Celestial Resonance of Korea

Celestial Resonance of Korea presents a harmonious encounter between Korea’s profound musical heritage and the spirit of contemporary creation.

The deep resonance of Korea’s traditional instruments reimagines the cosmic soundscape through the harmony of tradition and innovation.

In celebration of its upcoming 70th anniversary in 2029, the Department of Korean Traditional Music (Gugak) at Seoul National University has launched a five-year international exchange project beginning this year. 

As part of this initiative, the ensemble was invited to perform at the ORA Festival in Salzburg, which inspired the planning of a special Gugak performance in Vienna. 

Through these performances, the department aims to share Korea’s rich musical heritage with European audiences and foster artistic collaboration across cultures.

Programm

Suryong-eum (6’) — Danso & Saenghwang
A meditative duet between the bamboo flute danso and the mouth organ saenghwang, evoking the sound of water dragons rising from the deep.

Ajaeng Sanjo (8’) — Ajaeng & Janggu
The raspy strings of the bowed zither ajaeng meet the dynamic rhythms of the hourglass drum janggu in this energetic sanjo.

Cheonnyeonmanse (7’) — Geomungo & Haegeum 
A traditional trio symbolizing “a thousand years of prosperity,” weaving the earthy geomungo (six-stringed zither), the lyrical haegeum (two-stringed fiddle), and the shimmering yanggeum (hammered dulcimer).

Minyo Medley (7’) — Haegeum & 25-string Gayageum
A contemporary arrangement of beloved Korean folk songs (Minyo), featuring the expressive haegeum and the rich textures of the 25-string modern gayageum.

Sinawi (10’) — Geomungo, Daegeum, Piri, Haegeum, Ajaeng, Janggu & Jing
An ensemble improvisation rooted in shamanistic ritual music, where instruments converge in ever-changing waves of sound.

Der Doppelgänger and Boat Song (7’) — Bass & Korean Instruments
A striking fusion of Korean traditional ensemble with Western tenor voice, reimagining folk-inspired melodies with dramatic resonance.

Performer List

Professors
Geomungo – Yoonjeong Heo
Haegeum – Eunah Noh

Special Guest
Vocal (Bass) – Seunghyun Jeon (Kammersänger)

Students
Geomungo – Junghyun Kim
Ajaeng – Jeongeun Lee
Saenghwang – Sohyun Jeon
Daegeum – Inseong Yang
Percussion (1) – Donghyeok Noh
Gayageum – Seunghye Kang
Yanggeum – Seunghye Kang
Percussion (2) – Jiyoung Kim

In cooperation with the Korea Kulturzentrum.

Participation €16 (museum admission)
Due to limited space, reservations are required.
Guests with a valid admission ticket, KHM annual pass or Bundesmuseen-Card can make a reservation free of charge. Members of Weltmuseum Wien Friends can do this by presenting their membership card at the ticket office.

Please note that on this day, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a museum ticket is required to visit the cook café & bistro and the special exhibition Colonialsm on the Window Sill.

Please note that photos and video recordings will be made in the course of this event for purposes of publicity and documentation (GDPR, Article 6 (1) (f)). Pursuant to Article 21 of the GDPR, you have the right to object to this processing of data at any time. If you have such a request, please ideally inform a staff member on site. Detailed information is provided in our privacy policy.

Note

The mdw (Institut für Volksmusikforschung und Ethnomusikologie) is hosting a lecture and workshop entitled ‘Gugak – Korean Music Traditions’ with these musicians from the Seoul National University Korean Music Ensemble on Monday, 10 November at 5 p.m.