UMD Korean Percussion Ensemble Showcases Traditional Samulnori Music

The University of Maryland's Korean Percussion Ensemble plays traditional Samulnori music, a genre that focuses on four traditional instruments.

By Joseph Beck | The Diamondback

The University of Maryland Korean Percussion Ensemble showcased its musical talent at the Kay Theatre in The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Tuesday night. The ensemble performed samulnori, a genre of traditional Korean music.

Samulnori is based on an older genre of Korean music, known as nongak. It is one of the most popular forms of the traditional performing arts native to Korea. When it’s played, the performers incorporate a high level of energy to boost morale.

Four different percussion instruments are required to perform samulnori: the changgo, buk, jing and kkwaenggwari. The changgo is an hourglass-shaped drum, while the buk is a large, rounded bass drum. The jing is a large gong, and the kkwaenggwari is a small gong. The player of the kkwaenggwari is the leader of the ensemble, according to Sebastian Wang, director of the Korean Percussion Ensemble.

These instruments hold significant meaning in Korean tradition. Based on a Korean folktale, these instruments were gifted down from the heavens to humans. Each instrument represents an element of nature and the power those elements hold, Wang said.

Read the full article in The Diamondback.