Korean music can be deeply soulful and pulsatingly exuberant. Two extraordinary Korean traditional music groups bring this music to the Asia Society stage. Master singer Soo-jung Chae uses her powerful voice to tell the romantic tragic tales of the past through the soulful epic singing of Pansori. The term "pansori" comes from "pan," which means a space where music is performed, and "sori," which means sound. Pansori is performed by a standing singer-narrator called a "sorikkun," and a seated drummer, called a "gosu". The second group Noreumachi' imbibes the thrilling sounds of farmer's music in a display of percussive fireworks. The name Noreumachi comes from the jargon of Korean minstrels, and connotes a combination of daring skill and timing attained only by the best players. Pre-performance lecture/demonstration at 7:00PM Copresented by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Arts Management Service.