The Korea Society proudly presents renowned p’ansori singer, Kim Sumi, in a rare New York performance of Korean traditional opera. P’ansori is a storytelling genre traditionally performed by a solo vocalist and a drummer playing a puk (barrel drum). The entire dramatic and narrative progression of the story rests on the singer who acts out all the characters, describes the scenes, and provides cultural and historical references. Kim Sumi will perform the "Song of Simch'ŏng, a classic tale of filial love in which a daughter sacrifices for her blind father.
LIVE HOUSE KOREA is made possible with the support of the New York State Council on the Arts.
Korean Traditional P’ansori Concert: Song of Simch'ŏng
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
6:30 PM
The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
Ms. Kim Sumi studied p’ansori singing, and particularly the song of Simch'ŏng, with the late, legendary Changwol Jungseon (1925-1998), a national treasure who held the Intangible Cultural Asset #19 for this song. As a performer and teacher, Kim Sumi has been active creating new p’ansori to add to the five extant stories that make up the traditional canon. She currently teaches at Seoul National University and has published scholarly articles on p’ansori.
Not only is Jin Wook Hong a drummer who specializes in performing P’ansori, he is also a p’ansori singer and has studied under Master Kim Sumi. Mr. Hong graduated from Seoul Institute of the Arts College in Korea, and is currently working towards achieving the Intangible Cultural Property No.5 p’ansori designation. 
