In this unique recording, Lee Jae-hwa – a geomungo zither virtuoso – performs the suites Geomungo Hoesang and Geomungo Sanjo in the respective styles of the South and North of the Korean peninsula: distinct forms, techniques, and rhythms, but with a shared subtlety, sensitivity, and emotion.

The geomungo, a 6-string zither, features 16 frets over a resonating board made of paulownia wood. Its origins trace back to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo (37 BCE to 668 CE), which dominated the territory of present-day North Korea and a large part of Manchuria. Its rich history spans some 1600 years.

The geomungo makes dramatic sounds, through the friction created by the plectrum striking the strings, or the rustling created by the subtle movements of the left hand over the strings. Due to its dignified and stately nature, the geomungo was considered “the greatest of all instruments” throughout the Korean peninsula.
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