(Date/Time or Period/Location)

November 18 (Monday), 7:00 PM, Zipper Hall performance

- Traditional arts organizations from Southern California and a traditional arts group invited from Korea will perform on the same stage, showcasing Korean traditional arts and fusion performances. The event is planned to highlight the excellence of K-Traditional Music (K-Gugak) to the local audience.

The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles (Director Jeong Sang-won) announced that it will host a traditional arts performance, <2024 Korean Spirits>, on November 18 at 7 PM at Zipper Hall in Downtown LA.

The event will feature a variety of Gugak (traditional Korean music) and dance performances by renowned traditional artists actively performing in Southern California, as well as artists visiting from Korea. This year, the artistic director is Professor Donald Kim, a former UCLA Ethnomusicology professor and current director of the Korean Music and Dance Arts Institute.

The first half of the performance will spotlight Honorary Overseas Bearers of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a title designated by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2015. Highlights include Gayageum master Esther Ji’s Seong Geum-yeon Style Gayageum Sanjo, Eung-hwa Kim’s Han Young-sook Style Salpuri Dance, Chuita and Chunhyangjeon presented by the Korean-American Traditional Music Institute and Choi Soon-hee, and a performance of a section from Simcheongga by Pansori vocalist Yeon-woon Seo.

The second half will feature the Kkebiryeong Performing Arts Troupe, visiting from Korea, presenting a dynamic array of Korean traditional arts and programs. The troupe has performed internationally, including in Australia and Thailand, and will showcase Korean mask dance (talchum), listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022, alongside performances incorporating traditional-inspired creative dance, pungmul (percussion-based folk performance), and high-energy collaborations with world-class B-boy dancing.

The <2024 Korean Spirits> performance is free, but attendees must RSVP in advance through www.kccla.org for entry.