On December 6, 2014, the Centre for the Study of Korea (CSK) in partnership with the Consulate of the Republic of Korea and the University of Toronto Korean Students Association (UTKSA) will host the second annual Korea Day. This lively and colorful event is geared towards promoting Korean culture through performances, a reception featuring Korean cuisine, and of course, K-POP.
This year promises to be especially entertaining as the world renowned kayagum player, Grace Jong Eun Lee, will perform. Kayagum is a traditional Korean instrument, traditionally with 12 strings, with a rich history through time and is capable of producing the microtonal ornamentations of pitch and wide vibrate that is common and venerated in Korean music. Ms. Lee is an especially talented composer and dedicated performer of the Kayagum. She is the first Canadian Asian to be named Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, and her work has been featured in the International festival of Women, CBC Radio, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Carnegie Hall.
South Korea and Canada entered their 51st year of diplomatic relations this year. The Korea Day serves both as a reminder and encouragement of a dynamic Korean community within the context of a multicultural Canadian society. In the city of Toronto, the two countries’ friendship is evident in the popularity of Korean restaurants, as well as the growing presence of Korean student clubs in universities. Government-issued organizations have also been observed to be actively involved in promoting a greater understanding of Korean culture. Among others, the Korea Tourism Organization, Korean Education Center in Canada, and Korean Traditional Music Association of Canada demonstrated enthusiasm in deepening Korean-Canadian cultural ties via their support of the 2013 Korea Day.
The first Korea Day turned out to be a tremendous success in attracting the participation of Toronto residents. Last year, it hosted the lecture and pansori performance of Professor Chan E. Park and facilitated an animated quiz competition which tested the contestants’ knowledge of Korea. University of Toronto faculty, students, and the greater public were invited to the grand launch of a new occasion for celebration in Toronto, which hopefully and likely will continue on until the centennial commemoration of Korea-Canadian relations.
This year, Korea Day is placing heavier emphasis on the Korean musical tradition. In the last couple of years, the K-POP industry enjoyed amazing success in reaching out to a global audience. South Korea’s immediate neighbors such as Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam have been willing recipients to Korean music for some time now. North America recently began showing interest, thanks to the help of its Korean diaspora populations and the worldwide Gangnam Style phenomenon. But many do not realize that Korean music is not solely about well-groomed celebrities singing love or break-up songs. By incorporating elements of the classical, Korea Day 2014 aims to appeal a rarely exposed kind of music to a public who has already learned to appreciate a modern genre from the same peninsula. Melodic Harmony is thus the perfect title for this year’s Korea Day. All guests and performers in attendance will be united through a vibrant musical history that has transcended time and space to reach a receptive audience in the city of Toronto.
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