Variety E-Seo, School of Korean Traditional Arts, Presents “Samulnori! Power of K-Rhythms,” in New Zealand

Variety E-Seo, a samulnori performing group, was officially invited to perform at the Auckland Arts Festival 2023, followed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year. Both invitations were pursued by the K-BOF (K-Arts Online Borderless Festival) Program, a support program by K-Arts for emerging artists. 

The Auckland Arts Festival is the first grand arts festival in the Asian-Pacific region initiated in 1948. Along with the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, it is one of the two prominent performing art festivals that represent New Zealand.

Variety E-Seo is a group of 4 young performers who have come together to make a “variety” of arts based on the samulnori repertoire. The group aims to creatively inherit traditional Korean art and turn it into a contemporary culture to share with people of today. At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year, Variety E-Seo earned a standing ovation and heated praise from the local press. Art director Shona McCullagh of the Auckland Arts Festival watched the group’s performance and offered an official invitation to the event.