Strings and rituals: Korean artists bring spirit of tradition to Europe

Two acclaimed works from Seoul’s performing arts scene will travel to Europe this fall, according to the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. Two previous winners of the Seoul Arts Award, now in its third year, will tour eight cities in seven countries this October and November, with a total of 12 performances.

The first leg of the tour features geomungo virtuoso Heo Yoon-jeong, who won the inaugural grand prize.

Her work “Masterful Harmony” brings together the timbres of traditional Korean instruments with a distinctly modern sensibility, offering audiences a contemporary sound rooted in heritage.

Heo, also a member of the jazz-gugak crossover ensemble Black String, has been praised for expanding the possibilities of Korea’s six-string zither while staying true to its lineage.

Premiered in 2023, "Masterful Harmony" reflects both Heo’s deep respect for tradition and her pursuit of the highest level of performance. The piece blends music and dance into what she calls “a sea of tradition,” inviting listeners to experience Korean music in new and unexpected ways.

The European tour opens in Prague on Oct. 2 at ARCHA+, followed by Vienna’s Musikverein Brahms Hall on Oct. 4 and Budapest’s Eiffel Art Studios on Oct. 6.

The second program showcases “Je: Burnt Offering” by 99 Art Company, choreographed by artistic director Jang Hye-rim. Winner of the second Seoul Arts Award, the work draws on seungmu, a Buddhist ritual dance, and the ancestral rite known as je to explore the dignity of labor and the sacredness of life.

“Je: Burnt Offering” begins its European run in Andorra on Nov. 11, marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Andorra. The piece will then travel through Italy (Bari, Nov. 15; Rome, Nov. 18), France (Paris, Nov. 21; Thonon-les-Bains, Nov. 25), Belgium (Brussels, Nov. 28–29) and the Czech Republic (Prague, Dec. 2).

The Seoul Arts Award honors outstanding works supported by the foundation’s Arts Creation Program and performed in Seoul the previous year. According to the foundation, this tour not only underscores the international potential of the award-winning pieces but also demonstrates the creative cycle the program seeks to foster — from creation and recognition to circulation and public enjoyment.