[Co-production by 2025 Jeonju Int'l Sori Festival and World Music Center]

2025 World Music Journey Lecture-Concert

The World Music Center foundation and the 2025 Int'l Sori Festival jointly organized the “World Music Journey Lecture-concert” series, which took place every Wednesday in July at Hayanyangokjip. Featuring morin khuur player Kim Yeonjun, theorbo player Yoon Hyunjong (with cellist Jang Yujin), banjo player Jang Hyunho, and kora player Jeong Hwanjin (with dundun player Jo Jaeeun), young talented performers shared their music and related stories about instruments from Mongolia, North America, West Africa, and Europe, offering a special opportunity to experience less-focused musics and cultures.

The "2025 Sori Camp" will be held from August 14 (Thu) to 16 (Sat) at various locations in Jeonju including the Sori Arts Center. Under the theme “In Search of the Memory of Scattered Sounds: A Diasporic Approach,” the camp will move beyond theory-based education to offer field-oriented arts education programs. The project is targeted at students specializing in music from universities across the country. Following last year's successful program, the new application process has been completed. The selected 25 participants will have the opportunity to watch performances, listen to lectures by experts, and interact with domestic and international artists, fostering their growth as professional artists and exploring potential career paths.

An Endless Story Flowing on the Strings

Kora Player Jeong Hwanjin (with Dundun Player Cho Jaeeun)

Kora, A Stringed Instrument Embodying the Stories and Melodies of West African Griots

Kora, a 21-stringed string instrument originating from West Africa, is oft associated with the unique Griot culture. Griots, defined as wandering poets and oral historians, have served as mediators in preserving regional traditions and sharing stories about the history, legends, and moral values of communities. Jeong Hwanjin, who studied traditional Korean music before pursuing further studies at the National Arts Institute of Côte d'Ivoire, where he learned kora and other instruments, currently leads the “Korea-Africa Cultural Arts Research Institute” in Korea. He has been trying to expanding African music culture, including kora, djembe, and the Griot culture in general, while actively engaging in exchange performance projects with African states. Jo Jaeeun, who will join the lecture-concert, is a multi-instrumentalist who plays a variety of instruments including yanggeum and dundun.