"Korean Traditional Music Festival", a series of performance hosted by Sejong Culture Academy of KSI Sofia in Bulgaria, completed successfully

KSI Sofia’s Sejong Culture Academy successfully hosted its performance presentation "Traditional Music Festival". KSI Sofia has been offering Samulnori classes every year since 2017 for KSI Sofia students and Sofia University students. KSI Sofia students are known for their strong passion for Samulnori, which is taught by Lee Dae-won, an instructor of the traditional band of the National Gugak Center, who was appointed to teach at KSI Sofia by the foundation. Some of them love and play the Korean Drum and Janggu better than Koreans.

In November 2022, a total of 16 Samulnori sessions were held over a month at Sejong Culture Academy. Lee Dae-won from the National Gugak Center, who taught Samulnori at KSI Sofia earlier between 2017 and 2019, was appointed once again by the foundation in 2022, to teach in-depth classes that make up Samulnori, including the Sogo Dance, Drum Dance, Sangmo Dance, and Janggu Dance.

The 16 sessions offered the students the opportunity to improve their Samulnori skills, which they showed off through a Janggu recital they performed to traditional Korean rhythm at an open class held for prospective Sejong Culture Academy students in Bulgaria.

This year’s "Korean Traditional Music Festival" hosted by Sejong Culture Academy was held in collaboration with KSI Sofia and other local Korean language and culture institutions, in celebration of the 33rd anniversary since Korean language education was first introduced in Bulgaria. More than 300 Bulgarians attended the event, where they appreciated and enjoyed some outstanding musical performances by students enrolled in the Samulnori class at KSI Sofia.

According to a KSI Sofia official, “the Festival was a way for Sejong Culture Academy to build a stronger connection with Sofia University and the local Sofia community, on top of improving KSI Sofia’s standing in Bulgaria.

Aleksandar Fam, a KSI Sofia student, doing the Sangmo dance

Silviya Pencheva from KSI Sofia playing her Kkwaenggwari during a Samdo Samulnori performance

Martina Mishonova from KSI Sofia playing his Janggu during a Samdo Samulnori performance