Exploring the Depths of Various Lute Family Instruments: Theorbo Player Yoon Hyun-jong

The 2025 Jeonju World Sound Festival (organized by Chairman Lee Wong-jun, hereinafter referred to as the Sound Festival) will be hosting the '2025 World Music Journey Lecture Concert' every Wednesday from July 2 to 23, where participants can experience traditional instruments and music from around the world up close. They are currently recruiting participants through their official website.

This lecture concert is an educational performance program designed to help the audience understand difficult-to-access world music, instruments, and the cultural background and flow associated with them. Moving beyond simple appreciation, the event will be conducted in a 'Lecture Concert' format where performers and commentators will take the stage together to communicate directly with the audience through live performances and explanations.

Through this program, the Sound Festival aims to broaden the scope of world music while enhancing the meaning of the festival through preliminary interaction with the audience before the main festival in August. This year, the event will be presented for the second time in collaboration with the World Music Center, and will be held at the former governor's office of Jeollabuk-do, known as the 'White Sheep House (Hayang House)', offering a unique experience of enjoying world music in an unconventional space.

The four-part performance will take place every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and participation is free. Pre-registration can be done on a first-come, first-served basis through the Sound Festival's official website (www.sorifestival.com) under the program tab, with 30 participants being recruited for each session.

The commentary and explanations for each performance will be handled by Park Jong-hyun, the planner of the World Music Center. He is an ethnomusicologist and traditional music critic, also active as a singer-songwriter under the name 'Summer of Thoughts', currently teaching at Kookmin University and Dankook University.

Kim Hee-sun, the executive director of the Sound Festival, stated, "This lecture concert will be a valuable opportunity for understanding and connecting with the world's cultures through music," adding, "I hope the audience will deeply feel the diversity and depth of world music."

The program for the Lecture Concert is as follows:

▲ July 2 | "Horses, People, Sounds Rolling on the Plains"
Mongolian traditional hammered dulcimer player Kim Yeon-jun delivers the resonance of the grasslands.
▲ July 9 | "From Faraway Continents, Beyond the Passage of Time"
Yoon Hyun-jong explores the depths of various lute family instruments such as theorbo and setar. Cellist Jang Yoo-jin will also perform.
▲ July 16 | "Music on the Green Grass, Bluegrass Journey"
Jang Hyun-ho showcases the charm of North American string instrument banjo and bluegrass. The only Korean band 'Country Workshop' member to perform on the stage of the U.S. 'Grand Ole Opry'.
▲ July 23 | "Endless Stories Flowing on the Strings"
Collaboration between traditional African string instrument Kora player Jung Hwan-jin and yanggeum and duduk players Cho Jae-eun. Unraveling the Griot culture and African music stories together.