Liyongtak Conductor Appointed as Artistic Director of National Gugak Center Creative Orchestra

Lee Yong-tak, the newly appointed Artistic Director of the National Gugak Center Creative Orchestra [Photo by National Gugak Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The National Gugak Center announced on the 8th that conductor Lee Yong-tak has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Creative Orchestra.

The term of the new artistic director Lee Yong-tak is two years, from November 7, 2020, to November 6, 2022.

The new artistic director graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in Korean Music from Chung-Ang University and earned a doctorate in Cultural Contents from Korea University. He served as the deputy conductor of the National Gugak Orchestra for a total of five years from 2003 to 2005 and from 2016 to 2018. Since 2019, he has been actively working as a conductor and artistic director at the Daejeon City Yeonjeong Gugak Center, contributing steadily to the development of creative gugak.

Artistic Director Lee Yong-tak composed, arranged, and served as music director for various changgeuk works including the National Brand productions of the National Changgeuk Company such as "Cheong," "Sanbul," and "Romeo and Juliet," earning recognition for their artistic and production quality. He led the popularization of gugak by conducting numerous performances and handling composition and arrangement as deputy conductor of the National Gugak Orchestra and artistic director of the Daejeon City Yeonjeong Gugak Center. Additionally, he has been actively involved in various artistic fields including dance and musical theater.

Artistic Director Lee Yong-tak expressed his ambition, stating, "Based on my diverse musical experiences, I will develop creative gugak that will become the tradition of the future, strengthen the musical identity and competitiveness of the National Gugak Center's Creative Orchestra by building an original repertoire and developing brand concerts."