To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Korean immigration to Brazil, the Korea Foundation presented the ''2012 Korea Festival in Brazil" in the major cities of Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, and Recife, from November 7-15, 2012. Along with "The Diverse Spectrum: 600 Years of Korean Ceramics" exhibition, the Foundation staged a diverse program of live performances, academic lectures, and film screenings, thereby demonstrating the Foundation's proven ability to effectively implement cultural exchange projects.

Korean Chamber Orchestra

The 47-year-old Korean Chamber Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Min Kim, opened its Brazilian performance tour with a concert at the Martins Pena Hall of the National Theater of Brasilia. After another performance at the Theatro Sao Pedro in Porto Alegre, at the invitation of the Rio Grande do Sul State Government, the group concluded its tour at the Sala Sao Paulo, as part of a grand finale for the Korea Festival in Brazil activities.

During its Brazilian tour, the chamber orchestra presented a series of exceptional performances with a repertoire that ranged from Mendelssohn, Piazzolla, and Sarasate, to Tchaikovsky. Kim's overall leadership, soloist Soyoung Yoon's passionate presentations, and the chamber orchestra's refined musicality fascinated the Brazilian audiences, who gave the group a standing ovation at all three concerts. Of particular note, the audience gave an enthusiastic round of applause for the encore piece, Gyeongbokgung Taryeong, along with expressing their keen desire to have additional opportunities to enjoy more Korean music.

The success of this touring program reflected the Korea Foundation's ability to work closely with the government and cultural sectors of foreign countries like Brazil. The concert in Brasilia was made possible thanks to the assistance provided by the Korean Embassy in Brazil, while the group's official invitation to perform in Rio Grande do Sul was arranged by Ambassador Edmundo Fujita of the Embassy of Brazil in Korea. And the concert in Sao Paulo was a collaborative project of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Sao Paulo and local cultural organizations. Overall, this cultural program also enabled the Foundation to further expand its global network of cultural exchange organizations.

GongMyoung's Modernization of Korean Music

GongMyoung is a world-renowned music group that seeks to introduce the rich tradition and variety of Korean-style music by exploring the infinite possibilities of bamboo instruments and providing the audience with a unique musical experience. The group performed to the joyful delight of Brazilian audiences at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art and Cachuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Above all, GongMyoung strives to blend all manner of musical sounds and rhythms into a harmonious melody.

The group has attracted attention from audiences worldwide, while being described as "unconventional" and "provocative" for creating new possibilities with its own form of music that combine the unique lyricism of Korea's traditional music with a variety of upbeat rhythms. GongMyoung boasts a huge fan base as compared to other fusion music groups from Korea.

The Sao Paulo Museum of Art is located on the Paulista Avenue, which is referred to as "the heart" of Sao Paulo, and of South America as well, is a proud landmark for the people of Brazil. Together with the ongoing special exhibition of Korean ceramics that is on display at the museum, the concert presented a complementary experience of Korean culture with a wonderful combination of visual beauty and audio harmony.

In addition, the group's performance at Cachuera, a cultural center in Sao Paulo that is known for introducing world music to the Brazilian people, was an ideal occasion for the performers and the audience to interact with each other, since the stage is placed at the floor level of the auditorium, in contrast to a conventional theater arrangement in which the stage is separated from the venue's seating area.

GongMyoung's music is distinctive from Westem-style music, but easily familiar to Brazilian audiences. The group writes its own compositions by adding new colors and flavors to Korea's traditional rhythms and melodies, although there were some concerns as to how the audiences in Brazil would react to this unique form of music. But the audience's response of immediate enthusiasm confirmed that such worry was totally unfounded.

As for Eva Sopher, the director of the Theatro Sao Pedro in Porto Alegre, who remarked that, ''culture is a universal means of communication that helps people to understand each othe", the GongMyoung concert was another example of the truth of this principle about the value of cultural understanding. GongMyoung's dynamic performance, full of excitement and joyfulness, served as a channel for the Brazilian people to understand Korea. The GongMyoung's energetic music will long remain in the memory of the people in Brazil.

Nanta Overcomes the Language Barrier

In Korea, Nanta is a household name and representative form of its contemporary performing arts. Since its premiere in 1997, the Nanta group has been synonymous with the modern cultural content of Korea, along with establishing a series of performance records: first show to open an exclusive theater in Korea, first Asian show to be staged at its own off-Broadway theater, first Korean performance event to attract audiences of more than 1 million foreigners, and first Korean show to attract local audiences of more than 5 million.
After touring 251 cities in 41 countries, this nonverbal performance finally made its way to Sao Paulo. The group's Brazilian debut marked a noteworthy achievement with both of its two shows being sold out in advance, opening the door to its possible expansion into Brazil or South America. This experience might well represent a turning point for this kitchen adventure show, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.

Marionette Peifonnaiice 'Dallae's Story’

The marionette performance "Dallaefs Story", produced by Art Stage San, is meant to reveal the diverse possibilities of puppetry performances as a showcase for creative stage art that can blend together various media and art genres. Art Stage San expressed the tragedy and hope of wartime experiences to the Brazilian audience with a story about Dallae and her family at the Musical Festival of Recife. The show was staged at the Teatro Santa Isabel and Marco Zero in Recife, Brazil, with support from Grupo Sobrevento, a Brazilian puppetry organization, and the Korea Foundation.

Korean Studies Lecture Series

The Korea Foundation presented a special lecture series on Korea to celebrate the establishment of the Korean Studies Department at the University of Sao Paulo, where the presence of Korea-related education is relatively limited. The lecture themes included: "Korea-Brazil Diplomatic Cooperation: Similarities as leading middle powers and measures for cross-border cooperation," ''Korea's Political Development: Experiences and lessons in democratization" and ''Korea's Economic Development: Know-how of Korea's rapid economic growth and its competitive edge amidst the global financial crisis." In addition, a roundtable session was held to discuss various areas of Korea, such as its diplomacy, politics, economics, education, and IT industry, at the Institute of International Relations of the University of Sao Paulo.

Korean Filin Festival in Brasilia

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Brazil, the Korea Foundation, and the Cultural Centre of Banco do Brazil (CCBB) co-hosted a Korean Film Festival (October 30-November 18, 2012) that featured five Korean films: "Le Grand Chef," ''Scandal Makers," "A Barefoot Dream," ''Old Partner," and ''Pacemaker." Brazilian audiences had an opportunity to glimpse the Korean people's everyday life, love affairs, friendship, and culture.

Through the Korea Foundation's efforts to promote awareness of Korea and Korean culture among the Brazilian people and to enhance cultural exchange, a solid framework has been built to support more cooperative relations between Korea and Brazil in the years ahead.

Yoo Tae Kyo, Program Officer, Culture and Arts Department