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Taiwan’s National Chinese Orchestra to perform in South Korea

  • Date:2019-05-24~2019-05-25
Taiwan’s National Chinese Orchestra to perform in South Korea

National Center for Traditional Arts Director Chen Chi-ming (陳濟民) is leading over forty members of Taiwan's National Chinese Orchestra (臺灣國樂團) to stage two concerts in South Korea a Taiwan-themed concert slated for May 24 and a joint showcase with the National Gugak Center on May 25.

 

The May 24 concert will introduce the different facets of Taiwan's diverse culture through a selection of ethnic music including suona compositions inspired by Hakka mountain songs, yangqin concertos derived from indigenous Paiwan ballads originating from Dawu Mountain, and classic Chinese orchestral music featuring traditional instruments and Taiwanese cultural elements.

 

The May 25 concert will see an innovative collaboration between Taiwanese and Korean musicians. For example, the traditional Taiwanese ditty "Grasshopper Teasing Rooster (草螟弄雞公)" will be performed with flutes, while Korean religious folk tune "Consulting a Psychic (通靈問事)" will feature the haegeum. The ending showpiece will feature festive interpretations of a music style known as Beiguan (北管), which is commonly associated with folk festivals, temple processions, and traditional performances.

 

This will mark the second transnational collaboration between the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA) and the National Gugak Center (NGC) of South Korea after the signing of a memorandum of understanding last November that inaugurated a three-year program of traditional arts exchange between the two nations.

 

A third joint program between NCFTA and NGC is scheduled to be hosted by Taiwan in 2020. "After working together for three years through this exchange program, we hope to see both parties become long-lasting friends along the shared path of traditional heritage conservation," stated NCFTA Director Chen.

 


For ticketing information and more, please visit the NCG's website at www.gugak.go.kr.