Haegum Master Kang Eun-il: "When I was young, I thought the violin was a traditional instrument"

Performance of 'Nae Eomma-ui Eomma-ui Eomma-ui Iyagi' at Daehangno Arko Arts Theater on the 22nd-23rd

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The father, a public official, loved music. Naturally, his daughter was exposed to music from a young age and learned the violin. Although she listened to countless types of music, it was a time when opportunities to hear traditional music were rare. The daughter was captivated by the sound of traditional music she happened to hear, entered a Korean traditional music high school, and became a haegeum master honored with the '2019 Korea Culture and Arts Award (Presidential Citation)'.

Haegeum master Kang Eun-il (53, photo) will perform 'Old Future: The Story of My Mother’s Mother’s Mother,' a fusion of gugak (traditional Korean music) and Western classical music, at the Arko Arts Theater Grand Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, on the 22nd and 23rd.

This performance was selected in the traditional arts category of the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service’s creative support program '2019 Changjak Sansil New Works of the Year.' Kang will perform alongside jazz pianist Kim Yoon-gon, young percussionist Park Kwang-hyun, and piri, taepyeongso, and saenghwang player Choi So-ri, presenting experimental music that blends modern and traditional elements.

At a press conference ahead of the performance, Kang explained, "This will be a show where traditional instruments like piano, percussion, piri, and haegeum come together with Western instruments, allowing the audience to hear traditional music, contemporary music, and even EDM dance music."

Kang also shared the reason she started playing the haegeum along with memories from her childhood. "Although I listened to a lot of music from a young age, there were hardly any opportunities to hear traditional music at that time. I thought the violin was our country’s traditional instrument. By chance, I heard traditional music and thought it was wonderful, so despite my family’s opposition, I entered a gugak high school."

She described the haegeum as a traditional instrument that does not remain confined to tradition. "The haegeum is an instrument with a very wide expressive range. It also has great receptivity and communicative ability. I think it’s an instrument that can converse with anyone, telling funny stories or sad stories."

Adding her childhood experiences to the haegeum’s broad expressiveness and receptivity, Kang has pursued experimental music. She has even earned the nickname 'the heretic of the gugak world.'

In this performance, Kang aims to convey the story of mothers and, more broadly, women. "I am raising a daughter, and it was heartbreaking to see that she didn’t seem to love her appearance or talents. I wanted to let her know that she is beautiful and precious just by existing, but I couldn’t communicate that well. So I wanted to express it through music. Not only to my daughter but to all daughters in the world, I wanted to tell them how precious they are. I was also a daughter, and it made me rethink the story about mothers, so I wanted to convey a story not only about mothers but about women."

Kang added that because it is a story about women, she thought she should perform many pieces composed by male composers. In this performance, Kang will also play 'Jemangmoga,' composed by her son Han Jin-gu. The piece expresses memories and longing for her late mother, and its title is derived from the Silla hyangga (ancient Korean poem) 'Jemangmaega.'

The performance title 'Old Future' is a reference to the book by Helena Norberg-Hodge, a Swedish linguist and environmental activist. Norberg-Hodge’s Old Future is a book about her experiences and lessons learned from the people of Ladakh in northern India, who live by values completely different from those of Westerners.

Kang said, "After graduating from school, I started working with an orchestra but had to quit due to various circumstances, which put me in a difficult situation. At that time, I read the book Old Future. Then, while playing the haegeum, I had an epiphany and decided to make it my life motto. I want to continue telling stories about the future."