Pyeongchang Festival

[Anchor Lead]

A special stage will bring together the music and tradition of the East and West to celebrate the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a cultural sports festival. Let’s check out the PyeongChang Winter Music Festival.

[Soundbite] "How can I carry you? You're heavy."

[Pkg]

The low notes of a cello respond to the song of a pansori master in her late 60s. The account of a lovers' quarrel between Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong unfolds at a rapid pace. The piece is called "Three Love Songs," and it combines the Korean narrative music form of pansori with cello, piano and traditional drum. Pansori master Ahn Sook-sun and cellist Chung Myung-hwa, both giants in their respective fields, have partnered up for the performance, bringing it extra attention. The arrangement affords the Korean melody a more vigorous energy, making it appealing to foreign audience members.

[Soundbite] Ahn Sook-sun(Pansori Master) : "Through the festival, I believe we can show that music is universal despite language barriers."

The "Love Song," gracing the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Music Festival, will stand out as the most characteristically Korean performance of all.

[Soundbite] Chung Myung-hwa(Artistic director, PyeongChang Winter Music Festival) : "There are purely classical shows as well as collaborative performances. Hopefully the viewers will be open-minded about the diversity."

The Pyeongchang music festival kicks off Wednesday for a five-day run featuring a range of genres including classical, jazz and pansori music.