The sound arrives before the idea. Long, resonant lines from the gayageum gradually intertwine with the warmth of an acoustic guitar, creating music that feels intimate rather than monumental. That quiet dialogue defines On & Play, the latest concert by Korean ensemble A:rang.
Presented as part of Songpa District's 2026 The Impact initiative supporting emerging artists, the program explores how Korean traditional music can evolve without losing its distinctive identity. Bringing together three gayageums and acoustic guitar, A:rang moves comfortably between folk tradition, newly composed works and contemporary arrangements, treating the instrument not as a symbol of the past but as a living voice with room to grow.
The ensemble features gayageum performers Lee Hyun-kyung, Choi Yeon-su and Yang Yoon-jung alongside guitarist Kim Do-hoon. Rather than presenting the gayageum as a museum piece, the quartet approaches it as a living instrument capable of moving naturally between traditional repertoire, contemporary composition and popular musical language.
That perspective is reflected in the concert's title. On & Play suggests both the physical act of setting strings in motion and the emotional act of awakening the listener. Instead of treating Korean traditional music as a historical form, A:rang invites audiences to experience it as something immediate, personal and quietly restorative.
The program traces the evolving voice of the gayageum across different musical landscapes. While rooted in the instrument's long history, the repertoire also highlights how the 25-string gayageum has broadened the possibilities of contemporary Korean composition. With its extended range and expanded harmonic vocabulary, the instrument allows composers to move beyond the boundaries of traditional performance practice while preserving its distinctive tonal character.
The evening opens with Byroso by composer Lee Chang-hyun, a work that gradually unfolds from restrained lyricism into richer harmonic textures. Scored for both the traditional sanjo gayageum and the modern 25-string instrument, it explores the contrast between intimacy and resonance, establishing the reflective atmosphere that shapes the rest of the concert.
Maek ("Pulse"), composed by Kim Yong-sil and arranged by Kim Gye-ok, offers a striking reinterpretation of Chulgang, a celebrated geomungo work written in North Korea in 1964. Originally inspired by the energy of industrial labor, the music is transformed here into a dialogue between two gayageums and acoustic guitar, exchanging the forceful rhetoric of the original for a more nuanced chamber conversation.
Kim Gye-ok's arrangement of Spring in My Hometown revisits one of Korea's best-known children's songs through the broader sonic palette of the 25-string gayageum. Familiar melodies are enriched with new textures and expanded harmonies, allowing nostalgia to emerge with quiet warmth rather than sentimentality.
The second half of the program moves more freely across genres. An OST Medley reimagines well-known screen music for traditional ensemble, offering audiences a familiar point of entry while demonstrating the flexibility of Korean instruments beyond conventional repertoire. Rather than borrowing popular melodies as novelty, the arrangements reveal how naturally the gayageum adapts to contemporary musical language.
Jangsan Flower Story, composed by Kim Gye-ok and arranged by Kim Hye-rim, shifts the mood toward lyrical landscape painting. Inspired by the quiet beauty of the coastal Jangsan flower, the work unfolds through gently repeating phrases that evoke the rhythm of waves and the changing colors of the shoreline. The three gayageums and guitar respond to one another with understated elegance, creating an atmosphere that feels spacious rather than descriptive.
Cherry Blossom Song, composed by Kim Sae-eun and newly arranged by A:rang, demonstrates the ensemble's willingness to stretch beyond conventional gugak vocabulary. Built on the melodic contours of Gyeonggi folk song, the piece introduces flashes of improvisation alongside bossa nova and samba rhythms. Instead of forcing together disparate musical traditions, the arrangement allows each influence to emerge organically, revealing unexpected connections between Korean melody and Latin groove.
The concert concludes with A:rang's Dream, Kim Gye-ok's contemporary reflection on the beloved folk song Miryang Arirang. Rather than presenting the familiar melody as a straightforward arrangement, the work uses the expanded range of the 25-string gayageum to explore its emotional breadth—from quiet longing to buoyant celebration. It serves not only as the program's finale but also as a statement of the ensemble's artistic identity: respectful of tradition while confidently looking beyond it.
More than a showcase of repertoire, On & Play proposes a different way of hearing Korean traditional music. Folk melodies, sanjo traditions and newly composed works coexist without hierarchy, while the acoustic guitar broadens the ensemble's sonic palette without overshadowing the character of the gayageum. The result is chamber music that feels contemporary without abandoning its cultural foundation.
For A:rang, innovation does not come from replacing tradition but from allowing it to speak in new musical contexts. By bringing together three gayageums and a single acoustic guitar, the ensemble demonstrates how Korean traditional music can continue to evolve—remaining unmistakably rooted in its heritage while engaging audiences through fresh colors, new textures and a distinctly modern artistic voice.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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