The founding ceremony of the Gangnam Gukak Orchestra. [Gangnam-gu]
The founding ceremony of the Gangnam Gukak Orchestra. [Gangnam-gu]

Gangnam-gu held a founding ceremony Wednesday at Gangnam Theater for the Gangnam Gukak Orchestra, the first traditional Korean music ensemble established by an autonomous district in Seoul. District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong presided over the event, marking the start of the orchestra's full operations.

Operated by the Gangnam Cultural Foundation, the orchestra comprises 20 young Korean traditional musicians aged 39 and under. The ensemble spans seven instrument sections — gayageum, geomungo, daegeum, piri, haegeum, ajaeng and percussion.

The district plans to develop the orchestra into a signature Gangnam cultural offering by staging regular and special performances as well as outreach concerts at major cultural and tourism landmarks, including Coex, Gangnam Square and Seonjeongneung, so that both residents and tourists can enjoy traditional Korean music.

The Gangnam Cultural Foundation, which manages the orchestra, has run the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra since 1997 and the Gangnam Choir since 1989.


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