Chamber Music New Zealand in association with Te Papa and STAMP at THE EDGE® present Music Ensemble Korea in concert. Event Sponsor Hyundai has joined forces with CMNZ to bring the group to Auckland and Wellington in February 2007. This is the first time Hyundai has partnered an arts organisation in New Zealand.

Music Ensemble Korea began in 1998 with just four musicians playing the daegeum, gayageum, guitar, and saenghwang. Shortly thereafter, the ensemble grew to nine musicians playing the cello, clarinet, piri, and Korean and Western percussion instruments. Group members Yi Young Yi, Jeong-Seung Kim, Chi-Wan Park and Sook-Kyung Hwang are all considered national treasures in their home country.

The ensemble has created a new Korean music, both fuelled by the belief in traditional music's relevance to the present and created through the cooperation of traditional Korean music specialists and Western classical instrumentalists. Believing the fruits of this cooperative effort to be a universal language, the ensemble hopes that, though this new language, their contemporary Korean music can be made known to the world.

Music Ensemble Korea appears as part of Encompass, a new initiative by CMNZ to present quality music from around the globe.

Korea boasts a 5,000-year history and a national dedication to retaining and fostering its distinct and independent traditions, including a musical tradition unlike any in the world. For Encompass, Music Ensemble Korea will play traditional Korean Music, in traditional costume.

These concerts are supported by the Government, Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Korea, and Asia NZ Foundation.

Wellington

Wednesday 7 February 8pm, Soundings Theatre, Te Papa

Auckland

Saturday 17 February 8pm, Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall

Preceded @ 6.30pm by free concert by NZ Korean Philharmonic Orchestra

Concert programme: Traditional Korean Music

Sinawi 10’

Gayageum Sanjo 15’ (total version is 50’)

Daegeum solo, court music 7’

Duet of Piri and Daegeum, court music 5’

Taepyungso solo, folk music 5’

Duet of Senghwang and Tanso 6’

Janggo solo, folk percussion music 6’

Court ensemble music, yongsanhoesang 8’

Daegeum sanjo 12’

Pansori 12’

General Admission

$35 Adult

$80 Family (two adults, 2 children)

$10 Child (school age)

$28 Concession & CMNZ subscribers

$25 each for Groups of 6+

$15 Student Rush – available on the day (ID required)

$25 Asia Pacific Festival conference attendees, Wellington only (ID required)

Bookings through Ticketek (service fees apply).

Wellington: (04) 384 3840 / Auckland: (09) 307 500

ends