Discover the Art of Pipa: 13 New Musicians Graduate from Traditional Training in South Korea

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A program to train biwa performers concluded successfully at Cheonggye-sa, the thousand-year-old temple in Uiwang. 

Hosted by the city as part of the Cultural Heritage Administration’s “Traditional Mountain Temples” national heritage initiative, the program’s April 18 graduation produced 13 new biwa players. 

The course focuses on the traditional biwa featured in the Sinjungdo painting inside Cheonggye-sa’s Geungnakbojeon and has produced 56 graduates from 2022 through this year. 

This year’s instruction ran eight sessions totaling 16 hours, from Feb. 28 to April 18, and 13 students completed the program. 

At the graduation, the new performers gave a public recital to showcase what they’d learned. They are expected to perform at Cheonggye-sa and at regional events going forward. 

Mayor Kim Seong-je said, “I congratulate the graduates of the biwa training held at Cheonggye-sa, Uiwang’s signature national heritage site. I look forward to their active role in promoting Uiwang and its cultural legacy as leading biwa performers.” 

The newly trained biwa players are expected to share the beauty of traditional music and further highlight the cultural value of Uiwang and its national heritage.

Uiwang — Reporter Seung­sik Lee thankslee57@viva100.com