The University of Hawaii at Manoa Music Department and Outreach College present "A Night with the Korean Zither Muscians' Association" on Saturday, October 4 at 7:30pm in the UH-Manoa Orvis Auditorium. The program is sponsored in part by the Korean Arts Council. Tickets are $5 to $15 in advance, $10 to $20 at-the-door. To purchase, visit www.etickethawaii.com, call 483-7123 to charge by phone (Aloha Stadium box office, M-F 9am-5pm), or visit any UH Ticket outlet (Rainbowtique stores, Stan Sheriff Center, UHManoa Campus Center ticket office, Windward Community College OCET office); service charges apply. Advance sales end 4 hours and 30 minutes before the performance. At the door, sales begin 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to the performance. For more information call 956-8246 or visit www.outreach.hawaii.edu/community.

Often described as expressive, subtle, with a tone like the human voice, thekayagum(orgayageum) is the national instrument of Korea. A 12-stringed zither which is played on the floor, the kayagumis related to the Chinese zheng, Japanese koto, Mongolian yatga, and Vietnamese dan tranh, but distinct from other zithers in the region because of a separate piece of hardwood at the base shaped like ram's horns. This performance by masters of the Korean zither showcases the range and beauty of the instrument in traditional and new compositions.

The Korean Zither Musicians' Association is comprised of 50 performers (20 will be coming to Hawai'i) who are teaching at major Korean universities -- Seoul National University, Hanyang University, Busan National University, and others. The group was established in 1993 to promote Korean zither music and to foster exchange with zither artists from other Asian traditions, such as the Chinesezhengandchin, Japanesekoto, Mongolianyatak, and Vietnamesedan tranh. The Association holds an annual concert in Seoul and has toured widely, from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, and to cities in the UK, US, Canada, China, and Southeast Asia.

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