Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society to Hold All-Invitational Performance at National Theater of Korea on September 27

The Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society will host the '2nd Korea Traditional Arts Grand Festival' at the Haneul Round Theater, National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Sunday, September 27, at 5:00 PM. Starting with the 'Mun-gut' that opens the ritual ground and continuing through to the finale where all performers gather, ten stages will unfold, spanning Pansori, Sanjo, traditional dance, Changgeuk, and Yeonhui. All seats are operated as invitations, and tickets will be distributed on-site on the day of the performance on a first-come, first-served basis.

Poster for the 2nd Korea Traditional Arts Grand Festival

From ritual to play, from stage to audience

The program reflects one another through its opening and closing methods. The 'Mun-gut', which opens the way, will be performed by the performance troupe 'Cheongmyeong'. As a ritual that announces the start of the ritual ground and connects the performance venue with the audience, it is composed to fit today's stage within the format of traditional rituals. The following 'Jeseok-geori' is a prayer segment among the various parts of Jindo Ssitgimgut, where people pray together for the long life and blessings of the living, blending sound, rhythm, and dance.

In the middle section, three stages of different textures are presented. 'Hallyangmu' is a traditional dance that expresses the leisure, elegance, and inner excitement of a scholar through restrained dance movements; in this performance, vocal sounds (gu-eum) will be added so that dance and sound go together. 'Ajaeng and Cheolhyeongeum Duet' is a meeting point between the deep, thick resonance of the Ajaeng and the clear, metallic tone of the Cheolhyeongeum. Rather than staying within standardized melodies, it will showcase the beauty of improvisational music centered on the communication and momentary breathing between the performers. The 'One-act Changgeuk' extracts the scene from 'The Story of Chunhyang' where Lee Mong-ryong, having become the secret royal inspector, returns to Namwon and meets his mother-in-law Wolmae before meeting Chunhyang. The stage features the intersection of Chunhyang enduring imprisonment, Lee Mong-ryong returning to keep his promise, Wolmae praying poignantly for her daughter's safety, and Hyangdan adding laughter with wit and humor.

The latter half brings the audience onto the stage. 'Ganggangsullae with the Audience' is a participatory stage performed with the Mugahyang Children's Dance Company, showcasing a representative folk game of the southern provinces, erasing the boundary between the stage and the audience by reviving the original meaning of people holding hands and forming a circle on a moonlit night. After 'Gi-nori and Lion Dance', which involves waving flags to raise the excitement, singer Kim Jun-su will perform the Korean traditional songs 'Bird Song' and 'Kwaejina Chingching Nane'. 'Bird Song' is an arrangement (AUX ver.) that translates the leisurely elegance of the original song into an explosion of catharsis and energy, and 'Kwaejina Chingching Nane' is an arrangement (2nd Moon ver.) that reconstructs the voice of the people, who shook off the hardships of daily life and suppressed resentment through song and dance, into a bright melody. The performance concludes with 'Pangut', a grand communal festival, and the 'Finale', where all performers gather again.

Ganggangsullae by young members, the voice of a Presidential Award-winning master

The artistic director is Lee Tae-baek, a professor in the Department of Performance Contents at Mokwon University and an Ajaeng player. As a doctoral holder in Music Performance from Hanyang University and a practitioner of Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage Ajaeng Sanjo, he will perform a duet with Ryu Kyung-hwa (Cheolhyeongeum), a professor at Korea National University of Arts and artistic director of the 2026 Seoul Korean Traditional Music Festival. General director Kim Na-young, chairperson of the Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society, is a practitioner of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Pansori Simcheongga and received the Presidential Award in the Pansori Master category at the 40th Jeonju Daesaseupnori National Competition, and is currently serving as a professor in the Department of Performance Contents at Mokwon University.

The dance will be led by Kim Il-ji, a practitioner of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Cheoyongmu and a recipient of the Presidential Award at the National Unification Comprehensive Arts Competition. Kim Jun-su, who will stand on the Korean traditional song stage, is a practitioner of Jeolla Province Intangible Cultural Heritage Sugungga, received both the Pansori Award and the Grand Prize at the 2021 KBS Korean Traditional Music Awards, and won the 2025 Today's Young Artist Award in the Traditional Arts category (Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award). In addition, Yoo Ha-young, Kim Chan-mi, Shin Jeong-hye, and Choi Jan-di, who are recipients of the Presidential Award in the Master category of national-scale competitions, as well as Lee So-young, a recipient of the Presidential Award at the 51st Chunhyang Korean Traditional Music Competition, and Jang Chae-won, a practitioner of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Pansori Simcheongga, will appear on the Pansori and Changgeuk stages.

Accompaniment and performance are divided between two groups. The Pungmul performance troupe 'Cheongmyeong' will lead the Mun-gut, Pangut, Gi-nori, and Lion Dance, while 'Sincheong Music Society' will support the instrumental stages. Sincheong Music Society is a pure folk music group formed by today's young artists, inheriting the intention of a group organized in the late Joseon Dynasty by shamans with outstanding shamanistic and performing arts skills for the purpose of friendship, professional advancement, scholarship, and cooperation. Additionally, the Mugahyang Children's Dance Company, where Moon Da-som, a practitioner of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Jinju Sword Dance, serves as choreographer and instructor, will join, allowing everyone from elementary school students to Presidential Award-winning masters to stand on one stage.

The voice that stood at Carnegie Hall, the second Grand Festival

The Grand Festival was planned as a venue to inherit the voice and artistic spirit of the late master Seong Chang-sun, who was a holder of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Pansori. Master Seong Chang-sun was recognized for his artistry as one of the greatest singers of his time, receiving the Presidential Award in the Pansori Master category at the 4th Jeonju Daesaseupnori National Competition, and in 1991, he was the first Korean traditional musician to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, USA, introducing Pansori to the world. He also paved the way for the globalization of Pansori by performing in Japan, Europe, and other regions.

Since its establishment in January 2024, the Preservation Society has continued activities such as the 7th anniversary memorial concert for Seong Chang-sun, 'Jade-Colored Sound, Indigo-Colored Song', the 26th Seopyeonje Boseong Sori Festival, and regular concerts. The 1st Grand Festival was held on November 10, 2024. This performance is sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and has been selected for the 2026 Seoul Metropolitan Government Support Project for Private Korean Traditional Music Events.

· Performance Name: 2nd Korea Traditional Arts Grand Festival

· Date/Time: Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM

· Venue: Haneul Round Theater, National Theater of Korea

· Admission: All seats are invitations (Tickets distributed on-site on the day of the performance on a first-come, first-served basis)

· Age Rating: Elementary school students and above

· Duration: 120 minutes

· Host/Organizer: Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society

· Sponsor: Seoul Metropolitan Government

Introduction to Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society

The Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society is an organization established in January 2024 to inherit the musical assets and spirit of the late Pansori master Seong Chang-sun. Under the advice of an advisory group from the Korean music and Korean literature communities, it helps citizens enjoy high-quality traditional arts up close while continuing activities to widely promote the excellence of our traditional arts. The chairperson is Kim Na-young, a professor in the Department of Performance Contents at Mokwon University.

Performance Information: https://www.ntok.go.kr/ntok/pm/prfmng/performanceD...

◆ At a Glance

· Issuing Institution: Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society

· Category: Cultural Heritage, Music, Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society

· Distribution: September 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM

Source: Seong Chang-sun Pansori Preservation Society Press Release (NewsWire)

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