The KBS Traditional Music Orchestra was founded in 1985 in order to popularize and modernize the traditional Korean music, known as Gukak. By arranging popular songs, sacred songs and concerts for children and broadcasting their music on radio and television programmes, the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra has been successful in expanding the audience for Gukak. Playing music that strikes a balance between the traditional and modern styles, Gukak has become popular throughout the Republic of Korea and the world. As the top orchestra in the Republic of Korea, the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra plays Gukak as well as contemporary music at more than 60 concerts a year. The Orchestra has performed in major cities in the United States, including New York City, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Lim Pyoung-ryong (since October 1998) • Graduate of Seoul National University; graduate of the Mozarteum in Salzburg (conducting and composition); ex-Dean of the Music Department at Mokwon University.

Won Jang-hyeon (Daegeum) • Chief musician at the National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts; Lecturer at the Korean National University of Arts and Jeonnam University:  Performs as "Won Jang-hyeon and Asian Music."

Jin Yu-rim (Seungmu Dance) • Received the Grand Prize at the Seoul Traditional Music Competition; Master Assistant of Intangible Cultural Asset Nos. 27 and 97; Lecturer at Mokwon University and Chungang University; Director of Narae Traditional Music Institute.

Kim Hae-suk (Gayageum) • BA and MA from Seoul National University; Professor at Korean National University of Arts.

Sejong Soloists (String Quartets) • The Sejong Soloists are composed of the top young Korean musicians with an interest in promoting Korean culture around the world. The Washington Post praised the Sejong Soloists as "one of the most brilliant ensembles from Korea." The Sejong Soloists have held more than 150 concerts at venues throughout the world, including Lincoln Center in New York City, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado and Santori Hall in Tokyo.

Jeong Ye-jin (Gayageum Byeongchang) • Master Assistant of Intangible Cultural Asset No. 23; Graduated from Graduate School of Yong-In University; Lecturer at Chungang University and the Korean National University of Arts.

Kim Su-cheol (Composer and Guitarist) • Awarded the Grand Prize at the Seoul International Song Festival; Received the 33rd Daejongsang Music Award; Composed film scores such as Taebaek Sanmaek and Seopyeonje; Composed songs for the opening ceremony of 2002 World Cup Soccer Games.

Lee Ho-yeon (Gyonggi Folk Songs) • Graduated from Dongguk University Graduate School of Arts and Culture; Master Assistant, Intangible Cultural Asset No. 57; Counselor, Korean Music Association; Publicity Ambassador of the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

Lee Young-sin (Southern Folk Songs) • Master of Music, concentration in Korean Traditional Music, Ewha Women's University; Initiator of Intangible Cultural Asset No. 23;  Lecturer at SookMyung Women's University, Faculty of Arts.

Kim Dae-u (Saxophone) • Graduated from Rotterdam Conservatorium in the Netherlands (conducting and saxophone); Director, Korean Saxophone Association and Saxophone Ensemble; Lecturer at Seoul National University and the Korean National University of Arts.

Bang Seung-hwan (Director, Korean Traditional Percussion Music Institute) • Received the Grand Prize at the Tenth Seoul Traditional Music Competition; Received the Grand Prize at the National Percussion Music Competition.

Sujecheon
Once performed in major court ceremonies, Sujecheon is an orchestral piece that captures the magnificence of the Korean court heritage.

Daegeum Solo and Seungmu
One of the most popular wind instruments in Korea, the daegeum is a transverse bamboo flute that helps narrate the Korean legends with its elegant and refined sound. Meanwhile, Seungmu is a serene but dynamic dance performed in Buddhist rituals in pursuit of Nirvana.

Shin Gwandong Byeolgok
Performed by the solo gayageum, a12-stringed plucked zither, with a Western string quartet, Shin Gwandong Byeolgok is inspired by the folk song Jeongseon Arirang, which is widely sung in the eastern region of the Republic of Korea.

Gayageum Byeongchang
In the Gayageum Byeongchang, a performer plays the gayageum while singing a short segment of pansori, or epic vocal. Today's performance depicts the journey of the swallow from the Song of Heungbu.

Communicating and Becoming
This piece explores the communication between the past and the present, as the traditional Korean sanjo music is played on the modern guitar. Notably, this piece was performed at the opening ceremony of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Soccer Games in Seoul.

Spring Dance (Orchestra)
Evocative of the mood and spirit of spring, the traditional instruments in this piece showcase the unique rhythmic patterns of Korean music.

Medley of Gyonggi Folk Songs
Typically performed in Seoul and throughout the Gyonggi Province, Gyonggi folk songs capture the bright and joyful nature of the Korean people. Tonight's performance includes three songs from the Province: Taepyeongga is a description of a peaceful world, Han o baeknyeon expresses the resilience of the Korean people and Paet norae depicts the energetic movements of the Korean fishermen.

Korean Sound and Its Image: Korea's Four Seasons
This piece draws on the sounds of nature and the four seasons in Korea, including the calm sound of the morning dew, the sounds of various animals and the sound produced by women weaving.

Medley of Southern Folk Songs
Normally performed by pansori singers, Southern folk songs express the energetic spirit of the Korean people through their strong accents and beats.

Sound of the Reunification (Orchestra)
Composed in honour of the Korean peoples' hope for reunification and a bright future, this piece is performed by a large orchestra consisting of traditional Korean instruments, a conventional percussion ensemble and jazz instruments, such as the saxophone.

Since the nineteenth century, Korean traditional music has been known by the word Gukak. Originally derived from the Chinese and Altaic civilizations, the traditional Korean musical style and instruments utilize a unique 5-tone scale that has been passed down from ancient and medieval music. Korean traditional music is referenced in the ancient history books of Korea, China and Japan. Today, Korean traditional music is divided into three different styles -- sacred music, court music, and folk music. Sacred music encompasses the music of shamanism, a native Korean religion related to gut, and the Buddhist music known as Beompae, which were both dominant on the Korean peninsula in the 8th and 9th centuries. Court music includes forms such as Yeaminrak, Youngsan hoesang, Munmyo jaeryeak, and Jongmyo jaeryeak. Folk music comprises the Pansori and Sanjo styles developed at the end of the nineteenth century. All of these forms reflect the life and spirit of the Korean people throughout their 5000-year history of performing arts