Donhwamun Gugakdang to Present Choi Jun's Pansori and Jazz Fusion Stage in October for 20,000 Won per Seat

Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang presents "Pansori Likes Jazz," a new form of performance that combines Pansori and jazz. Singer Choi Jun, who first introduced the "Piano Byeongchang" genre—singing while playing the piano—is challenging the meeting of Pansori and jazz based on his previous creative experiences.

Poster for Choi Jun ‘Pansori Likes Jazz’ performance

"Piano Byeongchang" is an original format that goes beyond the traditional Pansori composition of a singer and a drummer (gosu), as one person simultaneously delivers both piano performance and vocals. Choi Jun has been pioneering the Piano Byeongchang genre since 2010, releasing the album ‘Piano Byeongchang | Pansori’ in 2014 and ‘Piano Byeongchang | Jeongga’ in 2016. Since then, he has continued his work to expand the five traditional Pansori suites into Piano Byeongchang through ‘Piano Byeongchang | Choi Jun-Song of Chun Hyang’ in 2023, ‘Piano Byeongchang | Choi Jun-Heungboga’ in 2024, and ‘Piano Byeongchang | Choi Jun-Jeokbyeokga’ in 2025. In this performance, he takes that attempt one step further by integrating jazz into Pansori.

While typical Pansori coordinates the singer's voice with the drummer's drum beats, this performance will be accompanied by a jazz band consisting of a grand piano and drums (Lee Kwang-hyuk), bass (Lee Sang Jin), guitar (Kim Hyun-dong), and saxophone (Gu Min-sang). The representative highlights (nundaemok) of the five Pansori suites will be newly arranged with the rhythms of the piano and jazz band, adding the free performance and improvisation unique to jazz to create a new musical landscape rarely encountered in traditional Pansori.

This stage does not stop at merely reproducing the original form of Pansori; it is an experimental stage that shows how far Pansori, a traditional vocal music, can expand when it meets other musical genres. With the addition of jazz rhythms and improvisation to the unique narrative and sound of Pansori, audiences can encounter familiar Pansori highlights with a new sensibility.

Through "Pansori Likes Jazz," which creates moments of free sound through the meeting of Pansori, piano, and jazz, it is expected to deliver Pansori to today's audience in a newer and more familiar way, allowing them to encounter the infinite scalability and new possibilities possessed by traditional Pansori.

The Piano Byeongchang Choi Jun ‘Pansori Likes Jazz’ performance is 20,000 won per seat, and reservations can be made on the Seoul Namsan · Donhwamun Gugakdang website (www.sgtt.kr). Other inquiries can be made via telephone.

Introduction to Culture Bridge Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang

Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang is a specialized Gugak (traditional Korean music) performance venue that opened in 2016 to revive the traditional culture around the Changdeokgung Palace area. The Seoul Metropolitan Government created this venue by purchasing the site of a gas station opposite Changdeokgung Palace, and it is currently operated under entrustment by Culture Bridge. The venue harmonizes traditional Hanok and modern architectural styles, consisting of an indoor performance hall utilizing natural acoustics and an outdoor Gugak Madang. Audiences can experience the charm of our traditional music while breathing together with the performers here.

◆ At a Glance

· Issuing Institution: Culture Bridge Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang

· Category: Performing Arts, Music, Culture Bridge Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang

· Distribution: September 8, 2026, 10:00 AM

Source: Culture Bridge Seoul Donhwamun Gugakdang Press Release (Newswire)

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