On the 4th of the Korean-Italian ‘Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange,’ a splendid beginning
First official event ‘Dream of the Crown Prince’ amazement at the Pansori scene
Yoo In-chon: “Mutual partner relationship should be upgraded on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations”
[ROME (Italy) = EDaily Reporter Kim Mi-kyung] “Unique voice!” (Carlo Tricarico, Former Italian Ambassador to Korea), “It’s a pity that a good performance ended in just one day” (Yoo Seok-yeol, Former President of the Korean Association), “It was spectacular” (Zahid Mastan, Current Italian Ambassador to Malaysia).
On the evening of the 4th (local time), at 7 p.m. in Rome, Italy, at the Argentina Theater, Korean traditional music performance Pansori unfolded, and the audience’s reaction was heated. Pansori is a performance that stages Korean drum play with various percussion sounds such as kkwaenggwari, janggu, buk, jing, and sogo, creating a colorful spectacle in the air.
The stage on that day was set up as the opening event for the ‘2024-25 Korean-Italian Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange.’ The governments of Korea and Italy decided to strengthen cultural cooperation on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and staged the first official opening event featuring the ‘Dream of the Crown Prince’ from the National Gugak Center. Tickets were sold out for all 559 seats except for restricted-view seats, with general seats priced at 30 euros and box seats at 20 euros.
The ‘Dream of the Crown Prince’ is a foreign premiere composed of various traditional Korean dances depicting the story of a Crown Prince during his coming-of-age ceremony and his experiences outside the palace for a day in the Joseon Dynasty. It’s a comprehensive gift set of Korean traditional music and dance such as Taepyeongmu, Sarangchum, Sogochum, Salpuri, and Pansori.
Especially, the Argentina Theater, where the performance took place, is not only famous in Rome but also globally renowned as an opera house. It is a theater with a long history, opened in 1732 for the first time, and it holds great significance for hosting the first Korean traditional music performance on its stage, as explained by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Yoo In-chon, the Minister of Culture, who had moved from Paris, France to Rome, Italy the day before (on the 3rd), visited the theater on this day to celebrate the start of the ‘Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange.’ Minister Yoo, in traditional attire, attended the performance reception and expressed gratitude to the guests who attended the first day event commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy. Minister Yoo said, “Korea and Italy have a duty to further enhance their relationship as partners in the new future on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year,” and added, “I hope that the meeting and communication of many young people from both countries will serve as the beginning of creating new culture through collaboration.”
The Ministry of Culture plans to conduct various cultural exchange projects in Korea and Italy over the next two years with organizations such as the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the Italian-Korean Institute of Culture, the Korea Creative Content Agency, and the National Museum of Korea.
Starting with the opening performance, exhibitions and events will be held in major cities in Italy such as Rome and Milan. Park Eun-sun, a sculptor who was awarded the highest honor in Italy in 2018 as ‘Frattelli Rossetti,’ will hold a sculpture exhibition at major tourist sites in Rome from June for four months. In July, a ‘K-Content Industry Consumer Trade Event’ will be held, operating content experience spaces and promotional booths. In October, a Korean Tourism Expo will be held, followed by a Korean contemporary dance performance in November.
Moreover, the Ministry of Culture plans to support collaborative activities where young artists from Korea and Italy jointly create works in fields such as opera and design.