The 18th Suncheon Naganeupseong National Gayageum Byeongchang Competition opens Saturday at Naganeupseong in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.
"Dungidanggi dungidanggi dang ... "
A competition celebrating byeongchang — a genre of traditional Korean music in which a performer simultaneously plays the 12-stringed gayageum and sings — will be held in Suncheon, the art form's spiritual home in South Jeolla Province.
According to Suncheon city, the 18th Suncheon Naganeupseong National Gayageum Byeongchang Competition will run Saturday through Sunday at Naganeupseong, near Beolgyo-eup.
Gayageum byeongchang is a traditional performing art in which musicians play the gayageum while singing pansori, danga and folk songs. Its artistic value has long been recognized — in 1968, "gayageum sanjo and byeongchang" was designated a national intangible cultural heritage.
The competition carries added significance by being held at Naganeupseong, where the birthplace of master musician O Tae-seok (1895–1953) has been preserved.
O was a master of gayageum sanjo and byeongchang who dominated the art form during the Japanese colonial period and is regarded as a pivotal figure in its lineage.
This year's competition will be held across eight categories: group (adult), open, university, rookie, high school, middle school, elementary school (individual) and elementary school (group).
Hosted by Suncheon city and organized by the Naganeupseong Gayageum Byeongchang Preservation Society, the competition aims to broaden the transmission of gayageum byeongchang and provide a stage for emerging traditional music performers to showcase their skills.
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