Holder of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang
The Story of the Head of Korean Traditional Music Company 'Yeoneunsori Hyun'
She felt a responsibility to carry her teacher's voice into the present, believing that only by doing so could the sound be heard somewhere tomorrow. This is the answer of Gayageum Byeongchang artist Kim Hyunjung, who connects the lineage of tradition with today's sensibility.
"If only Ureuk had lived and passed away, would there have been Gayageum and Silla music?" Even Ureuk, regarded as an ancestor of what is now called K-Classic, continued his legacy through three disciples (Gyego, Beopji, and Mandeok).
Traveling between Busan and Chilgok for performances, education, and research, she does not confine tradition to mere preservation. By reinterpreting the resonance learned from her teachers through a contemporary lens, she quietly demonstrates that tradition can become the language of tomorrow.
Kim Hyunjung's roots are clear. She studied under master Jisubok in Busan, and later learned the authentic singing style of Byeongchang from master Ahn Sooksun. She has been designated as a holder of National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 23 in Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang. In recognition of more than 10 years of dedicated participation in the preservation activities of the Park Guihee Myungchang Memorial Association, she received a plaque of appreciation in 2022.
More important than her impressive resume is the question it contains: how does one bear the weight of tradition and continue it?
Chilgok is a significant place in her work. It is the hometown of master Park Guihee and a region deeply rooted in the tradition of Byeongchang. Kim Hyunjung says, "When the sound I learned in Busan and Seoul resonates again on the stage in Chilgok, tradition becomes not a legacy of the past, but an emotion of today." For her, tradition is not a concept confined to the music of a particular region or era. It is a connecting line that links life and emotion, and a cultural breath that bridges people beyond regions.
This perspective is fully reflected in her platform, the Korean Traditional Music Arts Company 'Yeoneunsori Hyun'. She seeks to expand traditional music beyond performances into education and research. She continues to bring traditional music into everyday life by planning university lectures, academies, and experience-based programs. This is where her belief that "art is about nurturing people" is put into practice.
The changes on stage are also clear. In October this year, she presented "Sori Sasaek" at the National Gugak Center in Busan, a performance that unfolded her personal narrative through Byeongchang. It was her first solo performance in 11 years, and all seats were sold out. Kim Hyunjung said she confirmed that tradition is still alive through the gaze and breath of the audience that day.
"'Sori Sasaek' was a performance that unraveled my life into four stories. It consisted of four episodes: love as a mother, the bond between teacher and student, filial piety dedicated to my parents, and a song to myself."
On November 28 at 7:30 p.m., she will present "Garak Inyeon" at the Chilgok Hyangsa Art Center. This stage is about revisiting the time of learning in her teacher's hometown, reconnecting the relationships formed through Gayageum melodies. In December in Busan, she is preparing a full-length Gayageum Byeongchang performance of "Sugungga." She is attempting to weave together the styles of Jisubok, Ahn Sooksun, and Park Guihee into a single flow, aiming to read the traditional genealogy as one continuum.
Her work does not stop at the stage. She is also consistent in her role as a researcher. In her doctoral dissertation, she conducted a qualitative meta-analysis of Gayageum Byeongchang research from 1982 to 2024.
She said, "It was an attempt not just to collect records, but to reinterpret traditional music from today's perspective and lay the foundation for it to cross into the future." Based on this, she is developing educational materials and cultural programs, expanding her scope into various content such as corporate leadership concerts and experience-based performances for children.
"Gayageum Byeongchang is an art form where singing and playing come together. It's a feeling as if the heart reaches all the way to the fingertips. I stand on stage with the hope that this sound can be a small source of strength in someone's day." For Kim Hyunjung, Gayageum Byeongchang is not a combination of techniques but a language of the heart.
A plaque of appreciation received in 2022 from Master Ahn Sooksun, recognizing over 10 years of dedicated participation in the preservation activities of the Park Guihee Myungchang Memorial Association.
What she values most in her educational activities is also the heart. "Although the forms of education may differ, people are always at the center. Ultimately, I believe art is about helping people grow."
This belief becomes reality at the "Hyangsa Gayageum Byeongchang Academy" she runs in Chilgok. Since 2011, through this transmission education, she has met students with sparkling eyes, watched them win top prizes at national traditional music competitions, and go on to study at arts universities, seeing the future of tradition in their journeys.
"Tradition is not something that remains in the past, but an art that can bloom again in today's language." She says that tradition does not stay within records, but breathes life into today's existence.
Kim Hyunjung's performances, research, and education all extend from this statement. Embracing the depth of ancient melodies while connecting with new generations. She is not only someone who preserves tradition, but someone who creates a path for tradition to move toward tomorrow. This is why the sound she brings today resonates across time and space.
◆Who is Gayageum Byeongchang artist Kim Hyunjung?
She holds a Ph.D. in Musicology and a Master's degree in Korean Musicology from Chung-Ang University Graduate School, and majored in music education at Dong-A University Graduate School of Education. She graduated at the top of her class from the Department of Korean Traditional Music Drama at Chung-Ang University College of Korean Music.
She is a designated holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang, and is also a successor of Pansori Chunhyangga. She serves as a member of the Traditional Arts Division of the Korean Society for Human and Nature, and as the head of the Gayageum Byeongchang Division of the Busan Korean Traditional Music Association.
She has taught at the Chilgok Hyangsa Gayageum Byeongchang Academy, as well as at Chung-Ang University and Seoul Institute of the Arts, and leads the Korean traditional music company 'Yeoneunsori Hyun'.
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