Livewire 8: Asian Music in America — Washington Samulnori

The Department of Music presents Livewire 8: Asian Music in America, a festival of contemporary music that will explore the creativity of composers with cultural connections to China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Complete festival details are available here.

On Saturday, October 28, at 8 p.m., the festival concludes with a concert by the featured guest ensemble, Washington Samulnori — four performers playing Korean percussion instruments within a contemporary Korean performing art that was developed in 1978. Samulnori traces its traditional roots to farmers’ band music that has been central to rural life in Korea for centuries. The genre’s title literally means the “playing of four things.” The four instruments are: the changgo (hourglass-shaped drum), buk (barrel drum), jing (large gong) and kwaengwari (small gong). Musical patterns and rhythms have been taken out of their traditional contexts, restyled and redesigned for performance on a stage. Samulnori’s popularity has been immense, and it has been performed and taught throughout Korea as well as all over the world.

Tickets: $15 general admission, $10 seniors, $5 students, free for UMBC students and Music faculty/staff, available online. 

Plan your visit
UMBC is located about 10 minutes south of the Inner Harbor along I-95. For this event, free visitor parking is available in Lot 8, directly adjacent to the Performing Arts and Humanities Building, where Linehan Concert Hall is located — please see here for additional information.