Album Introduction – Shin Kwaedong-Style Gayageum Sanjo

Discover a rare and remarkable gayageum album that unveils the hidden artistry of Shin Kwaedong (recognized in 1967 as the holder of Geomungo Sanjo, National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 16). This special release features:

  • Shin Kwaedong-style Gayageum Sanjo

  • Saetaryeong – a beloved folk song of Korea’s southern provinces

  • Taryeong – a pungryu piece reflecting Shin Kwaedong’s deep musical world


A Lifetime Devoted to Music

From a young age, Shin Kwaedong immersed himself in traditional Korean instruments. Guided by his father’s belief that “a gentleman must understand music,” he began learning yanggeum-pungryu around age nine, later expanding to gayageum, daegeum, danso-pungryu, and sanjo garak.

While he gained recognition as a geomungo master, recordings of his gayageum performances are exceptionally rare. The gayageum sanjo featured in this album comes from a cassette tape recording in 1984, performed with janggu accompaniment by Kim Jae-seon (Asia Records) and restored by Park Se-yeon.


Shin Kwaedong-Style Gayageum Sanjo

This sanjo includes rhythms such as jinyang, jungmori, jungjungmori, jajinmori, hwimori, and eotmori. Unlike geomungo sanjo, it has a distinct melodic identity, with improvisation at its core.

Park Se-yeon has carefully transcribed and refined the rhythm, ensuring the music retains its flowing improvisational spirit while enhancing its emotional depth. Listeners will experience:

  • The delicate balance of regular and irregular rhythms

  • The growing intensity of escalating passages

  • The powerful lingering resonance of the hwimori rhythm

This creates a unique musical journey that embodies the very essence of sanjo.


Saetaryeong – A Folk Song of Spring

A cherished Namdo Japga folk song, Saetaryeong paints the lively sounds of birds in spring. Originally performed by Shin Kwaedong with only gayageum and janggu accompaniment, Park Se-yeon reinterprets it with the iron gayageum, adding a richer tonal depth while preserving its vivid charm.


Taryeong – The Pungryu Legacy

Beyond sanjo, Shin Kwaedong’s pungryu music is equally important. Thanks to recordings by Seobong Heo Sun-gu, an enthusiast of the 1950s–1960s, these works have been preserved. For the first time, they are shared with the public through the Jeollabuk-do Provincial Gugak Center’s Preservation Materials Reprint Series.

Park Se-yeon restores and performs Shin Kwaedong’s gayageum pungryu “Taryeong,” breathing new life into this treasured piece.


Why This Album Matters

This album is more than a collection of music—it is a revival of Shin Kwaedong’s hidden artistry, bridging tradition and modern interpretation. With Park Se-yeon’s sensitive restoration and performance, listeners will discover:

  • The deep resonance of Shin Kwaedong’s legacy

  • The freedom of improvisation that defines sanjo

  • A contemporary emotional connection to timeless music

Perfect for admirers of Korean traditional music and collectors of rare gayageum recordings, this release allows audiences to experience the world of Shin Kwaedong anew.

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