UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MANOA OUTREACH COLLEGE
Community Services Division
A Night with Korean Zither Musicians` Association
Info: Oct 4 • Sat • 7:30pm • Orvis Auditorium • $5 to $15 in advance, $10 to $20 at-the-door • Tickets available at www.etickethawaii.com, call 483-7123 to charge by phone (Aloha Stadium box office, M-F 9am-5pm), or visit any UH Ticket outlet (Rainbowtique stores, Stan Sheriff Center, UHManoa Campus Center ticket office, Windward Community College OCET office), service charges apply. Advance sales end 4 hours and 30 minutes before the performance. At the door sales begin 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to the performance. For more information call 956-8246 or visit www.outreach.hawaii.edu/community.
Often described as expressive, subtle, with a tone like the human voice, the kayagum is the national instrument of Korea. This concert by masters of the Korean zither, who have performed together on international stages since 1993, introduces us to this amazing instrument in traditional and new compositions.
The kayagum, a 12-stringed zither, is related to the Chinese zheng, Japanese koto, Mongolian yatga, and Vietnamese dan tranh, but distinct from other zithers in the region because of a separate piece of hardwood at the base shaped like ram`s horns.
The kayagum has a soundboard of paulownia but sidepieces and back of a harder wood such as chestnut. The strings are made from flexible wound silk of between 200-ply and 400-ply thickness, which are stretched from pegs, across a fixed bridge at the top of the instrument, across a set of movable bridges usually made from jujube or cherry that define the sounding length, and end in coils of spare string, ready to be unwound if a break occurs, and these are held taut at the bottom of the instrument by rope loops; the ropes are wound around the ram`s horns.
The instrument is played on the floor, and the strings are struck by the fingers of the right hand; the thumb can also be used to flick the strings. Ornamentation is added by the fingers of the left hand stretching or pulling the strings below the bridges. A set of specific ornaments exists, including a rapid press-release movement and various vibrato.
A University of Hawaii at Manoa Music Department and Outreach College presentation. Sponsored in part by the Korean Arts Council.