A unique fusion of folk music and progressive rock from a leading ensemble of South Korea's new wave of traditional music.

The 21st century has seen South Korean art and culture truly explode onto the international stage: Korean films have won big at the Oscars, K-dramas have garnered worldwide attention, and K-pop has been one of the biggest phenomena in music. There has also been a truly electrifying and ever-expanding new wave of South Korean musicians using traditional Korean folk and classical music to discover new directions and meanings in sound – and Dongyang Gozupa are at the forefront.

Dongyang Gozupa are an instrumental trio based around the yanggeum (Korean hammered dulcimer) of Yun Eunhwa, together with Ham Minhwi on bass and Jang Dohyuk on a personalised drum-and-percussion kit. Their main musical frames of reference are prog rock and gugak (traditional Korean music), bringing them together with hints of metal, industrial, pop, psychedelia and the avant garde. They bounce these styles off each other, challenging and evolving them as they go, making a sound that can be dark and dissonant, but which always retains a playfulness and a sense of fun. This is a power-trio like you’ve never seen before… but get ready – this might just be our loudest concert yet!

The World's Music at Oxford are proud to present Dongyang Gozupa in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK (https://uk.korean-culture.org/) and K-Music Festival 2026 (https://uk.korean-culture.org/en/1987/board/1594/read/145904).

Doors will open at 6:30pm and the performance will start at 7pm.

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The World’s Music at Oxford is a project run and supported by St John's College at the University of Oxford, which blends research into global musics with live performance. Our events take place at our location at St John's College and are free and open to all. Find out more on our website: theworldsmusicatoxford.com

Description supplied by the event organiser.