Experience the Enchantment: 100 Musicians Unite in Traditional Korean Music at Changdeokgung Palace
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[NewsCulture reporter Junseop Lee] On an early summer evening, the resonant strains of traditional Korean court music will fill the palace. The National Heritage Authority’s Bureau of Royal Palaces and Historic Sites is hosting, with production by the National Heritage Promotion Agency, the 2026 Palace Concert \”100 People’s Taepyeongjiak\” at Injeongjeon, Changdeokgung, running May 1–3.
The setting lends the program added significance. This year marks the first time a palace concert will be staged in Injeongjeon—the throne hall where major Joseon royal ceremonies took place and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The palace’s hushed nighttime atmosphere is expected to amplify the music’s depth and resonance.
As the name implies, \”100 People’s Taepyeongjiak\” places 100 gugak musicians on a single stage. Faculty, students, and alumni from Ewha Womans University’s Korean Music Department will perform across generations. Gwak Eun-ah, dean of Ewha’s College of Music, serves as artistic director, while Professors Kang Hyo-ju and Kim Young-heon lead the musical programming and staging.
The program opens with Sujecheon, a cornerstone of court music, and moves through pieces including \”Cheonnyeonmanse,\” the rarely heard byongju \”Suryong-eum,\” the female vocal gagok \”Taepyeongga,\” Han Gap-deuk–style geomungo sanjo, the gayageum composition \”Sound of the Night,\” and an \”Arirang\” suite to close. By weaving court music, folk repertoire, sanjo, contemporary compositions, and both solo and ensemble works, the concert aims to showcase the full spectrum of Korean music.
Stages that highlight the subtle expressiveness of female performers will be especially notable. The vocal \”Taepyeongga\” and \”Sound of the Night\” are expected to add a soft, elegant counterpoint to Injeongjeon’s solemn grandeur. The finale, \”Bonjo Arirang,\” invites participation as the 100 performers and the audience join together for the closing moments.
Music director Kang Hyo-ju said the performance seeks to channel a wish for peace and prosperity into the music. \”Experiencing gugak at Changdeokgung in May will deliver a distinct emotional impact where space and sound come together,\” she added. She noted that the program—including Hwang Byung-ki’s gayageum piece \”Sound of the Night\”—intentionally bridges tradition and the contemporary to highlight the diversity of Korean music.
By balancing traditional dignity with contemporary sensibility, this palace concert promises to carve a renewed sense of depth for Korean music within the layered history of the royal grounds.
NewsCulture Junseop Lee rhees@nc.press
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