All music embodies the culture, language, and social characteristics of the people it originates from. Songs formed within a community reflect their unique emotions and thought processes, which is crucial in fostering the community's sense of unity. Our nation also has such music, called "Gugak" or traditional Korean music. Gugak encompasses a wide range of genres, from folk music that representing the ordinary people’s lives to court music that reflecting the solemnity of royal ceremonies. Embedded within these musical forms are the lives and wisdom of our ancestors, preserved in a way that differs from Western traditions. Continuing to preserve and promote traditional music forms in contemporary society represents more than a simple homage to the past. It signifies a purposeful endeavour to convey culture’s intrinsic roots and values to modern society.

Against this backdrop, this presentation explores the journey of integrating traditional arts into contemporary life, focusing on the ancient free reed instrument, the Saenghwang. The "Saenghwang Bangatgan-Saenghwang Sanjo" project began in 2020 by creating a new sanjo piece, using the Saenghwang, a genre considered the essence of Korean traditional music.

Traditionally, sanjo is an improvisational genre. Over time, sanjo evolved to adopt a more structured form, becoming a genre in which performers refine their interpretations over their lifetimes, associating their names with their unique renditions. However, in today's context, sanjo is often used as a benchmark for practical skill assessments in entrance exams or competitions, creating an environment where young musicians find it difficult to take on the challenge of creating new works. This project aimed to revive the original spirit of sanjo—free, expressive, and improvisational—by composing and performing new sanjo pieces with the Saenghwang.

The "Saenghwang Bangatgan-Saenghwang Sanjo" project faced the significant challenge of  engaging modern audiences with this traditional music. Key strategies included the creation of visually impactful promotional materials, selecting a unique acoustic performance venue, and conducting a multimedia exhibition alongside the performance. Collaborations with critics, visual artists, musicians, and cartoonists resulted in an immersive experience that connected sanjo with contemporary art forms. Additionally, a one-hour documentary was produced and screened, providing insights into the project’s creative process, the cultural significance of Sanjo, and its modern interpretation.

This presentation will delve into the process of bridging tradition and modernity, discussing the creation of new Sanjo, the methods for offering audiences a performance and a new experience, and the strategies for audience engagement. It will explore maintaining artistic integrity while presenting traditional arts as a dynamic and evolving force in contemporary culture. Ultimately, this discussion aims to demonstrate that traditional arts are not static relics of the past, but have the potential to resonate deeply with people in their modern lives.