Geomungo Factory to Promote Korean String Instruments at WOMEX

Geomungo Factory, a traditional string ensemble consisting of three geomungo players and one gayageum player, has been invited to perform at WOMEX, the world's largest gathering of music professionals that will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from Oct. 17 to 21. Geomungo Factory was one of 17 teams selected from 850 applicants.

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"We are nervous and feel tremendous pressure as there is no 'correct' way to introduce Korea's traditional string music to the world", said band member Lee Jeong-seok. The gayageum is a multi-stringed zither (12 to 21 strings) known for its discordant plucking sounds, while the geomungo is slightly more percussive.

The members are all alumni of Gukak National Middle and High School and the Korea National University of Arts. When they first formed the band in 2006, they set themselves a motto to keep challenging what can be done with the two instruments.

"Because people were not very interested in us, we had to take on a number of roles, from creating our own music to promoting ourselves", said another member.

They modified huge instruments in order to perform with them on-stage by slinging them around their waists like guitars, and they used electric amps to amplify the sound. Lee said, "In the early days we used to experiment with a wide range of instruments, so our 12-passenger van was stuffed with about 25 modified geomungos".

But every cloud had a silver lining. A performance in front of some 20 world music experts in Changdeok Palace, Seoul, last year drew a positive reception and helped launch their career globally.

After attending WOMEX this fall, they will embark on a seven-country European tour including Greece, Poland, and the U.K. "We want to show everything we can do using the geomungo", said one of the band's members.