Korea is sending 12 young musicians to Manila with instruments older than the republic, carrying court music and pansori into BGC for a one-night collision of tradition and now.

The performance, Korean Sound, will be staged 15 August at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig, with afternoon and evening shows as part of a regional tour that has already stopped in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The visiting ensemble comes from the National Orchestra of Korea’s Youth Educational Group, a training program that selects promising young performers to work alongside the country’s premier national arts companies.

Only 11 instrumentalists were chosen through internal auditions this year, joined by a vocalist from the National Changgeuk Company of Korea.

Their repertoire ranges from royal court music to pansori, Korea’s centuries-old tradition of epic storytelling through song.

One performance will recreate the famous rabbit-catching scene from Sugungga, while the finale, Together Arirang, blends traditional Korean instruments with familiar Filipino folk melodies.

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and the National Theater of Korea, the concert is part of Seoul’s continuing cultural outreach in the Philippines, where Korean music, television and film have built a large following over the past two decades.

Admission is free through advance registration: http://bit.ly/KoreanSoundRegistration.