan their diaries. Here, rather belatedly (it’s been a busy few weeks), is the official press release. Tickets are already on sale. K-Music 2019 London’s Festival of Korean Music Thurs 3 Oct: Jambinai, Purcell Room Sun 6 Oct: Celebrate … [Read More]
A review of the London Korean cultural year 2018
Every year at this stage in the year, I look back on the cultural highlights, whether they be live performances, exhibitions, movies or books that I have encountered over the past twelve months. Every year I lament that I’ve been unable to cover everything, that I’m getting slower and that there’s been even more to … [Read More]