Hwang Byung-ki, a master of the Korean traditional musical instrument “gayageum,” died of pneumonia Wednesday, his family said.
“He was treated for a cerebral stroke last December but died of pneumonia that he’d developed as a complication,” a family member told Yonhap News Agency.
He died at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Hwang Byung-ki (Yonhap)
The master, professor emeritus at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, is credited with pushing the boundaries of the Korean traditional music “gukak” and experimenting with the genre by mixing it with Western music.
He actively interacted with other Korean artists regardless of age and genre, including dancer Hong Sin-cha, cellist Chang Han-na, composer Yun I-sang and media artist Paik Nam-june. (Yonhap)
