Performance Deconstructing Traditional Rhythms and Adding Electronic Sounds…Percussionist Kim So-ra's 'Rearrangement of Jangdan I: Sugung' Opens at Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall

Percussionist and producer Kim So-ra, who has breathed new life into the rhythm of traditional Korean music and broadened the horizons of Korean percussion, brings an original new work to Suwon.

The planned performance 'Rearrangement of Jangdan I: Sugung,' hosted by Suwon City and organized by the Suwon Foundation for Arts and Culture, will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 4 p.m. on the stage of Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall in Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. This performance is designated as a selected premiere work for the '2026 Gyeonggi Foundation for Arts and Culture Performance Arts Creation Support' and is recognized for both artistic excellence and popular appeal.

Who is Percussionist Kim So-ra, Leader of 'Audacious K-Jangdan'?

Percussionist Kim So-ra, who leads this stage, is a unique artist who deeply understands the essence of Korean traditional percussion while expanding it into contemporary art.

Currently, she serves as a holder of the intangible cultural asset Jeongup Nongak in Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province and as an adjunct professor in the Music Department of the School of Traditional Arts at the Korean National University of Arts, while also teaching at the Department of Traditional Arts at Chung-Ang University's College of Arts, fostering the next generation. She travels between Korea and abroad, spreading the vitality of Korean jangdan (rhythmic patterns).

In particular, she has pursued groundbreaking attempts such as the 'Jangdan Concerto - Collision Theory,' which elevates traditional percussion including the janggu to the status of solo instruments. She has gained attention for experimental creative works spanning genres and boundaries, including <Kim So-ra Women's Nongak Hello, Pyeong-an Gut>, selected for ARKO Performance Arts Creation Studio 2025 New Works. Her capacity as a producer who reinterprets tradition not as a preserved artifact but as living, breathing language of rhythm today is expected to reach its peak on the <Sugung> stage.

Beyond Narrative…'Jangdan' Itself…Breaking Preconceptions of Pansori

While the traditional pansori <Sugung-ga> unfolded around the storyline of the rabbit and the turtle, Kim So-ra's 'Rearrangement of Jangdan I: Sugung' boldly departs from classical literary narrative. Instead, it focuses on the unique jangdan structures and rhythms inherent in Sugung-ga, presenting contemporary percussion performances that deconstruct and recombine them.

On stage, electronic sound is combined with the dynamic resonance of traditional Korean jangdan to unfold an original sonic world where tradition and modernity coexist. Rather than character dialogue or plot, the internal temporal structures are illuminated musically, presenting audiences with a more immersive and sensory soundscape.

As Autumn Deepens, Encountering Traditional and Modern Sounds on a Hanok Stage

Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall, where the performance takes place, is a traditional Korean music venue where the charm of traditional hanok (Korean house) architecture and modern stage acoustic equipment are perfectly harmonized. This stage, where the intense resonance of traditional jangdan blends with sensory electronic sound, will combine with the antique spatial quality unique to Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall to offer audiences a fresh auditory and visual immersive experience.

This attempt, which preserves the essence of Korean percussion while breaking its boundaries, is expected to be a bold challenge that both carries on the lineage of traditional music and responds to the contemporary zeitgeist.

📌 [Performance and Viewing Information]

• Performance Title: Kim So-ra 'Rearrangement of Jangdan I: Sugung'

• Date and Time: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 4 p.m. (Running time: 60 minutes)

• Venue: Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall, Suwon (817 Jeongjo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province)

• Performers: Kim So-ra (Percussion/Producing) and others

• Recommended Age: Elementary school students and up (Ages 8+)

• Ticket Price: 10,000 won for all seats

• Host/Organizer: Suwon City / Suwon Foundation for Arts and Culture

• Parking Information: The venue has no parking lot; nearby Hwaseong Haenggung Palace and public parking lots are recommended

• Ticket Reservation and Inquiries: Suwon Foundation for Arts and Culture Website and Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall (031-290-3573)