Among traditional genres, we especially focus on pansori, sanjo, jungga, instrumental subgenres, and Korea-specific world (fusion) music. Why is Jeonju International Sori Festival being held in Jeonju of Jeonbuk State? Jeonju has a long tradition of (pan-) sori (i.e. sound) as well as a sound-infrastructure called “gwi-myeongchang (audiences with a great ear for music listening).” This “sori” culture should be understood and developed as the most important cultural resource representing Jeonbuk. Our Sori Festival is a frontline base for achieving this mission, which confirms the meaning of our existence, and that should be passed on to future generations as a new value.

And, world music. World music, which we're talking about here at the Sori Festival, is a trend built on the basis of folk music. It is about new musical attempts that contemporary musicians are struggling with through tradition. It is a musical phenomenon that is happening right now. We are inviting musics that may be less popular but contains fresh trends and currents which are based on folk music that is imbued with the traditions of respective societies.

Just as we think about our own traditions and how to interpret and develop them in a contemporary way, so do musicians around the world. The Sori Festival is where these musicians come together and compare, embrace, and expand. The basic theme of our festival is to look at and compare current and future trends of traditional/folk musics from different cultures.

There are many expectations and demands for our festival. Because there are as many genres and kinds of music as there are stars in the sky. However, our festival understands and tries to realize the direction of revealing the results of artists’ considerations on the past, present, and future of music. The unfamiliar is sometimes uncomfortable and difficult to enjoy.

However, nothing is inherently uncomfortable or difficult. We hope that you will try to encounter new music at the Sori Festival. In doing so, you will find that our traditional musics as well as folk musics from different parts of the world will become closer. This hope is why our festival exists now, and why we will continue into the future.

Tradition is the future.
Please meet the future at the Sori Festival.