2013 Music at the Royal Palace

2013 Music at the Royal PalaceStarting from May 4 until October 13, ｢Music in the Royal Palace｣ will be held at Changdeokgung (Palace), Deoksugung (Palace), Gyeongbokgung (Palace) and Jongmyo (Royal Shrine). After the first successful traditional arts performance in 2008, ｢Music in the Royal Palace｣ has become a permanant show since 2009 Every spring and autumn, each palace offers a wealth of things to watch for both locals and foreigners who visit the palace.

｢Music at the Royal Palace｣ not only provides entertainment for vistors with traditional musical performances and storytelling, but also offers visitors a chance to experience the elegance of palaces and the depth of traditional Korean arts by bringing culture, history and arts together. In order for viewers to truely experience the beauty and original atmosphere of the palace and music, the stage, sounds and lightings have all been reduced to a minimum.

Experience the elegance of Court Music ｢Changdeokgung (Palace) Concert｣Changdeokgung (Palace), designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be holding a very special concert. Vistors can take a stroll through Huwon, a garden of natural beauty, and enjoy the traditional music that fills the air. Vistors can also catch the 'Court Music Concert' from May 5 ~ June 9 every Sunday morning at Nakseonjae (the Queen's private residential area). For 270 years, the palace was home to the Joseon government and was also the favored residence of many Joseon Dynasty kings. This makes Changdeokgung (Palace) the longest-serving royal residential palace. Compared to other palaces, Changdeokgung is well-preserved and still has many of its original features. A particular virture of Changdeokgung is the way its buildings blend into the surrounding landscape.

The World of Musical Storytelling ｢Deoksugung (Palace) Concert｣Deoksugung (Palace), a place where the past and present coexist, will feature storytelling concerts for children. Every Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm beginning on May 11th, a fusion blend of folk music and folktales will be performed at Hamnyeongjeon (King Go Jong's sleeping quarters). Masterpieces like「The Little Prince」and 「The Giving Tree」are brilliantly recreated with traditional Korean music and animations, satisfying both the eyes and ears. The concert will bring back heartwarming memories for adults and create dreams and fantasies for children.


What kind of music did kings listen to? ｢Gyeongbokgung (Palace) Concert｣If a king still lived in Gyeongbokgung (Palace) today, what kind of music would he listen to? He would have likely enjoyed a wonderful musical culture that perserves tradition, yet embraces the music of today. Starting on May 5, visitors can enjoy a festivity of Court Music that best matches the ambience Gyeongbokgung every Saturday at 2pm and 4pm. In addition to National Gugak Center's court banquet of musical and dance performances, visitors can also enjoy traditional folk music. To celebrate Children's day on May 5 (Sun), a special preformance, "Magic with Traditional Music" and various other venues will be featured.

One of a kind music ｢Jongmyojeryeak with a commentary｣Jongmyojeryeak (Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Confucian Memorial Ceremony Music) is a ceremonial music that is dedicated to all kings of Joseon Dynasty. Jongmyojeryeak was registered as the first Korea Cultural Heritage and is also registered with UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is difficult to listen the Jongmyoheryeak aside from when it is annually performed at Jongmyo (Royal Shrine) once a year. ｢Jongmyojeryeak with a commentary｣ offers visitors the opportunity to not only listen to, but also to understand the history and culture of Jongmyojeryeak through commentaries. ｢Jongmyojeryeak with a commentary｣ will be performed every Saturday morning at 10am from May 11~June 22 at Jongmyo.