Robert C. Provine, professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Music, will examine the remarkable resurgence of traditional music at The Korea Society on March 10, 2011. Using a multimedia presentation, Provine will introduce the audience to the main instruments and genres of Korean traditional music, as well as the role the music plays in contemporary South Korea.

This lecture series is supported by a grant from the


Thursday, March 10 @ 6:30 PM

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The talk will include a discussion of the term “music” in a Korean context, beginning with an outline of the history of Korean music and its sources of study (books, scores, paintings, artifacts, and oral traditions). According to Provine, the sources available to musicians and scholars of traditional Korean music are more comprehensive than those from comparable eras in China and Europe. Musicians and scholars also may rely on current performances of Korean traditional music, recordings, and master musicians.

A heavily-illustrated description of a number of important traditional musical instruments (such as kayagŭm, kŏmun’go, taegŭm, p’iri, and changgo) and a discussion of music genres (such as sanjo, p’ansori, sinawi, court music, and religious forms) make up the heart of the presentation. Videos and audio recordings of master performers will show the tradition in its purest form. Provine will also provide examples of contemporary music that draws upon traditional instruments and genres, whether using non-Korean instruments to play Korean music, Korean instruments to play non-Korean music, new compositions in traditional styles, and various levels of “fusion” music.

Provine also considers the importance of traditional music to modern Korea and its sense of identity. He suggests that though Korean traditional music is special to Korea and quite unlike the music of other cultures, it appeals to listeners worldwide, and is thus a special marker of the strength of Korean culture, in a way that Korean expertise in non-Korean music (such as Western classical music) or fusion cannot be. 

All lectures will be held at

The Korea Society
Samsung Center for Cultural Exchange
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10022

All lectures will be in English, except for the final lecture, which will be delivered in Korean (English interpretation will be provided).

Each of the first five courses will be two hours long, with a ninety-minute lecture and thirty-minute Q&A period. The hour-long final lecture with thirty-minute Q&A on March 17 will be followed by a short end-of-series program.

Members, $20 per lecture. Non-members, $30 per lecture. Enroll in all six lectures, and pay only $100 (members) and $125 (non-members—one-year membership included). Student discount available ($5 per lecture).