Won Il, the newly appointed director of the Gangnam Korean Orchestra [Gangnam Cultural Foundation]
Won Il, the newly appointed director of the Gangnam Korean Orchestra [Gangnam Cultural Foundation]

Won Il, former artistic director of the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, has been appointed inaugural artistic director of the Gangnam Korean Orchestra. His two-year term runs through July 2028.

Won will establish the orchestra's artistic direction in its founding phase and build a stable operational foundation. He was selected through an open recruitment process.

"Since this is a newly launched orchestra, I believe getting the founding off to a good start is above all else," Won said. "I will work with the musicians to forge the ensemble's identity on the strength of solid musicianship, and through fresh programming and performances differentiated from existing Korean orchestras, I will grow it into a Korean orchestra that is uniquely Gangnam's own."

Won is a certified practitioner of National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 46, "Piri Jeongak and Daechwita," and has served as artistic director of both the National Gugak Orchestra and the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra. A composer and conductor, he has expanded the boundaries of Korean traditional music by emphasizing its contemporaneity and the agency of performers. He also taught as a professor at the Korea National University of Arts. His credits include music director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and artistic director of the ACC World Music Festival at the National Asian Culture Center in Gwangju. He is currently serving as general director for the official events of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session being held in Busan.

The Gangnam Korean Orchestra, which Won will lead, was founded in 2026 to carry on and develop traditional arts and to create and promote contemporary Korean music. It operates on a seasonal membership system to give young Korean traditional musicians — who have limited opportunities for artistic activity — professional rehearsal and performance experience. Eighteen new seasonal members were appointed through open recruitment in May, and the orchestra will make its debut with an inaugural performance in October.


shee@heraldcorp.com